New Veritas & Other Planes

[Simon MacGowen]

Here's what it says on the Lee Valley page: "Due to a manufacturing delay on the body of the NX60 Block Plane, these products are temporarily unavailable." A delay and temporarily suggest a relatively short period of time. They've been dangling this carrot in front of people's noses for years and it's completely dishonest.

While I agree that the page could be re-worded better, if not temporarily removed, after such a long delay, I don't think dishonesty and dangling a carrot have anything to do with it. In fact, as your post here shows (I remember someone else had fumed about the same thing (not sure if on this forum or somewhere else)), there is little benefit of hanging a rotten carrot if that was ever the intention. Lee Valley knows better than that, and little gimmicks have never been their style of doing business as everyone has witnessed for 40 years.

Simon

[Pete Taran]

I think it will be for sale again. I also believe in Leprechauns, Chupacabra, Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster. Your point? Product development takes time, and when you are a small shop with competing demands, some projects stay on the back burner until the time is right.

[Rob Lee]

Calling it a temporary delay for several years is very dishonest. If I had problems for several years to produce a chair in large batches for example, I wouldn't let people think it's going to be available again soon. I would remove all mention of it. That's being honest. This isn't. Intent is not the same as a real world result.

Hi Jessica -

I can certainly see your perspective - the wording is sloppy, and there are a number of reasons why it would not have been addressed - but dishonesty is not one of them.

We do leave obsolete or discontinued products up on the web for a number of years, so customers can still access replacement parts and instructions. Normally they do this by searching for the product. The plane itself has not been promoted, or offered for sale. There has been every intent to remanufacture it, and we continue to work on it.

I would have the message changed, but it is actually accurate now.....


Sincerely,

Rob Lee

[Peter Christensen]

I planted the seed of getting the Anniversary Plane now before it’s gone for my Christmas gift but my wife wasn’t buying into that logic yet. Even dangled the $25 gift card I have to sweeten the deal. Still wouldn’t bite. She’ll go for it eventually.....I hope. She bought the NX60 for me when I didn’t expect it so this may happen.

Rob how many of the shiney little beasties did you make for the 40’th?

[john zulu]

Hi -

Just put a batch (pre-production) through the shop in the last few weeks - none made it out....as the polishing was not up to snuff....

We're getting there.....but slowly.

Cheers -

Rob

Rob is the NX60 still nickel plated? Would like the whole thing to be stainless if it is possible.

[john zulu]

Yes - releasing the new catalog this week!

Lots of new stuff to be discovered yet.....

The shooting fence is a nice addition there.

[J. Greg Jones]

Rob is the NX60 still nickel plated? Would like the whole thing to be stainless if it is possible.

I don't believe the NX60 was ever nickel plated. It is (was) ductile iron containing a high nickel content.

[Rob Lee]

(snip)

Rob how many of the shiney little beasties did you make for the 40’th?

Hi Peter -

They are still running right now - so no real idea just yet. We are not numbering them, and plan to supply for at least several months. The plane is a really good value, so we want to ensure that people who want one, can get one.

Cheers -

Rob

[Rob Lee]

Rob is the NX60 still nickel plated? Would like the whole thing to be stainless if it is possible.

Hi John -

The NX60 is a nickel resist ductile cast iron - a very high nickel content, which makes it a bit harder to machine and polish. We lost our first supplier, and it has taken a long time to redo the tooling, and get new castings. Believe it or not - there's no line-up of foundries eager to supply a few hundred castings at a time.... .

Nickel resist ductile will rust - but it's only a very light oxidation - it does not appear to pit. I guess I'll find out when I try top clean up the plane that's been outside for 10 years...!

Stainless Steel has it's own challenges (we have made planes in stainless before), We're a lot more likely to turn stainless than machine it. The lever cap wheel and front knob are both Stainless on the NX60.

Cheers -

Rob

[john zulu]

Hi John -

The NX60 is a nickel resist ductile cast iron - a very high nickel content, which makes it a bit harder to machine and polish. We lost our first supplier, and it has taken a long time to redo the tooling, and get new castings. Believe it or not - there's no line-up of foundries eager to supply a few hundred castings at a time.... .

Nickel resist ductile will rust - but it's only a very light oxidation - it does not appear to pit. I guess I'll find out when I try top clean up the plane that's been outside for 10 years...!

Stainless Steel has it's own challenges (we have made planes in stainless before), We're a lot more likely to turn stainless than machine it. The lever cap wheel and front knob are both Stainless on the NX60.

Cheers -

Rob

Okay.... I think I will save for one. Already have DX60 and it is a really nice plane as it is.

[Peter Christensen]

Hi Peter -

They are still running right now - so no real idea just yet. We are not numbering them, and plan to supply for at least several months. The plane is a really good value, so we want to ensure that people who want one, can get one.

Cheers -

Rob

Thank you.

[Peter Christensen]

I planted the seed of getting the Anniversary Plane now before it’s gone for my Christmas gift but my wife wasn’t buying into that logic yet. Even dangled the $25 gift card I have to sweeten the deal. Still wouldn’t bite. She’ll go for it eventually.....I hope. She bought the NX60 for me when I didn’t expect it so this may happen.

Rob how many of the shiney little beasties did you make for the 40’th?

I was out in the shop slapping together a planter box from old crate wood and Marla came in and said she ordered the plane! She is off to get some groceries and pick up the new toy.

I have a great wife!

[Hilton Ralphs]

I was out in the shop slapping together a planter box from old crate wood and Marla came in and said she ordered the plane! She is off to get some groceries and pick up the new toy.

I have a great wife!

Awesome! Tell her she can stay.

[Jessica de Boer]

There's just one plane missing from the Veritas assortment and that's a number 3. I don't get why they never made it because it's such a nice size to use.

[Simon MacGowen]

There's just one plane missing from the Veritas assortment and that's a number 3. I don't get why they never made it because it's such a nice size to use.

Small bevel up smooth plane by Veritas is 9" long same as the #3.

Simon