LV Low Angle block plane as a smoother

[Adriaan Schepel]

Hi guys.

Have any of you here purchased the tote and knob kit that goes with the LV low angle block plane so you can use it as a smoother?

For a while I've tossed up buying a No.2 or 3 smoother (as well as another low angle block plane), and I'm very intrigued by the potential of this 2-for-1 design.

Does it work well? Which blade angle are you using? And are you easing the corners on that blade just a little?

Cheers from Sydney,
Adriaan

[Michael Schwartz]

You don't even need the handles, they seem like a nice Idea though. You should also look for an old Stanely #3 or 4. to have in addation to the LV block plane. If you wan't to flatten boards, joint edges, and plane to thickness, you should add a #5 or 5-1/4 to that. A 5 has the same blade as a 4 so you can buy a lie neilson or hock blade and use it in both planes.

You can ease the corners, or hone in a slight camber.

With any bevel up plane it is worth having at least one extra blade, so you can have multiple angles available.

Generaly for a smoother you wan't to be in the range of a 45-50 degree combined angle. With an adjustable throat you can get away with a less extreme angle for tricky woods. Anything beyond 55 degrees effectively turns the plane into a scraper. For endgrain work you want a the slicing cut of a low angle. I feel low angle block planes are the most versitile for this reason, because with 2 extra blades, you can have a 37 degree combined for end-grain, 45, and a 50 degree blade setup. The other option of course is to find a bunch of old stanely adjustible throat block planes (low and standard) and just set each one up for a different task.