CORRUGATED or not

[Mark Buchanan]

I am planning to buy a LN 5 1/2 soon. It will be used as a general purpose plane an also with a shooting board. I cannot decide if a smooth sole or a corrugated would be better. I would like to hear from some of you guys with more experience in this area. I recently purchase the LN skew block plane (my first LN) and I am afraid I am headed down a slippery slope.

Thanks
Mark

[Jim Koepke]

Be careful, there is no hand rail on the slope.

I guess some folks like the corrugated soles for the idea of less friction, especially on resinous woods. Wax or furniture oil works just as well IMO.

I have had a few and actually prefer a smooth sole. That is just my preference and surely, someone else will prefer their soles corrugated.

Your profile does not have your location. If you are near me, I can put together a #4 with a corrugated sole and a regular sole plane for you to try.

Otherwise, you might try going to one of the Lie-Nielsen Tool Events and trying them out.

jim

[Phillip Pattee]

Corrugations might give you some problems on a shooting board with thin stock. That would make me lean toward a smooth bottom.

[Frederick Rowe]

The purpose of the corrugations is to reduce surface friction. However, friction is independent of the area of contact - Law of Leonardo. I've got some old Stanley's with corrugation and can't tell any difference from flat bottomed planes except the corrugations collect wax and wood shavings.

My advise is stay with the flat bottomed plane and save your money.

http://www.nano-world.org/frictionmo...nardo/?lang=en

[Darnell Hagen]

Corrugated soles make it a little bit more difficult when breaking edges. It's also a little tougher to see when they're flat. They are easier to flatten. They look cooler.

[Jim Barrett]

Save your money...instead get a 50 or 55 degree frog...

Jim

[David Gendron]

I guess that inswer your question!! I Have to agree with the rest of these guys! They do look cool!

[Bill Houghton]

If you have, you know the feeling that the grid pattern in the bridge is steering the motorcycle, not you. That's why I prefer smooth soles. As others have mentioned, the corrugations can get caught on edges and steer the plane for you.

Especially if you're buying new, don't get corrugated. If you're buying used, and the plane is otherwise tip-top and better than anything you've seen, corrugated is OK - the problems are relatively minor - but not preferred.

My 2 cents - and, what with inflation, we all know what 2 cents is worth.

[Steve Dallas]

I am planning to buy a LN 5 1/2 soon. It will be used as a general purpose plane an also with a shooting board. I cannot decide if a smooth sole or a corrugated would be better. I would like to hear from some of you guys with more experience in this area. I recently purchase the LN skew block plane (my first LN) and I am afraid I am headed down a slippery slope.

Thanks
Mark

They're a total gimmick.

[Josh Bowman]

They're a total gimmick.

I don't know Steve. I went down the slipper slope some time ago. I really like the old Stanley's with the smooth soles and bought the heck out of them. They can be dirt cheap. I'd wax them up and off I'd go. Then I tried to flatten the sole on some of them, lots of work. I had a corrugated laying around, not so hard. Also, I think they push easier.
Now having said that, I don't think they are so good they should be at a premium. And I haven't thought about the interference of the groves getting caught.
But I would think an LN should flat, so that clears that argument.
Boy this thread is really helping him make his decision. He did ask for opinions.

[Leigh Betsch]

[QUOTE=Bill Houghton;1351889]
Ever ridden a motorcycle over a steel bridge?
If you have, you know the feeling that the grid pattern in the bridge is steering the motorcycle, not you. QUOTE]

Ya I did, Ogdensburg NY to Canada, high and windy. I sure wasn't thinking much about corrugated plane soles at the time. More like my own soul!

[Kent A Bathurst]

Be careful, there is no hand rail on the slope...........

LOL. Good one, Obi-wan.

[Mark Buchanan]

Thanks guys I had only about a 25% reservation about the smooth bottom and with the shooting board I believe it is the way to go.

Mark

PS. I have ridden over a couple of steel bridges but the one that scared the Hell out of me was an old wooden bridge over a train track in NC.