Replies

1. 
   Lataxe | Dec 10, 2009 02:12pm | #1

   Ron,

   One thing I found out the hard way is that it's easier to manage BU blades which all have a 25 degree bevel when one wants to create higher cutting angles.  The higher cutting angle is much easier to maintain if one creates a microbevel on the standard 25 degree main bevel, to achieve the high cutting angle.

   LV sell BU blades where the whole bevel is at the necessary angle to achieve those higher cutting angles.  Whilst these certainly work, they are not so easy to hone and resharpen as a blade with a standard bevel and only a sliver of microbevel made with the required higher angle. 

   Lataxe

2. 
   derekcohen | Dec 10, 2009 03:03pm | #2

   Hi Ron

   Lataxe has his finger on the pulse.

   Better have a read of this: The Secret to Cambering Bevel Up Plane Blades

   Regards from Perth

   Derek

1. 
   RonInOttawa | Dec 19, 2009 09:20pm | #5

   Moved from "Reply" to "New Comment"

3. 
   WillGeorge | Dec 10, 2009 04:42pm | #3

   I have no idea.. In these times I'd would call and state I want ..

   The LA Jack, LA Smooth OR the BU Smooth. If I buy two of them, can a get the other free?

    

   
   

   ---

   Edited 12/10/2009 8:43 am by WillGeorge

4. 
   WillGeorge | Dec 11, 2009 07:57am | #4

   Other than not including LN in the equation, what other questions should I be asking before I make the leap?

   If Lee is close to you I would just go to them and ask the question to THEM... A business to make proft I am sure (as they should be) but I would think they stayed in business for many years not ripping off us folks. I would bet they have some options for you and the coin spent stays in Canada!

5. 
   RonInOttawa | Dec 19, 2009 09:21pm | #6

   During the past week I've
   During the past week I've invested a significant amount of time in activities that may result in a complete change of direction in terms of adding to my plane collection. First, I have read "Handplane Essentials" (Chris Schwarz) from cover to cover twice and a few sections more than twice. Secondly, I decided to have one more run at fettling that pesky #7. I bought a couple of 4x24 sanding belts (60 & 120 grit), glued them to a wing of my saw and ground the base of the plane while the blade was retracted. It only took a couple of passes to see that it wasn't even close to flat, despite my previous bumbling efforts. It took a good, sweaty hour but when I was finished the entire outside edges, front and back ends and an inch or so front/back of the mouth were all on the same plane. I then lapped, reground and honed the iron and honed and polished the chipbreaker to the point where I can see no light through the breaker and also can't pass a .001 feeler gauge where the iron and breaker meet. I put a bit of candle to the base, carefully installed the blade and made a few passes at a piece of hard maple with wild grain. WOW! I now have a plane that will consistently make shavings that are iron width and between 1 and 1.5 thou. Sweet!

   While this was going on I continued to read everything I could find about BU planes, especially smoothers and jacks. I kept running into references to Mujingfang wooden planes, and found out that they are also sold by Lee Valley with the labels removed. It didn't take me very long to figure out that I can get a HK-style high-angle smoother, a pair of HK-style trim planes and a Taiwan-style jack plane for less cash that the LV BU jack.

   What to do...what to do?

   Regards,

   Ron

1. 
   Lataxe | Dec 20, 2009 05:03am | #7

   Ron,

   Mujingfang - these are amazing things for the money. I have 6 of their items at present and am seeking more. They are individually made by hand and have that Pye "workmanship of risk" look. However, they work exceptionally well, without fettling, once one has got to grips with setting the blade with a plane hammer.

   Here is their website. It also has a pdf catalogue in there.

   http://mujingfang.com/eng/p2.asp

   They may or may not have a US importer. They don't have a British importer so I emailed them a couple of weeks ago with a sample list, asking for prices. Those prices are inexpensive, to say the least. However, carriage is nearly as much as the planes!

   I have an ebony tryplane, a groover plane with 5 blades, a long 1/2" wide shoulder plane, a hollow, a round and a spokeshave. All worked out of the box. The HSS blades can be honed to scarysharp and despite their hardness/resilience they don't damage easily . There may be a dual layer of softmetal/HSS in there.

   I am a happy user of Marcous and LVs; but I have to say that Mujingfang, although a different experience, gives comparable results with the easier timbers.

   I yam tempted to send for a couple of their high angle European style planes......

   And those sets of miniplanes look very smart, although I have enough from the Marcou of those, myself. Instrument makers might be interested though.......

   Best to say nowt about those great black planes with dragon heeds and, er, that ladywoman.

   Lataxe

2. 
   BG | Dec 20, 2009 07:11am | #8

   Ron,
   I've struggling to
   Ron,

   I've struggling to justify the LA whatever for about a year now. The truth is I'd probably use the belt sander before working that hard with a LA.

   Like you, I did work hard to flatten the #7, #5, #4 and then replaced the blade and chip breaker with Hock and LN, respectively. They are working marviously now....making it even tougher to pull the trigger on the LA.

3. 
   derekcohen | Dec 20, 2009 08:13am | #9

   Hi Ron

   I replied earlier, but my post disappeared into the ether when I hit the wrong button ...

   What I had written earlier has to a large extend been stated by Lataxe - clearly he and I are in reality the same person but with different aliases. No. don't go calling either of us Charles ....

   I think that your decision has largely been made for you .. think about it ..

   You love your Veritas #4, so you do not need another smoother.

   You have fallen in love with your Record #7, so you don't need a jointer.

   You already have an excellent shoulder plane and an excellent block plane ... you could do with a router plane - they are very handy to have (grooves, dados, tenons, inlays, even shoulders)... maybe later ... ?

   I think that you need to discover why we are all in love with the shooting board. So think of the Veritas LA Jack.

   Now with three blades ...

   - 25 degree bevel (37 degree cutting angle) will have you shooting end grain on the shooting board, and flattening panels across the grain.

   - 35 degree cambered blade will give you a jack plane to replace that horrid Stanley #5 1/4 that you hate (can't have hate in woodworking, only love).

   - 50 degree bevel (62 degree cutting angle) will give you a panel plane that will smooth all the rascally grain you can throw at it. Long smoother/short jointer.

   Now those delightful Mujingfang planes. I have been using them for several years. Two stand out. The high angled large smoother (62 degree bed) is outstanding as a smoother. And the tiny 60 degree mini smoother (just 3" long) is one of those planes you can't be without - perfect for removing small areas of tearout and for beveling edge grain.

   Best wishes from Perth for Christmas

   Derek