LV Plow Plane

[Mike Holbrook]

I am about to order one of these bad boys and I see that they are available in right and left hand models. Is it as simple as ordering right handed if I am right handed or are there other considerations?

[Jon Toebbe]

More or less. If you've got a board with reversing grain and tear-out in your grooves is becoming a problem having both makes it possible to work from both directions. I've got the left-handed version and pick rail/stile material with straight grain. I'd start with your dominant-hand version and see if your work requires the other. I'd guess not based on my experience, but YMMV.

[Bill Houghton]

Sort of...this reply is partly a Public Service Announcement for other left handed folks reading this thread.

I'm left handed, but have used traditional right handed fenced planes (Stanley 45, Stanley 78, etc.) for enough years that I think I'd have a hard time adapting to a left handed plane. I bought the LV Plow back when right handed was the only choice, but did not feel a strong need to buy the leftie version when it was issued. To date, having just one hasn't been a problem.

Maybe not so critical if you plan to buy LV fenced planes only, since they're strongly committed to planes in both hands.

They're even working on some for the amibdextrous: http://www.woodcentral.com/woodworki...54395#m_154395

[bob blakeborough]

The right and left are more about grain direction and tear out prevention, but if you are buying only one, go for the most dominant hand, and if you run into tear out issues on a piece of wood, there are ways to deal with it...

BTW... You will LOVE this plane!

[David Weaver]

If the neatness of the edges of a groove is an issue, score the groove with a marking guage or whatever you have handy ahead of time. If there's tearout below the marking knife line, nobody will ever see it.

I can't remember if there's a nicker on these planes or not (like there are on dado planes), but if there is, this is a good time to use use. Pull the plane backwards a swipe or two before staring to cut the groove, just like you'd do with a dado plane. I somehow doubt there's enough luck that the nicker is on both sides of the iron on any of the planes around that aren't dado planes, but if there is one nicker, you can use a knife gauge to define one line and let the nicker do the work on the other.

If the tearout is just unbearable, lighten the cut a little bit.

Buying plows to cut both directions is a bit over the top, and unless LV mentions something about tearout prevention, they probably have two to satisfy screaming lefty beginners who haven't been forced to use old right-handed planes for a while.

[bob blakeborough]

If the neatness of the edges of a groove is an issue, score the groove with a marking guage or whatever you have handy ahead of time. If there's tearout below the marking knife line, nobody will ever see it.

If the tearout is just unbearable, lighten the cut a little bit.

Buying plows to cut both directions is a bit over the top, and unless LV mentions something about tearout prevention, they probably have two to satisfy screaming lefty beginners who haven't been forced to use old right-handed planes for a while.

This ^^^

But really... When could you ever accuse a woodworker of ever going over the top? lol! Neeeevvvvver!

[David Weaver]

I can't say I'm innocent of it, either. I've got the planes under control, but experimentation with the sharpening stones.... each time I buy one, it's "the last one"....until the next last one

Just don't want people to believe that the only way to mitigate tearout issues is to buy another plane.

[bob blakeborough]

I can't say I'm innocent of it, either. I've got the planes under control, but experimentation with the sharpening stones.... each time I buy one, it's "the last one"....until the next last one

Just don't want people to believe that the only way to mitigate tearout issues is to buy another plane.

Totally agreed...

[Mike Holbrook]

Great info as always guys. I am kinda ambidextrous & dyslexic, so when I started looking at the pictures I got a little "bum fuggled" as to which way I would be comfortable using the plane, figuring I wanted one hand on the plane handle and one holding the fence against the work piece. Then I started wondering if it was possible that right handed people might be more comfortable with the "left handed" plane....Since I use mostly right handed tools I will go with the right handed plow plane.

One other thing that makes me curious is Lee Valley labels this a "Small" Plow Plane, even though I do not find a standard or large Plow Plane. Maybe this just refers to the size grooves it is designed to cut, smaller grooves actually being used most frequently?

[Bill Houghton]

One other thing that makes me curious is Lee Valley labels this a "Small" Plow Plane, even though I do not find a standard or large Plow Plane. Maybe this just refers to the size grooves it is designed to cut, smaller grooves actually being used most frequently?

LV describes this plane as being about the size of the Record 044 plow. I think they are leaving themselves maneuvering room for a planned larger-framed plow and/or combination plane. If I recall correctly, they introduced the medium shoulder plane before they introduced the large one.

[bob blakeborough]

Mike - I imagine it is for the reasons you describe but I am not sure as such. It is available with blades at 3/8th which is pretty darn good for a drawer/box bottom. In metric I think they even have a 10mm which is larger even still...

[Jim Belair]

... and LV has recently leaked that they will be coming out with a bed extension and wider blades for the Small Plow. That and some basic molding cutters with a retrofit center section required. I might have the details a bit off but I'm close. Maybe the big guy who leaks most of LVs stuff will chime in.

Jim B

[Mike Holbrook]

I think we are in agreement that the title "Small Plow Plane" may be a hint of larger possibly more feature rich planes down the road. I believe I bought the medium shoulder plane just before the large one came out which is why I started wondering. Still I think we are in agreement that the Small Plow Plane is capable of handling the full range of standard grooves for cabinet backs & drawer bottoms.

[Todd Hyman]

I think we are in agreement that the title "Small Plow Plane" may be a hint of larger possibly more feature rich planes down the road. I believe I bought the medium shoulder plane just before the large one came out which is why I started wondering. Still I think we are in agreement that the Small Plow Plane is capable of handling the full range of standard grooves for cabinet backs & drawer bottoms.

At WIA this past October, some of the LV representatives informed me that they are working on larger blades (I think up to 1/2 or 5/8") and that the current plow plane will be adaptable to them. Should be out sometime in 2012!

[Tony Zaffuto]

The LV small plough is a great plane to have and a joy to use (I have the RH model, with my right hand being dominant). I also have a Record 43 and several Stanley 45's. I don't know if it was because of the overall smallness of the 43, but I had more tear out issues with it. I found the Stanley 45 much easier to use, although I still had some minor tear out. With the LV tear out (if any is minimal). It is also the most comfortable of the planes mentioned to use.