New HNT Gordon plane

[Joel Goodman]

Has anyone tried this plane?
HNT Gordon A55 Smoothing Planes
http://www.craftsmanstudio.com/images_p/G!120-55.jpg

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Joel

I've played with one - not enough to write a review, but I can make a few observations.

Terry's planes are made to a very high standard and this one is no exception. He does offer some stunning woods (for a price of course) which make you want to just stare at the plane rather than use it. But the planes are very tough and are meant to be used.

The A55 series have a bed of 55 degrees (compared to the original series - which I have - which are bedded at 60 degrees).

The Norris-type adjuster is well made and works perfectly. The plane (I have only used the smoother) feels comfortable and balanced. The other (less obvious) difference is that the mouth is bedded further forward than on the toteless planes, but the balance remains excellent. In all, the planes are very comfortable to push and glide across the wood.

I used one on hard Australian woods, and the finish it left was immaculate. The HNT Gordon planes excell at working difficult grain.

Terry Gordon is a great guy to deal with and you should email him any questions.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Dan Forman]

Not me, but I sure would like to, it's a beaut'.

Dan

[Joel Goodman]

Derek,

Thanks for the "mini-review". I know we'll all be looking for a real review when you do one. I would love to see you compare the new Gordon with say a LN 4 or 4 1/2 with HAF.... and thanks for all your informative posts!

Joel

[Martin Cash]

Hi Joel,
Terry Gordon's planes are works of art as well as being totally efficient in their use and operation.
I have just ordered one of Terry's A55 Smoothers and am eagerly looking forward to its arrival.
Here is a reflection by Terry himself on the making of his A55's.
It is very interesting reading.

.........I will give an insight into how I made the new A55 planes. "A" meaning adjustable and 55 meaning a 55 degree blade pitch. Like the other planes I make you can also reverse the blade and make it into a scraper.
Ever had trouble adjusting a plane that has a lever cap and mechanical screw adjuster? I certainly have and it was a source of frustration when I used my No4 Stanley plane. The usual thing was when I got it adjusting nicely the blade was not held securely enough and would move back as I planed wood or conversely when I got it so the blade was held nice and tight it was impossible to get a smooth accurate adjustment. And when you think about it these two things are always in conflict. However, until I decided I was going to make a screw adjustable plane I never really though much about it. I’m a pretty black and white sort of fellow and grey usually doesn’t sit well with me especially when it comes to tools. So when I want the blade held tight I want it held tight and not compromised by having to move the blade while it is held tight. Similarly when I want to move the blade I want a smooth accurate adjustment so when I turn the knob I want a proportional movement in the blade. And same again I don’t want to compromise this in any way.
I certainly haven’t used every plane on the market today and there are probably some good quality planes out there that have appeared to achieve the compromise of being able to move the blade while holding the blade tight, but as far as I’m concerned there is still a compromise and when planing hardwoods it will probably let you down at some stage. The other thing to consider here is that if the lever cap is holding the blade securely enough so that it doesn’t move when planing hardwoods then there must be an incredible mechanical advantage in the adjuster to force the blade to move. To achieve this large mechanical advantage some parts involved must be highly stressed in some way, and to my thinking this stress must take its toll over many years and inevitably that part will wear or break.
It didn’t take me long to realise that to make a good adjustable plane I had to remove the compromise, whilst still making it a quick easy process to adjust the plane.
I knew from my other planes that a wedge system would certainly hold the blade securely so it was just a simple matter of coming up with a way of being able to quickly loosen or tighten the wedge. The penny dropped and a simple bolt (with a knurled knob) through the wedge would provide the quick and easy way of tightening or loosening the wedge. The swivelling brass abutments that I use in the other planes worked in just fine, as it was necessary for the abutments to swivel as the wedge was loosened or tightened. With a course thread on this bolt it was amazing how much pressure could be applied to hold the blade securely with less than a ¼ of a turn. I have purposely made the knurled knob fairly small so you can’t over tighten the wedge, as huge pressure is not required
Very simply the compromise was solved and all I need to do to make a depth adjustment on the plane is to loosen the wedge lever cap about 1/4 of a turn, do the adjustment which is nice and smooth because the blade is allowed to move freely, then re-tighten the lever cap wedge by a 1/4of a turn back the other way. All you need to do is get in a habit of loosening the lever cap before any adjustment. A point to make hear is that once you have set the depth, it will stay at that depth because the blade is now held securely without compromise. It is great to use a plane that you are not continuously readjusting the blade because the blade keeps moving.
The adjuster is also very simple. It has a very fine thread so the adjustment can be done in small increments and with accurate machining and assembly I am achieving 0 to 1/8 of a turn backlash which is really nice after you have used a plane that has 2 turns of backlash like my old Stanley. The other thing with this adjuster is that you can make adjustments in or out and the blade will hold nicely in position. With many adjusters because of the compromise you usually have to be advancing the blade to get it to sort of hold securely in position.
Another nice thing about this plane is that taking the blade in and out is very quick and easy with no need to adjust the lever cap holding screw to get the correct compromise.
The other part of the plane that I wanted to mention, which I feel has significant improvements over other planes on the market, is the shape we have used in the tote handle. Back in the old day’s tote handles were made so that you could use a plane all day and not get blisters or a sore wrist. Over the years the shape has been bastardised by manufacturers because they wanted to make the handle easier to make and as usual had economics in mind and not ergonomics. We have reversed this and have gone back to a shape similar to the old one so that at bench height when you push the plane the pressure is put mainly in the palm of your hand which is at the extension of your arm where the power from your upper body is concentrated. This is the most efficient way you can push something using your hand. At the same time the shape of the tote handle is such that your wrist will be straight when you push the plane horizontally at bench height. All so often I pick up a modern plane with a tote handle and when you push it horizontally at bench height the pressure is applied to the web of your hand between your thumb and index finger, so when you plane your wrist will bend. This is OK for short periods of planing but if you do it for long you will get a sore wrist and possibly wear a blister in that spot. This is not rocket science but I am amazed at the poor shape of some tote handle today.
Hopefully this newsletter has given you an insight to how we strive to make planes better for the users. These new planes can be seen by Aussie customers at most of the major wood shows this year or by visiting our workshop. I have started sending a few planes out to overseas shops but it will take a while for them to filter through and be available in the USA and Europe. There are some good photos now on our website www.hntgordon.com.au (http://www.hntgordon.com.au/) if you wish to take a look.
If anyone has some questions about the new planes feel free to contact me.


