nielsen or clifton

[gloswood]

HI there all you woodworkers
i am looking to buy a no7 jointer and looking a either a lie neilsen or a clifton, there is not a great deal of deference in price, but i was wondering about the quality, i am going to the yandles show to have a look anyway, but i would welcome anybodys elses views or comments before i part with my hard earned cash
thanks mart

 

[dunbarhamlin]

Has to be a Cliffie - StaySet cap iron, more heft, British crafted, super O1 iron and green (as in environmentally friendly as well as colour - made locally)

Seriously, both are superb, what you need to weigh up are:
Heft - do you prefer heavier (Cliffie) or lighter (LN)
Capiron - two piece (Cliffie) great for fast edge touch up or more common one piece (LN)
Working height - Cliffies one downside from my perspective is the 'hang' of the tote - more upright than LN (Stanley clone) so less suited to prolonged use at a low bench.

If you plump for LN, need to decide whether to go for a proper iron or newish fangled A2

 

[woodbloke]

Capiron - two piece (Cliffie) great for fast edge touch up or more common one piece (LN)

:-& - Rob :lol:

 

[dunbarhamlin]

Hehehe we'll really have to get you some nice sabatons for your sensitive toes

 

[Paul Chapman]

With planes I think it's always best to try before you buy because "the best" usually comes down to personal preference. I have five Clifton bench planes and a couple of their shoulder planes because I prefer them (particularly the Stay-Set cap irons :wink: ). But I also have some Lie Nielsen specialist planes. Both makes are superb where quality is concerned and I don't think you'd be disappointed with either.

Mike Hudson of Clifton is usually at Yandles so he can let you try out the Cliftons and LNs are usually being domonstrated as well.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Vann]

Hmm... Lie-Nielsen is a little sexier looking 8) (okay, so beauty is in the eye of the beholder). Clifton has that terrific hand-forged iron. And the two-piece cap-iron (which, with an iron that thick, probably isn't any advantage unless you hand hone).

How about a hybrid with Lie-Nielsen sole and Cliffie irons? :mrgreen:

Go on, buy British (hammer)

Cheers, Vann.

 

[Scouse]

As a confirmed Lie Nielsen user (14 of 'em) I do have a slightly biased opinion, but in reality you need to try them both, and both have had issues; Clifton with casting quality and flatness and LN with A2 irons crumbling (although I've never experienced that).

Personally, and I emphasise personally, I just don't see the two piece cap iron advantage, nor do I get the buy British thing.

Do consider Veritas though; in spite of a preference for LN, I did recently buy a Veritas bevel up jointer, and it's a bit good to say the least.

At the end of the day, it's personal preference; they are all quality planes, so enjoy the process of choosing.

 

[Racers]

Hi, mart

Or a secondhand No8 (Record or Stanley) and a Clifton/LN/Hock blade and cap iron, 7s are for girls :wink:

And you would have some change.

I have a couple of 7s and an 8, the 8 gets used the most, its got some real mass, once you get it going it doesn't stop for any thing.

Pete

 

[Vann]

How about a hybrid with Lie-Nielsen sole and Cliffie irons? :mrgreen:

A bit like this

or this

:mrgreen:

Cheers, Vann

 

[matthewwh]

Hi Mart,

If you want to pop in for a cuppa and see how the Clifton and QS measure up, we are about 18 miles the other side of Stow on the Wold.

 

[jimi43]

I'd take Matthew up on that test...

I put a QS iron in an (iron-less) panel plane that I have and it is a little darling....

I pick it up every time I need to do the flattening...but then I only make small things...

I intend to play with another Anglo-Oriental combination when I get a longer infill monster...soon! :wink:

Jim

 

[gloswood]

Hi thanks to every one for their thoghts and responses i was erring towards a nelsen, idont quit understand the issues between the irons, but hopefully a trip to yandles this weekend all thing will become clear
thanks to all mart

 

[marcus]

I got a LN jointer and I HATE the A2 iron. Really hate it. I can't put my finger on why but for me it just feels wrong when sharpening. It doesn't seem to 'talk back' in the way a normal iron does. I don't get any feedback or sense of what's happening to it on the stone as I sharpen. If that makes sense.

Looking will help you make up your mind I'm sure, but see if you can have go honing them.

 

[jimi43]

I got a LN jointer and I HATE the A2 iron. Really hate it. I can't put my finger on why but for me it just feels wrong when sharpening. It doesn't seem to 'talk back' in the way a normal iron does. I don't get any feedback or sense of what's happening to it on the stone as I sharpen. If that makes sense.

Looking will help you make up your mind I'm sure, but see if you can have go honing them.

What are you using to hone it Marcus?

These modern steels really need diamonds at least and ceramic stones really. Scary sharp film is also an option.

I agree with you though...I can't put my finger on it either but try T10 (QS)...I think you will be converted!

Jim

 

[marcus]

Hi Jim, I use diamond stones, so it does get sharp fairly quickly, but it just feels WRONG!

 

[David C]

A2 sharpens perfectly easily with King waterstones, it's the grinding which takes a little longer.

David Charlesworth

 

[yetloh]

Hi Jim, I use diamond stones, so it does get sharp fairly quickly, but it just feels WRONG!

In my experience, you won't get any blade properly sharp with diamond stones - simply not fine enough.

A couple of points missed about Veritas. First, so far as I know, they don't make a No 7 equivalent. Second, they are the only firm out of the big three who have made any real attempt to advance the art of plane making through innovation. The others have just taken sound but ancient Stanley designs and made them from better materials and to higher standards. If that is what you are happy to settle for, why not just buy Quangsheng and save a pile of money. You will then have a very well made Stanley copy with a blade which is, in my opinion, better than any of those supplied by the big three.

For those who haven't compared and contrasted Veritas and LN "in the metal" just go to a show and compare the LN skew block plane with the Veritas equivalent; the latter is vasrly superior. Other thing being equal, that is a good enough reason to buy Veritas.

Oh yes, and definitely have a close look at the Clifton two-piece back iron. Personally, I hate them; you may too.

Jim

 

[Harbo]

I've always considered the Veritas BU Jointer as the 7 equivalent?
In fact all my main user planes are LV BUs - smoother, jack and jointer.
The size of blade is common to all and that way I can use one set of blades to encompass different effective angles for different woods.
I use a Tormek for grinding and 3M films for honing - I've never had any problems with the A2.

Rod

 

[marcus]

In my experience, you won't get any blade properly sharp with diamond stones - simply not fine enough.

My 1200 grit diamond stone gives an edge sharp enough to shave with. How much sharper do you need?!! For anything other than very specialist applications this is more than enough IMO. For very tricky timbers I might give it a quick strop on leather with honing paste to finish off, but not very often.

I've never had any problems with the A2

Me neither, I just don't like the way it feels.

 

[Mike Wingate]

I love the weight and mass of the Clifton planes. But would buy a Quangsheng. The only better plane blade than a QS that i have come across is a Rob Cosman blade combo. QS all the way for me.

My no.3 with QS combo.