Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Bought a Robert Larson Squirrel-Tail Plane
Erik S. Friis, wish I was in Dodge!
>It's a cute little thing and I was wondering if anyone has heard of Robert Larson planes before. It came with a Kunz blade which is stamped "Made in Germany"...it's only about an inch wide and two inches long. What sort of work is done with these little planes?
Re: Bought a Robert Larson Squirrel-Tail Plane
Neal (San Jose)
>Robert Larson isn't a manufacturer. He's a wholesale/retail distributor from San Francisco, I think. Anyhow, the plane you have is most likely made by Kunz, and their quality is all over the map. Well, except for great - they are more like medium to very poor. I have a #80 cabinet scraper knock-off by them that the screws in the blade retainer don't line up, so the blade retainer sits on the plane crooked. It doesn't really matter, but does indicate a general lack of care. The blade that came with it was very soft, and wouldn't retain an edge very long.
However, as they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and with a little fettling, and a new blade, the cabinet scraper has served me well for many years. Assuming the blade is soft like the one in my scraper, it probably doesn't even matter, since I doubt that you'll use it for hours on end. I'm sure you will get passable, maybe even good service from the little thing. HTH Neal
Re: Bought a Robert Larson Squirrel-Tail Plane
Erik S. Friis, wish I was in Dodge!
>Hi Neal, Thanks for the info. The fit and finish on it are pretty good. It does look at lot like the LN 100-1/2 plane that someone posted on recently though I'm sure it doesn't compare. I only paid about $18 for it. I noticed after my post that it has a number 100 cast in the body near the front where the finger dimple is. The sole is flat, the body is green, and the cap is red with a thumb screw.
So what type of work is a #100 plane normally used for?
Collecting dust!
Neal (San Jose)
>That's what I do with my anteek Ohio Tool 100. I sharpened the blade, tried it out on a piece of wood, and put it carefully on the shelf waiting for just the right project. I hope I'm still young enough to enjoy it when that project finally comes along.
That's the problem with getting a LNLA block plane. All my other block planes seem to have "retired".
Re: Collecting dust!
Todd Stock
>I use my bronze LN LA block for brace shaping and profiling. I'll likely pick up the LN 100-1/2, given even smaller size and LA geometry (unlike the original). Had one of those nasty green ones and converted it into a bottle opener...worked much better in that capacity than as a plane, or at least until the casting cracked.
Re: Bought a Robert Larson Squirrel-Tail Plane
William Duffield, on the Cohansey
>Since it's green, you might want to throw it at a cat.
The function of a #100 is completely different than a #100 1/2. The latter is a shaping tool for concave surfaces. The former is a pretty inadequate block plane, which may be useful in tight spaces. And then there are the quality issues. Comparing Kunz to L-N is like comparing a Yugo to a Lexus.