Converting a curmudgeon

[Doug B]

After quite a few months of reading about low angle planes & wondering if i should venture into the market & buy for the first time a brand new plane, i got the opportunity on Tuesday evening to try out a couple of the Veritas low angle variety at Mr Ed`s, ( he of the original secret santa fame) :-$

Impressed with the Veritas LA Jack, a search later that evening showed Rutlands to be one of the cheaper suppliers & with an extra 15% off plus free P&P i placed an order for one at 11pm that same night & was highly delighted to take delivery of it a 9am this morning

Being a cynical curmudgeon i was impressed to find the plane required no cleaning up & though i didn`t believe it until today, you can just fit the blade & it will work straight from the box.

Tight curly shavings were produced but not quite a fine as i`d like, so over to the state of the art sharpening center :-" well the chipboard base is moisture resistant :lol: & even though the blade supplied was A2 it only took a few minutes to get a mirror finish on the back of the blade & the edge as sharp as i like.

With the blade set back in the plane whisper thin shavings were soon produced

So well done Rutlands, a big thanks to Ed for helping me make my mind up, it`s just a bu&&er i couldn`t come up with a low angle design for a woodie, but that`s life.

Just need to make some O1 blades for it now O

 

[Vann]

It really is a great plane isn't it.

I bought mine (after reading about it here) over two years ago - my first new plane since I bought a crap Stanley No.4 in 1973.

Lovely, full length, full width shavings. The LAJ gave me the confidence to know I can plane :!: (after the No.4 convinced me I couldn't).

Cheers, Vann.

 

[Mr Ed]

Good choice.

The magic happens with these planes when you hone at the higher angles (eg 45 degrees plus) as they appear to handle more or less anything.

I really rate the Veritas bevel up planes...that said I received my eBay £9.99 1956 Record 4 1/2 in the post today, which I've been playing with, it's not got the same performance but it's pretty good for a tenner.

Ed

 

[jimi43]

I do hope you realise Doug...that this sort of blatant gloating is doing nothing whatever to stop plane acquistion folk (phew..avoids the word...I think I got away with it... =P~ )....furthering their interest in other technologies...for the benefit of...um...yes...for the benefit of assuring that each technology is...um...preserved...like...um

Blast....damn and blast...infills...stick to infills...you must resist...resist.... :mrgreen:

Jim

 

[condeesteso]

Well done indeed. I do like my traditional bevel-downs but for less rational reasons. The BU planes are a design delight IMHO, and as said, increase the secondary pitch and it'll take almost anything on. In fact, for a modest amount have a second blade to hand - in seconds you can switch from low-angle shooting, to general jack, to full-on scrub (OK, 3 blades, sorry).

 

[Doug B]

Blast....damn and blast...infills...stick to infills...you must resist...resist.... :mrgreen:

I my defense Jim it is the first metal plane i`ve ever bought 8-[ & it will fit neatly in to the gap that exist in my "metalies" between the No 4 1/2 & No 8 :lol: :lol:

In fact, for a modest amount have a second blade to hand - in seconds you can switch from low-angle shooting, to general jack, to full-on scrub (OK, 3 blades, sorry).

The gauge plate is on order as i type very handy that Veritas use holes for the lateral adjuster, much easier to replicate than slots O


Cheers all.

 

[bugbear]

Good choice.

The magic happens with these planes when you hone at the higher angles (eg 45 degrees plus) as they appear to handle more or less anything.

Well, magic in terms of resistance to tear out on wild grain, yes.

Rapid stock removal requires different magic.

BugBear

 

[woodbloke]

Another convert...nice one Doug, you'll find it's a really great plane :wink:

Writing on the wall for infils (Jimi) and Cliffis (PaulC)? :-" :duno: :lol: - Rob>>>>>hasty exit!

 

[dunbarhamlin]

But it doesn't come in Racing Green

 

[Paul Chapman]

Writing on the wall for infils (Jimi) and Cliffis (PaulC)? :-" :duno: :lol: - Rob>>>>>hasty exit!

