Hi guys,


I'm in the very fortunate position that I have some spare cash burning a hole in my pocket and am going to add another Lie Nielsen hand plane to my collection. I don't "need" anything, I just "want" another one - but at the same time I'm hoping I find it a useful, and frequently used, addition to my existing planes and add to my overall enjoyment of woodworking. This isn't a problem thread, I am not agonizing over it, and I know there is no right or wrong answer and I'll likely be equally happy whatever I choose, but I feel like talking tools and nobody within talking distance is listening or knows a thing about woodworking! So please forgive me this indulgence.


I'm thinking either a bronze #3, a 4 1/2, or a #5 and keep changing my mind between the three. All different horses for different courses of course . So do you have a preference / one that you just love using for whatever reason - either from a capability perspective or just joy in use perspective? I think my #4, LV BUS and LV BU Jack already cover the functional aspects in this range, I just want something that makes me want to reach for it over these planes, even if only at times and puts a smile on my face when I do. Since starting to use bevel down planes I prefer them in use to the bevel up stuff, which is why I have the #5 in mind despite having the BU Jack and I'm also thinking I can learn a bit by swapping my #4 50deg frog for a 45deg frog from the #5 to see for myself via back-to-back comparison whether a close-set chipbreaker is actually preferable in use with a lower angle frog than a higher angle, even on highly figured timber - so that aspect excites me. I also prefer the feel of the narrower 10 1/4 so think I'd prefer a #5 to the wider LV BUJ. Then I'm excited by just owning and trying a #3 for it's extra nibbleness and slightly lighter weight, yet, on the other hand flip-flop to being attracted by the brute size, weight and width of the #4.5 which on paper at least seems like it should be better suited to smoothing larger panels. So many options - and none of them bad .

Obviously any recommendations are dependent on what I've already got and what I want to make. Well, I make, and will make, pretty much everything and also have power tools / machinery to do the heavy lifting most of the time. At the moment I'm making a timber-frame post and beam garage and have been using the 10 1/4, block rabbet and #4 a lot, and next projects include a Roubo workbench, dining table, king-size bed-frame, handing tool-cabinet with drawers etc and a coffee table, along with some smaller boxes etc in between. I use mainly very hard and difficult/tear-out prone timbers. My current bench planes are listed below (I have joinery-planes well sorted and don't need or want any more). I don't think I have any real gaps that "need" to be filled from a functional perspective. Like I said, I just want to buy another plane and want something that makes me go "wow that's different/impressive/more useful than I expected". Which of the three planes (#3, 4.5, 5) would/does add most joy/fun or even just frequent utility to your woodworking and why?

LN Block Rabbet
Veritas dx60 block
LN #4 bronze
Veritas BU Smoother
Veritas BU Jack
LN 10 1/4 Jack Rabbet
Veritas BU Jointer
LN #8
Veritas Shooting plane

Sorry for the ramble; like I said, I think I'm just thirsty for a bit of discussion.


Cheers,

Dom