Veritas #4 Smooth Plane vs. Low-Angle Smooth Plane

Clifton is the nicer plane

Thomas.D Vancouver

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Re: Veritas #4 Smooth Plane vs. Low-Angle Smooth P

Richard Gillespie

>I have both in my shop. You may not need both but each plane excels at various tasks. For the Low Angle Smoother, you are going to need extra high angle blades in my opinion. I found that the low angle smoother tended to grab certain grain patterns and lift the grain. When I added the high angle blades either at a York pitch or at 60 degrees it stopped that tendency but became markedly harder to push.

Re: Veritas #4 Smooth Plane vs. Low-Angle Smooth P

Jim in Burlington Ontario

>I have the LA LV smoother and would definetely recommend it to anyone as a first plane. It get's the majority of work in my shop although I use a LN 4 1/2 for most final passes.

Re: Veritas #4 Smooth Plane vs. Low-Angle Smooth P

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>Roberto

Answering your questions:

"1) For a first smooth plane purchase which one would you select first?"

I assume you mean, would one choose the #4 or the LA? Undoubtedly, I'd go for the LA. It is altogether more versatile, and I believe easier to set up and less complex to use. There is no chipbreaker to fuss with. Setting the size of the mouth is a 1-second adjustment. Removing the blade from and returning it to the plane is a no-brainer.

"2) Can the Low-Angle Smooth Plane double as a #4 too?"

When it comes to cutting angle, the LA has the advantage in that it starts off at a lower angle (37 degrees), one which the #4 cannot replicate. This makes a significant different when cutting end grain. On the other hand, it is a relatively simple matter to use a blade with a higher angle bevel to replicate the #4 (just use a 33 degree bevel), which has a cutting angle of 45 degrees. The LA continues being able to be used at higher cutting angles with the simple addition of blades with higher angle bevels. But to get the #4 to cut at these angles you will need to use a back bevel on the blade of the #4. This is a more complex arrangement when it comes to sharpening.

3) Does it worth to have both planes in the shop?

I am currently using a Stanley #62 and a LV LA Jack, both with LA and HA blades (I have a LV LA Smoother on order. Thanks Rob). Switching between the LA and HA blades is a quick and easy job. I find I reach far, far less for other planes I might otherwise use. Will you need other planes if you have the LA Smoother? Yes, no doubt you will. But will you need both a #4 and a LA Smoother? No, as long as you have a couple of blades on hand, I doubt you would need the #4.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: Veritas #4 Smooth Plane vs. Low-Angle Smooth P

Roberto Perez F

>Derek

Thank you very much for your help, you have being very specific and descriptive.

Roberto

Re: Veritas #4 Smooth Plane vs. Low-Angle Smooth P

John Clifford

>I'm relatively new at woodworking in general so maybe my point of view may be of some help to a fellow newbie. I have both a low angle smoother and a #4. To learn how to plane I stongly feel the LA plane is much easier to setup and use, for someone new to hand planing, at least it was for me. Having said that, the #4 wasn't hard to learn to use and I feel comfortable (relatively) using either. Also I think the LA plane is more versatile so you might want to start with it over the #4. I say start with because once you get those first wispy thin shaving flying you'll be hooked like I am. Like I said, I'm relatively new to this stuff and I already have eleven hand planes in my stable and I see no end in sight. Good Luck on the slippery slope.

Re: Veritas #4 Smooth Plane vs. Low-Angle Smooth P

Fred Smart

>The #4 smooth plane is ideal for just that - smoothing. If primarily doing

"normal" planing in domestic soft and hardwoods it is the better of the 2

planes, producing the best results, remember it has a chip breaker, unlike the

low-angle smooth plane, which is a single iron plane.

The low-angle smooth plane is ideal for the more specialized tasks, such as

planing end grain, or smoothing difficult exotics using the high angle blade.

So:

1) Probably the #4 first, assuming one will start with normal planing jobs.

2) No, the low-angle can not double as a #4.

3) If you have a requirement for normal smoothing as well as end grain and/or

difficult grain it is worth having both.

Incidentally, does anyone know if LV is going to be making their instruction sheets available in Acrobat format. My daughter gave me their mark 2 sharpening system, but in the process of wrapping it, lost the instruction book. I know Rob posts a lot of instruction in web page format, but they never print with the same quality as the one that came with the product. Thoughts Rob?