Two part question…
First I’m gearing up to order a Lie-Nielsen jointer, either a 7 or 8. The largest plane I have now is an older Stanley #6. I like the idea of the 8, but in practice I’m worried it’s too wide to edge joint 3/4” which is what I mainly work with, but sometimes thinner. I’m not worried about pushing the weight around. This is making me lean towards a 7 though since it seems a little more versatile since I’d like to be able to use it on 1/2” material if I needed to. Am I over-analyzing it? I’ve never used a plane larger than my 6.
Second part kind of depends on the first. I bought my first LN plane a few months ago and love it. I got a 4-1/2 and I use it way more than my Stanley #4. I feel like my #4 is too light now so I’m always reaching for the 4-1/2. I opted for the standard frog instead of a higher angle and put a slight back bevel on it when dealing with tricky grain with works for the most part. Am I missing out not having a dedicated higher angle frog? If I order a 7 then should I order a 50 or 55 degree frog and swap with the 4-1/2 or not worry about it since I use the 4-1/2 so much and it’s not just for dedicated situations? So many options!
Thanks for any help!!