I got my package in the mail
Friends,
If you don't mind my breaking in, I'd like to report on my Lie Nielsen 60 ½ Low Angle Adjustable Mouth Block Plane which came in the mail yesterday. I actually think that it does relate to some of the above.
It is indeed beautiful. I am comparing it with a Sears Craftsman Block Plane I received about 20 years ago. The Craftsman plane looks roughly like the one which is for sale right now at K-Mart for $16.00. I put a lot of fettling work into the Craftsman, flattening the bottom, cleaning the paint off the body where it contacts the blade, smoothing the contact surface and flattening and sharpening the blade. I felt like it worked pretty well for a “normal angle” block plane without an adjustable mouth.
In terms of fit and finish, the Lie Nielsen is quantum leaps above the Craftsman. Every surface is pleasant to the touch and the eye. The critical surfaces are machined with precision and rotating the knobs is a pleasure. Backlash is marvelously tiny. The blade came fairly sharp but more importantly very flat.
I scary sharpened the blade and checked it for square and flatness (no problems). Then some real world testing. It did everything I asked of it very nicely, but it only beat my 20 year old cheapo on a few points.
- It can handle end grain on every kind of wood I had in the shop. It’s the first plane I’ve had which will keep me from having to sand the ends of a board. And that is quite significant.
- On reversing grain, where the Craftsman will always cause tear out, I can close down the mouth and sometimes get a smooth cut. Likewise, with the mouth just barely open, I can often plane against the grain and still get a smooth cut.
In everything else, the cheaper but well fettled tool did the job just as well.
I was surprised by how uncomfortable it is in use. I think I will adjust, but my big hands extend well beyond the shiny cap iron and I kept pressing uncomfortably on the mouth adjuster, the back of the blade adjustment nut, and when using the plane in a shooting board on the body itself.
I think what this tells me is that I have done a pretty good job of fettling the planes I have. That if I could find a vintage 60 ½, I could clean it up and it would be nearly as good as this one. Overall, I’ve got to say that I’m a bit disappointed. I hoped to hear birds singing and to learn that I had been missing the good stuff all these years. Instead, I have a very well made tool which does its job just like it should. I’ll keep watching garage sales and flea markets and slowly, I’ll fettle a good collection into shape. If my financial situation changes one day, then maybe I’ll buy another Lie-Nielsen.