LA Plane Question

Re: LA Plane Question

Richard A. Gillespie, Jr.

>I have the LV LA Jack and the LV LA Smoother. For the Jack plane I have one extra HA blade and two HA blades for the Smoother. The only advantage this gives me over what you describe is the ability to handle highly figured woods with the high angle blades.

By using the high angle blades, one of which has been reground to a even higher angle then the factory grind, I get the effect of using a 50 degree and 60 degree pitch with my smoothing plane.

Re: LA Plane Question

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>Hi Tony

If you finished a board with your #7 and it was smooth and free of blemishes, then you might argue that there was no need to proceed with any other surface treatment.

In most cases, however, the #7 will flatten a surface but, depending on the timber involved, there will be blemishes (such as tearout) to deal with, or one may wish to plane the surface to a higher level of finish (after all the #7 is rarely set up with the small mouth that a smoother has).

The choice of a smoother is a very personal thing. Some indeed prefer a longer plane in the #5 range (the LV LA Jack is rated as a #5-1/2 size). Others prefer something smaller, for example in the #4 or #4-1/2, even #3 size. The work size has something to do with this decision, and a smaller smoother may be chosen where a larger one would be cumbersome. I use a Mujingfang mini-smoother as well as a block plane set up to cut at 60 degrees because these are easier to use for narrow surfaces or to repair small sections.

Lastly, a shorter smoother can more easily follow the surface contures. While we plane for flatness (and you mention that you are following on from your #7), the longer the smoothing plane the more inefficient the process is.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: LA Plane Question

Tony R.

>Thanks for the explanation, this helps alot. Yes, after i'm done with the number 7 i always have some tearout and blemishes, though the board is generally "flat". after the lv la jack, which i pretty much always use with the high angle blade (when smoothing), i seem to typically end up with a nice smooth finish. to the extent there are blemishes/tearout remaining (which occassionally there is), i've always thought that at that point i had to go to sandpaper, but maybe if i tried a shorter smoother i'd be able to get out those remaining blemishes without materially affecting the flatness of my board?

does anyone know what the lenth of the new lv la heavy smoother will be relative to the existing lv la jack and lv la smoother? given that i already have the lv la jack, is it a no-brainer to get the lv la smoother in lieu of the lv la heavy smoother (if i'm only going to buy one of the two i don't currently own)? or could it make sense to own the lv la jack and heavy smoother in lieu of the lv la smoother?

thx. tony.

Re: LA Plane Question

Rob Lee

>Tony -

The basic differences between the two "LA planes" is as follows -

The current Low Angle plane is what Stanley would have called a block plane - designed for end grain use, shooting etc. The blade is 2" wide, the weight is about 3 1/2 pounds, and it's 10 1/2" long.

The new Bevel-up Smoother (the Heavy Smooth) is just under 5 pounds in weight, cannot be used for shooting, and has a 2 1/4" wide blade, and is 10" long. We didn't design this as a "block" plane - though it can certainly be used on end-grain - we designed it as a pure smoother - with the mass, blade width, and low center of gravity that such a plane demands. The standard blade on this one will be 38 degree bevel - with the introduction of a 50 degree bevel blade. Really - it's the complement to the LA Jack (which is great for shooting)...

The jointer, coming at the end of summer, will complete the trio of basic Bevel-up bench planes, making an effective, flexible, and affordable set of planes for a varitey of woods. What many people miss - is that plane performance is directly related to the cut angle....the finish is all about how the wood fails - it doesn't really care whose blade is in what plane, at what bed angle.

Cheers -

Rob

Re: LA Plane Question

Tony R.

>Rob -- thanks much for the clarification. I will definitely be getting a la smoother then on the 23rd. its hard to imagine better smoothing performance then what i am currently getting out of your la jack, but we shall see.... best, tony.

Re: LA Plane Question

Greg Sloop, Portland Oregon

>Get the heavy smoother tho! (Not the regular smoother - IMHO.)

The heavy and the LA Jack use the same irons/blades!

Thus, you can swap betwixt the whole line (when they're all available: LA Jack, LA Heavy smoother + LA Jointer - with the LA Jack available for some time now...)

This swap-ability could make it a lot easier to keep your irons all sharp and functional, as you could do a couple at a time for each angle.

Cheers,

Greg

Re: LA Plane Question

gordon thomas

>Greg:

just curious if you have any issues with the rear totes on the LV planes. It seems there may not be enough room for some people. My subjective experience with holding a LA jack in the store was that the tote appeared "blocky" and not suited for someone (like me) with small hands. I feel it could be quite tiring using the plane for an extended period of time.

cheers,

Gordon