Jack and Jointer

[Dan Karachio]

Okay, you guys have been influential and I am on the slope. I am loving my LN adjustable mouth low angle block plane, my LN #4 as well as my chisels and card scrapers. I want to move on to a jack plane and a jointer, but need some help. First, I know some will recommend old Stanleys. I appreciate this, I do, but I'm really not interested. I am just not cut out for fixing up old tools and though I am not loaded, I would like to do some economic stimulating to either LN or LV.

So, for the jack plane. My first thought was LN. They have the low angle or the bench plane style. Low angle is quite bit less $$$. Though I am on the slope, I do want to avoid having a shelf with 40 planes some day. I want to get the most versatile tool I can. Same goes for a jointer.

Thanks in advance

[Dan Forman]

I have the LV low angle planes, smoother, jack, and jointer. They all use the same size 2 3/8" blade, so you can swap blades for different needs. They can be sharpened to various bevel angles to cover either well behaved or more gnarly woods. I am very satisfied with the quality and performance. For sheer versatility, the low angle planes can't be beat.

Dan

[David Keller NC]

"So, for the jack plane. My first thought was LN. They have the low angle or the bench plane style. Low angle is quite bit less $$$. Though I am on the slope, I do want to avoid having a shelf with 40 planes some day. I want to get the most versatile tool I can. Same goes for a jointer."

The reason they're less expensive is that there is no frog in a bevel-up plane. The frog is a separately cast, machined and finished part, and that adds significantly to the cost.

That said, there is no performance advantage for either a bevel up or a bevel down plane - except planing end-grain. You can just as easily get a BD plane with a couple of different blades and put back-bevels on them, or on some models (such as LN's #5 and #7), you can switch out the frog to a higher angle.

So it comes down to a matter of preference. In my opinion, it is an extra severe mistake to try to save $50 - $100 on a tool that will last you a lifetime and you'll use to build many thousands of dollars worth of furniture, if you're ignoring a preference to save said $50-$100. Think about it - one, and just one, 8/4 cherry board, 6" wide and 10 feet long is the equivalent of the savings.

That said, if you do not have a miter plane and don't want one, the LN BU jack can be used as a shoot-board plane to great effectiveness. So can a bevel down jack, it just doesn't come with the nifty "hotdog" handle. As you get into this, you will quickly find that a shooting board plane is absolutely required - not even the fanciest and most expensive table saw cross-cutting jig can equal a shooting board for trimming the end of a board square to the face and edge.

[Sean Hughto]

"I do want to avoid having a shelf with 40 planes some day"

Blasphemy!!! NO PLANES FOR YOU!

[David Gendron]

I have the jack frome LN and kind a like it, but what I like about the BU from LV or LN, is that you can use them as large smoother with a HA blade and I think the LV is a better plane for that you can also use it as a mitre plane on a shouting board! as for the Jointer, other than a use stanley, put the money and get the LN#8 I have a old Stanley Bedrock #8 and it's the best of the best, so the LN would just be better! I also have the LV BU jointer but realy prefer the #8!
just my 2c.
David

[Richard Dooling]

Though I am on the slope, I do want to avoid having a shelf with 40 planes some day.

Crum Dan,

You say that like it's a bad thing. Unless you mean that 40 is a minimum number?

[Joel Thomas Runyan]

The bevel up plane is the more versatile tool, no question, and I'd say unless you're particularly attached to LN, to try the LV... primarily because you can use the blades between the jack and jointer (and later smoother) if you buy the set.

[Dan Karachio]

Thanks John. Yea, the LV is neat in having the interchangeable blades and the jointer also has the guide. It's starting to grab my interest.

[Chris Kennedy]

I can't speak for a jointer, but the LV bevel up jack is an awesome plane. It is a workhorse in my shop and I wouldn't be without it. I'm still saving my pennies for the jointer.

I also have a LN #4. You can't go wrong with LN either, really.


Cheers,

Chris

[Jim Koepke]

I do want to avoid having a shelf with 40 planes some day.

Why on earth would you want to do that?

jim

[Dan Karachio]

Will I ever be forgiven? Okay, okay, I was wrong. I DO want 40 planes and that is only counting those on display by the front door! I want 100 planes of every style, shape, make and model...

[Hank Knight]

Dan,

I was never a fan of the jack plane. I have a nice 605 that sat on my shelf seldom used. All that changed when I took a hand plane class from Garrett Hack. He brought his Lie Nielsen low angle jack and commented several times that it had become his favorite plan. I bought one and it has become one of my favorites too. As others have said, it is very versitile with an adjustable mouth and interchangeable blades. Thing I like about it is that, with a sharp blade, it is capable of very fine work. I keep mine set for a fine cut and use it as a small jointer or for that last little pass that brings everything home. I use my 605 for the heavy stuff, but the LN LA jointer is very capable of heavy work too. It is truly a versitle plane and it gets lots of use in my shop. If I were to limit my planes to an absolute necessary few, the low angle jack would be close to the top of my list of "must haves." I've heard good comments about the Lee Valley low angle jointer, but I've never used one. I'm sure that you would find either the LV or the LN more than satisfacory - whatever floats your boat.

Hank

[Greg Crawford]

Another vote for the Veritas LA jack. I got all 3 blades so I can work normal grain, gnarly grain and end grain. It's like having 3 planes in one. The Veritas fits my hands better, too. I think the LN would do the same if they offered the different angle blades. Of course, you can get other blades and grind them to any angle you like.