Ever been to Lie-Nielsen plant? Is that all there is?

[John Dorough]

Sent a couple of planes back to Lie-Nielsen for cleaning and resurfacing a few weeks ago. L-N's official website says UPS address is: Route 1, Warren, ME. Took package to UPS store; UPS address locator could not find that address. Confident L-N knew what they were doing, I sent the planes anyway. Transaction did, however, make me look up L-N's physical address (264 Stirling Road, Warren, ME 04864).

L-N is in the middle of no where. I love it. You might enjoy the satellite view, yourself. Warren, ME, is miniature; if it has a business/commercial district, it's well-hidden. The next-closest towns, Waldoboro to the west and Thomaston to the southeast, are marginally larger, but still small by any accounting.

After seeing both the satellite and street views of the L-N facility, it's hard for me to imagine that the Warren, ME, location is actually where all L-N wares are manufactured. Has anyone been to the location? Can you tell me more about whether what shows on the google map really is all there is to L-N's manufacturing facilities?

No matter if other facilities exist, I really enjoyed my virtual tour to Warren, ME, and it bucolic surroundings. Makes me more of a fan of L-N than ever.

Thanks for any information.

John

[David Weaver]

I haven't been there, but I can't imagine the facilities are too gigantic. IIRC, about 4 or so years ago, they had 80 employees, which includes sales staff, etc, and the casting of the plane bodies is done for them by someone else.

Any of that could be out of date by now if they've decided to take on the castings themselves, etc.

if they get any bigger, the citizens of maine will probably kick them out.

Loved Thomaston (where you can buy wooden gifts from prisoners in the prison store and get rung up by a guy who's got a guard armed with a shotgun standing behind him) and Moody's (in waldoboro) on the way through, but wasn't a woodworker back when I went through.

[ken hatch]

I spent a lot of time in Maine back in the late 80s and early 90s. LN, the Old Hippy Tool Seller in Waldoboro, and the GSD puppy farm were part of my main entertainment, along with coffee and cookies by the docks of Camden. At the time LN only had a very small line of tools, if it hasn't changed too much the physical plant is small but very well presented.

[Matt Meiser]

I was there about 4 years ago--Google is right. They don't do casting there but if I remember correctly pretty much everything else is done there. And yes, its a pretty rural area with lots of tiny towns along the coast.

[Dave Anderson NH]

I have been to L-N many times over the years. Tom originally did his own castings when he first started because batches were small and no casting house was interested in his paltry business. Over the years as he grew he became a more attractive prospect for casting houses and he currently uses several. The reasons he stopped doing it in house were a combination of OSHA regulations, insurance costs, and the inability to just plain produce enough. The old foundry area took up a lot of space when everything was in one small building. I remember when Tom's "office" was a desk shoved into a tiny alcove and facing the wall off the hallway on the second floor of the first building. He's come long way since then. As for everything being manufactured on site, there is a small subsidiary plant where tool handles and workbenches are made but it is only in the next town. If you continue north on route 1 from Warren it is about 15 minutes to The Center For Furniture Craftsmanship which is Peter Korn's creation. If you are in the area it is a very very worthwhile stop. They have a very nice library and gallery.

[Matthew Hills]

Not sure exactly where this was filmed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1gUPnelY3o

Matt

[Brett Robson]

I went through their plant last fall. I seem to recall the gal giving us the tour said the castings were imported from a foundry in MA somewhere, but pretty much everything else is done in-house.

That video linked above shows what you see on the their tour. They have a series of long buildings next to the picturesque white buildings with the red roofs where most of the manufacturing is done.

They're super nice folks there, and getting to fondle all their tools in the showroom, which includes lots of benches and lumber for you to saw or plane, is really fun (and expensive!).

[Pat Barry]

Not sure exactly where this was filmed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1gUPnelY3o

Matt

Thanks for the link - that was fun to watch

[Dave Anderson NH]

The YouTube video is titled 2010 but that isn't the whole story. The section on the foundry is from years back when it was indeed in the rear portion of the main building on route 1 in Warren. If I remember correctly, I first saw that foundry segment well before 2010, maybe at the 20th Anniversary celebration where it was played out in the shop and repeating virtually all day. I remember seeing the foundry working on my first trip to L-N over 20 years ago. The main building with the red roof has been added onto at least twice that I remember. The original showroom with a workbench was at the left front as you face the building and was literally about 8' x10' or perhaps slightly smaller.

[Charles Bender]

Exhibited there the summer before last at their open house. It's not a huge place but definitely worth the trip. Rockport, Rockland and Camden, Maine are all a short drive from Warren and are great places to visit.

[Adam Cruea]

My wife and I go up there to vacation every year around our anniversary.

It's a beautiful area. Blink as you're going up Route 1, and you'll miss the L-N buildings. They're actually closer to a little side road off Route 1 (Stirling), but there's a turn-off from Route 1 if I remember right.

My wife and I usually stay at Southport and go meandering through the roads near Warren and the such. All I can say is that it's well worth the trip. I stopped in the L-N shop, got their version of the #51 shoot plane and played with a few other tools while I was there. The showroom isn't that big (maybe 20 x 20), but they have all their tool line laid out with maple available for you to take everything for a chop, shave, or whatever. To be honest with you, I was expecting a foundry on-site too until it dawned on me that L-N *probably* does a much larger amount of business than those little 3 or 4 buildings could cope with.

Unfortunately, I got there right before a group of loaded old farts looking to drop a few bucks so the experience wasn't great; however, I ended up chatting with Tom back and forth a few times via email because of it, so overall, it ended up being a good thing. He seems to be a nice fellow, and I will definitely stop back in, if not to buy something immediately, at least to figure out something to buy in the future. I'll probably end up checking out the tongue-and-groove planes they have.

[Paul McGaha]

I'd like to make the trip. Not only to see the LN facility but I've never been near that part of the country.

The furthest North I've been (on the Northeast side of the country) is Philadelphia.

A bucket list item for me.

PHM

[Adam Cruea]

I'd like to make the trip. Not only to see the LN facility but I've never been near that part of the country.

The furthest North I've been (on the Northeast side of the country) is Philadelphia.

A bucket list item for me.

PHM

I notice you're in the DC Metro-ish area as well.

You should go. It's a total change of pace, people are a lot less pushy, and it's relaxing. Extremely relaxing.

Oh, and the lobster up there absolutely rocks. As long as you're not allergic to any foods, I would highly suggest you try a lobster roll when you go up. The best I've found is from a little place called Five Islands Lobster Company (or Pound, I can't remember) at the end of Maine 127, I think. You'll know when you get there because if you go too far, you'll literally end up driving off the pier into the ocean.

Great place. I highly suggest it, and as long as you go far enough north (beyond Portland), you stay away from the other vacationing East Coasters.

[Matt Meiser]

My daughter still talks about WHEN we go back to Maine. It was a great trip. We spent a couple days getting there, about 1/2 a week on Mt. Desert Isle, and 2 days getting home. Could have easily spent more time on the island and between there and Portland.

[Kieran Kammerer]

Maine, great place to live and work!