Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
after market chip breakers
les winter
>I have my bedrocks fitted with Clifton chipbreakers. The kind that have the removable nose. Last week while at Joel's, I picked up a Hock chipbreaker and installed it in my 605 1/2. Boy is that a nice improvement. Before I do any more replacing, I thought I'd ask if anyone has experience with the LN aftermarket chipbreakers?
thanks
Les
Re: after market chip breakers
James Watriss
>The LN chipbreakers are nice, but I'd be sure to measure how far back the yoke hole is on your bedrocks first. I managed to make one work, but I had to feed the blade pretty far forward, because on that particular model, the Stanley hole was roughly 1/8" further back. It still works, but it does mean that the knob is halfway off the post.
I should have mentioned...
James Watriss
>The reason to check teh measurement on the yoke adjusting hole... LN will cut you a custom one if they ask. I had a transitional plane which had a weird width blade (2 1/8") and the blade had to go through a wooden block, so the adjuster hole was in a different place. I emailed them, and within a week they had the thing to me. For purposes of being specific, I'd let them know how far back the worward edge of hte hole is, and how far back the rear edge of the hole is, just so they don't accidentally drill on the wrong wide of whatever measurement you had.
Re: I should have mentioned...
les winter
>Thanks, James.
How well did the replacement fit regarding the tightness at the front? Did you need to fuss with it or did it close up tight right out of the package. My Hock did. The Cliftons didn't.
thanks again
Les
Re: I should have mentioned...
Wiley Horne--Glendora, CA
>Hi Les,
I bought 4 of LN's not long after they came out. Put two of them on vintage planes, Stanley 605 and 606, and the other two on an LN4 and LN5.5. My experience was the same as yours--gave a much more solid feel, particularly on the Stanleys. On the LN planes, I kinda imagined I could tell the difference, but maybe that was a case of seeing what I was looking for.
In any event, the LN chipbreakers were impressively machined and finished. The tip of the breaker that mates with the blade is machined so it stands up proud of the body, and I think is undercut a little--it closed up perfectly on the blade edges.
I can't compare the LN's with Mr. Hock's chipbreakers, which I'm sure are excellent, but I was very happy with them.
Wiley
Re: after market chip breakers
John Vancil in Silverdale, Wa
>Les I have both the LN and Hock chip breakers, they both proform well. Hock has recently raised their prices and the LN breaker and Stanley replacement blades are lower priced. I believe the LN brealers and blades are better machined than the Hock's. The only problem I had with the LN breaker was that hole for the lever cap screw was to small to alow enough adjustment, but afew moments with a carbide burr took care of the problem. CHEERS JOHN