Lie Nielsen Low Angle Adjustable Mouth Block Plane
I have been in the market for a block plane for a while now, and was trying to toss up between the route of trying to improve the usefulness of a budget plane through tuning, or purchase a higher end plane and skip the majority of any tuning to be done. As it happens, I was at the WwWS in Adelaide, and the Lie Nielsen dealer was there displaying the wares. When tested, the plane spoke to me, and a tenner discount later, we went home together. More about that later.
The plane is a No. 60 1/2 - a low angle, adjustable mouth block plane, its specs can be found Here.
The packaging the item comes in is a simple, but durable cardboard box, with the elegant company logo printed about the place. Reminiscent of days gone by where all products came in these lovely cardboard boxes. The plane is packed first in a very lightly oiled paper, then in a bulkier packaging paper, and then finally in a sheet of bubble wrap. If you were to drop this box from six feet in the air, your plane would not suffer any injuries.
Care instructions are included and written in well rounded English (as would be expected).
Out of the paper the tool is finished as though you can use it directly upon purchase. The sole and sides are flat and square, and the finish feels very nice to the touch, not sticky like a polished surface, nor rough in any way. The castings of the body and cap are very refined, paintwork is even and comes in a nice matte black. The frog has been milled flat, and although the surface is undoubtedly quite flat, the milling marks are very evident, but you don't see it during normal use so this is of little concern. The palm rest on the cap is polished smooth, and the bronze that it is cast from looks a treat in contrast with the black paint.
The mechanical parts (mouth adjusting knob, cap tension knob, and depth adjustment knob etc) are well machined, on par with the sole. Smooth surfaces are smooth but not sticky, and knurling is crisp, but not sharp.
Adjusting the plane for use is a relatively straight forward process, the tension wheel on the cap is easy and positive to both loosen and tighten. The depth adjuster moves nicely upon its mating thread and the blade moves positively with change. There is about 1/3 of a turn of backlash on the depth adjuster. While this will not hinder the use of the plane I personally dislike backlash in adjusters and from my experience, the mating point between blade and adjuster could have the gap taken from the 0.007" or so, down to a mating surface with all but no backlash, and make for that extra refinement in use. This is very personal though, and your opinion is likely to vary. The adjustment of the mouth is simple. One loosens the front knob and selects a position using the graded brass arm and then tighten the knob. The mating of the toe to the sole is very well done, and regardless of toe position there is no noticeable ridge where sole and toe meet. This process is positive with mouth size easily and accurately selectable.
One thing I noted was the lack of lateral blade adjustment. This only requires one to bias the blade by hand with the cap loosened slightly, and is not a major time factor as the mouth is so square to compare it with. The lateral adjustment would be another nice touch, although hardly essential.
So far, my use has been limited to a hands on at the stand, and a bit of end grain work on a green log where I am staying. Once I return home I can diversify more on using it, if people are interested.
When I first handled the plane, I was impressed with just how heavy it was, there was a test piece of pine to maul and after about 90 seconds of adjusting and toying, I was slicing transparent shavings off along the grain, despite the low blade angle. It seats in the hand nicely, and the added weight as well as a flat sole make it stick to and glide across the wood beautifully. My own plane only needed a couple of minutes on the newly purchased 6000 grit waterstone I also got today and was cutting equally well. The extra thick blade made from good A2 steel makes all the difference in this aspect, I believe. I was able to slice off shavings less than a though thick on end grain with ease.
I'll admit I've been a bit picky with this plane, but I have tried to evaluate it for what it is: a high end tool with a high reputation. Right up until this point, I still do not feel that I have wasted a single cent in purchasing it. Some might say that it is a large amount of money for a plane, but I know that it will be with me until the day that I hand it on to the next generation, and if taken care of, the one following that. It is now firm in my mind that with tools, if you buy good, you buy once: with this item being a prime example.
Thanks for reading. Comments/Questions/Abuse welcome.
Note: No affiliation with LN whatsoever, apart from being a customer starting today.
Back in the shed, back in the hand...
Over the weekend I was able to get into my own shed and really test out my new baby. My partner doesn't appreciate the thought of a hand plane for a child, but I think I have a pretty strong case.
Firstly, I tested it out on the shooting board. Being a low angle plane this is meant to be a choice practice for the plane at hand. I tried the common woods in my shed; pine, Tassie Oak and Jarrah. There was no remorse shown on the pine as this was butter to the thick blade. The Tassie Oak and Jarrah showed some reluctance due to their hardness however with a fine cut, and a tight mouth opening there was thin transparent end grain shavings floating around the bench. I often thought how one would hold the plane on a shooting board, but when you use it in situ, it fits the hand surprisingly well. Finally I am able to shoot some accurate miters.
The main workout it got was thicknessing a couple of short boards of blackbutt I plan to make a small box out of. Each board was around 500mm long, and 100mm wide. I took the boards down from 10mm to 8mm. I sharpened the blade before this activity, and managed to thickness the boards, and joint the edges without needing to lick the blade at all. The timber has a compact, wavy grain that proved difficult with the low angle blade, but a fine cut and fine mouth for the last few passes eliminated most tear-out. This is normally a job done with a larger plane but given my budget, this is my only plane worthy of doing a nice job with.
The plane fits well to the hand, and is not uncomfortable to use. I found the weight to prove fatiguing after long use, but the authority it has when the blade strikes timber is remarkable. I did get a callous on my left hand thumb at the end of day one. Having said that, a block plane is not the sort of tool one normally uses for four hour periods. :D
To be simple, I'm a happy little Vegemite.