Never :lol:

Incidentally, if I ever want to use a bevel-up bench plane, I use my LN #9

While I use it primarily on the shooting board, it works very well as a 'super smoother' and the modified Bailey-type adjuster makes it very easy to adjust the plane on the fly - which you can't really do with the Veritas BU planes, because they have Norris-type adjusters which can get damaged if you don't slacken the lever cap first.

Still, each to their own. I'm very happy with my Cliftons

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Richard T]

Yes, the Veritas is also a fully adjustable, big, well made Mitre plane.
I have it's smaller brother sold as a "smoother" ... It's a Mitre too.

 

[Paul Chapman]

All roads lead to Rome :lol:

 

[jimi43]

All roads lead to Rome :lol:

Exactly!

The Veritas Jack is £265 minus the 15% is £225.....

Weight 2.27kg

Width 2 1/4"

Length 15"

Thickness iron 2mm A2

Adjustment Modified knob thing probably derived from infill designs


Alex the Scottish Infill Panel was £65.53 plus £9 p&p plus £18 for the iron - total £ 92.53

Weight 2.72 kg

Width 2 3/4"

Length 13 1/2"

Thickness iron 3mm T10

Adjustment Unmodified brain and hammer

Shavings....

They lead to Rome indeed! 8)

Jim

 

[Karl]

The Veritas Jack is £265 minus the 15% is £225.....

Unless, of course, you're lucky enough to find one on the 'bay at a bargain price of £115

 

[woodbloke]

Jim

Jim, that looks it's a nice, mild working piece of something like syacamore, maple or similar. As has been amply demonstrated time and again (most recently at Pete Sefton's Bash) infills and other BD planes with unmodified blades simply won't handle the nasty stuff...try that with the Wood from Hell as Pete did with his standard Clifi and you'll get a very different result :mrgreen:
With a BU plane, drop in another higher pitched blade (or hone the existing one to give an EP of around 60deg) and bob's your mother's auntie :? (or similar)
Bit of a no-brainer really :lol:
Edit...and I could get the same result with a second hand, half-hour (almost :-" :---) ) fettled No4 - Rob>>>>>another hasty departure

 

[jimi43]

All the other woods I tested it on are in the thread on Alex... Rob...

I didn't bother for this one as I don't think the OP shavings were wild wood.

Douglas is giving me some wild oak which we will try it on but it works well on everything I have tried yet.

Should I get my burr elm block out and shave a bit?

I am just trying to convince myself I don't need a Veritas LA BU plane....you're not helping! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :wink:

Jim

BTW...it's a piece of knotty pine...it rips through the knots like they ain't even there. :wink:

When the sun comes out again (if) I will show you the mirror finish on it.

 

[Modernist]

Gaps in the workload, BU planes, whatever next :shock: :shock:

 

[woodbloke]

I am just trying to convince myself I don't need a Veritas LA BU plane....you're not helping! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :wink:

Jim

BTW...it's a piece of knotty pine...it rips through the knots like they ain't even there. :wink:

Jim, I've used a lot of burr elm and it's really nice stuff to plane (as is Birds Eye Maple) with a BU plane. If we ever get together at another Bash you can try Alex out on the WfH :lol:...
Seriously, as discussed on an earlier thread, if you wanted to to add a BU plane to the arsenal, then the new QS that Matt's offering is going to be hard to beat for the price...see Pete Sefton's review - Rob

 

[jimi43]

Yeh...I was seriously thinking about the QS...the irons are the DBs!

I don't have anything wilder than the end burr...but I did try it out on that...

Shavings (small ones!) but not dust...

Baby's bum with no tearout...

...gotta knock those corners off though!

It think shoot-outs are fun...but really and truly...if something does a good job for what you generally use and more...then I think to use them for anything other than amusement is a mistake...especially when it means you spend three times as much to get similar results.

My point is not that infill BD planes are better than BU planes because they're clearly not for all the right engineering reasons...but I'm not that convinced I need one that urgently just yet...

(see! Can't be a collector now can I!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: )

Jim

 

[woodbloke]

...but I'm not that convinced I need one that urgently just yet...

(see! Can't be a collector now can I!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: )

Jim

I'll keep on nudging Jimi :mrgreen: :lol: :lol: - Rob