Regards
MC:):):)

[Grant Vanbokklen]

Are HNT Gordon planes made in Asia? Or does he make them all in Australia? I could not find that info on his site. But they look Asian in style.

[Derek Cohen]

Made in Australia.

Terry spent time living in Malaysia when stationed with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). There he was influenced by the local woodworkers.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Joel Goodman]

Reading Terry's explanation of the thumbscrew it seems to be the same as on my LN 62 -- I often loosen it touch when I adjust and tighten a touch before planing. I am confused about what's new about this -- I've seen planes from 1900 with the same feature. What am I missing?

[Pam Niedermayer]

I haven't used this plane or any of the 55's; but have several of his original style which I love. His try plane is my goto plane for shooting boards. So I'd trust Terry's judgement and skill if I had any desire for such a plane.

Pam

[Martin Cash]

Reading Terry's explanation of the thumbscrew it seems to be the same as on my LN 62 -- I often loosen it touch when I adjust and tighten a touch before planing. I am confused about what's new about this -- I've seen planes from 1900 with the same feature. What am I missing?

Hi Joel,
Up until Terry's A55 Smoothing plane and A55 Trying Plane, none of his planes came with a screw depth adjuster. These also introduced the traditional handle, which he had eschewed in his other models.
He also makes a new version of his Jack plane which comes with the traditional western handle but no depth adjuster.
These features were "new" for his line of planes.
BTW, I have several of Terry's planes and I can't fault any of them.
Hope this helps
MC

[Randall Houghton]

Joel
I have have the A55 in question along with several other Gordon planes. It is a good light weight smoother that works well on interlocked and difficult grained hardwoods. It is easy to adjust and gives excellent results. If you are venturing into wooden planes HNT Gordon offers excellent value for your money as Terrys planes offer thick easy to sharpen irons that hold a good edge and are extremely stable and durable. I prefer the Hong Kong style planes with the low center of gravity and excellent feedback. They may be pushed or pulled with great control. These require little setup and are adjusted with a wood mallet(short learning curve). I use the trying plane to prepare most stock despite the fact that I own a fair amount of LN iron. My only caution is that these high angle planes do not work as well as a standard 45 degree plane on soft woods such as pine. Gordon's planes also make great scrapers by reversing the position of the blade.
Regards
Randy

[Joel Goodman]

I assume that the Gordon trying plane (either old or new style) is too short to really function well as a jointer -- is that so?

[Pam Niedermayer]

I assume that the Gordon trying plane (either old or new style) is too short to really function well as a jointer -- is that so?

Depends on how long the piece of wood. In some cases, an 18.4" plane is fine for jointing; however, Terry also offers a jointer that's 6-9" longer. I use a 30" C&W jointer for long stuff and an ECE Primus for medium. I think a handle is pretty much necessary for jointer length planes.

Pam

[Steve Thomas]

Another happy owner here.
The A55 is great. so are his normal (asian style) smoothers.

[Randall Houghton]

Joel
I don't think that Gordon's trying is too short to straighten a long edge(8-10') or flatten the face of the same. I have at my disposal a LN#7,a Clark and Williams trying plane and a Gordon trying plane. I do not own a power jointer and I surface and join lots of material by hand. I find other factors such a good solid bench with a flexible system to hold the material solidly while being planed and a good accurate long straight edge to be as important in obtaining accurate results as your choice of plane. Having said all that the Gordon gets the lions share of the work in my shop. I use lots of high figure hardwoods and it handles interlocked grain easily. Hand tool work requires practice and a good variety of planes, saws and chisels. The results can be better than any machine and much more enjoyable to obtain. If you're just beginning this adventure I would suggest you contact the Craftsman Studio and inquire about Gordon planes. He also represents LN so an exchange might be possible if things did not work out.
Regards
Randy