LV plane purchasing advice

Re: LV plane purchasing advice

David Miller from Iowa

>Oh man - there are a bunch of us that just lurk and wait for posts like this.

Personally, I'd go with the smoother as I do a lot more smoothing than jacking. And you already have a jack plane.

But really the question goes back to you - what are you doing? If you are making a lot of big joints, you need the bigger shoulder plane and vice versa.

Re: LV plane purchasing advice

Asher F.

>If you still can't decide - get me a smoother :)

I agree with David - you need to decide which plane you need more, and which less. Based on my needs - I'd go with a smoother.

Re: LV plane purchasing advice

Rob Lee

>Rod -

If you can hold off for another 40 days or so you'll have a better range of choices...

1) we'll have an introductory set of three price on spokeshaves (1 new) - a great deal (will be on the new one alone too, for those that have the pair)....

2) we'll have the large shoulder (and the medium!)

3) we'll have the LA smooth with the throat adjustment screw (a running change right now)

The jack is a killer plane - but you're better off to complement what you have with the LA smooth...

Cheers -

Rob

Your WHAT?!

Scott in Douglassville, PA

>Did you say, "...local Lee Valley outlet..."?! Man oh man - would I be in trouble with that.

C'mon, Rob - when're you building a store outside Philly?!

Re: LV plane purchasing advice

Christopher Fitch @ Memphis

>That change to the smoother sounds interesting.

I assume you are adding the feature from the jack to the smoother?

Re: LV plane purchasing advice

Rob Lee

>Yes -

Fortunately, we could make the change in the unmilled castings on hand - we can't retrofit planes already produced though...

Cheers -

Rob

Re: Your WHAT?!

Rob Lee

>....Chico's first.... :)

Cheers -

Rob

Re: Your WHAT?!

Rod Fitzsimmons-Frey

>Scott, it's even better than you might think. The retail outlets (at least the one in Edmonton) have a clearance counter, where they sell returns and so on that can't be sold as new. There's usually at least one item on that table that I'm interested in.

The objects being discounted often have next to nothing wrong with them -- a chip out of a waterstone, a saw that's been used twice -- and may sell at as much as a 50% discount. It's impulse purchase heaven.

Rod.

Re: LV plane purchasing advice

Rod Fitzsimmons-Frey

>Thanks for the advice. I will indeed wait for the updated smooth plane. Now I just have to decide between the large and medium shoulder planes!

BTW, I don't know if head office was directly involved in the Edmonton move, but your new location looks great.

Rod.

Re: LV plane purchasing advice

Rod Fitzsimmons-Frey

>Thanks for your input. I think I'm going to take your and Rob's advice and go with the smoother.

I know the best question to ask in deciding between tools is "what are your plans for it?". But many of us, I think, "plan" to make a tool do all sorts of things! I would like a shoulder plane primarily for fitting mortise-and-tenon joints; but I plan to make both a bed (large joints!) and bedside tables (pretty small joints) this fall.

So I guess if I were to frame a more specific question, it would be: which is better, a medium shoulder plane sometimes doing larger work, or a large shoulder plane sometimes doing smaller work?

Rod

Well I'd go for...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>The new smoother, you have a jack plane. I'd wait to compare the Lg. to the Med. shoulder planes, pick whatever one feels better to you. You luck dog you.

Scott, Ahhh a LV outlet store...drool.

Why not south Winnipeg

Steven Wilson

>I think an outlet store in the south Winnipeg, I mean Minneapolis / St. Paul, are would be a great location ! Need a store manager?

No real comparison between

Frank Mutchler

>the #5 Jack you have and the LV low angle jack. I would definitely go with the low angle jack because of its versatility.

Re: LV plane purchasing advice

William Duffield on the Cohansey

>Personal preference: I like a larger shoulder plane. I have not found any problem using my LN 073, even for delicate joints. Its size and mass are an advantage, and don't seem to be a disavantage for trimming small joints. However, in this case, it is very important that the plane fits your hand. A lot of people have trouble with getting a comfortable grip on the 073, and with being able to control it. Personally, I like it, but dislike the Stanley #93, which lots of other people like just fine. I think you should try out, on a real tenon, any shoulder plane you are contempating buying.

Although I have not seen, much less held, the new L-V large shoulder plane, I would bet money on it's being a lot easier to handle than an 073 or any other more traditionally designed shoulder plane. I think I would grit my teeth, practice a little patience, and wait for that one, and try it out, before making up my mind. If it is as heavy as the LN, and retains the advantageous characteristics of the L-V medium shoulder plane (no reason to expect it would not), then your decision should be easy.

That's not fair!

Steve Kubien

>I live near the Toronto East store and there is no such counter for returned stuff! There are a couple of displays with discontinued products but....

Rod, in the nicest way possible...YOU SUCK!

Mr. Lee, it is time to take care of those of who live in the Centre Of The universe. Oh come on, you know it is true.

Steve Kubien

Ajax, (a suburb of Toronto) Ontario

Lee Valley Stores in USA?

Don Thompson, Cutler Ridge, Florida

>Do you have any stores in the US?

Easy decision

Robin Frierson

>The new LV low angle jack, the 62 1/2. Having a #5 is nothing like having this plane. Get two or better yet, three blades with that plane and you will be set. I am using it as a smoother on difficult woods with a 50deg bevel and its kicking butt. The plane has more mass than the lighter weight smoother and will take care of your shooting and end grain duties as well as excelling as a smoother.

Re: Lee Valley Stores in USA?

Rob Lee

>Hi Don -

No, we don't have any stores in the US...our present retail format wouldn't be suitable for the US market...

Cheers -

Rob

Re: Lee Valley Stores in USA?

Scott in Douglassville, PA

>Ya know, I give you grief about this whenever these posts come up, but I'm curious why your stores wouldn't work here. If it won't start a war, or require too much sensitive information, could you elaborate?

Re: That's not fair!

Sean Evoy

>This is Rob's subtle way of punishing you Leaf fans :-) Way to go, Rob!

Re: Lee Valley Stores in USA?

Rob Lee

>Scott -

Don't really want to go into too much detail here... but our smallest store has 22 employees, while our larger ones have more than 50. We inventory all four lines (Wood, Garden, Hardware, Gift) in all locations...a typical store is 20,000 to 30,000 square feet. We are usually better than 95% in stock, over 14,000 items.

Requires a LOT of traffic to support - and a lot of inventory...

North of the border, consumer traffic patterns are different, with a lot of destination based shopping...

Cheers -

Rob

Re: Lee Valley Stores in USA?

Dan CLermont in Burnaby

>Yeah! I agree with Rob. Canadians are destination shoppers.

->First we hit Tim Hortons for Tim Bits and Coffee (which would be your equivalent of Krispy Kreme)

->Second we hit Lee Valley

Those are a Canadian Woodworkers "lunch Break"

Dan Clermont

OT: Hijack...yeah, but....

Steve Kubien

>I'm not even a Leaf fan! I'll support just about any team before the Leafs. Where does that leave me?

Amen!

Steve Kubien

>