LN Bronze vs Iron?

[steven c newman]

All of this sounds like what the early Swordsmiths would have talked like, when the world was going from Bronze Age long knives, to iron swords.

[David Weaver]

Yeah, I don't want to stick it to LN for anything other than the comment about using the double iron being fidgety and recommending a high angle frog instead, which I will go so far as to describe as generally inferior for anyone in the US aside from being easier for beginners to master. I don't really want to stick it to any of the quality toolmakers - I just got double festooned in the last two weeks. Nice tools are nice to have when they function fundamentally better.

I have waffled about selling the 7, but the function it performs benefits from the flatness so much that I don't want to. I am so glad I didn't get it with a high angle frog.

I'm hiding the carriage rabbet plane, the large shoulder plane and the low angle block plane, too. I just don't actually use them for various reasons, but I think at some point I might and they're liquid enough that I could sell them any time I changed my mind.

My 7's a good one. LN has flatness specs, but from time to time you'll find planes at the border line of their specs, and in a direction I don't like on a long plane (concave). They could third their spec and my 7 would still be inside it. It gives me warm fuzzies to get super laser glue lines without having to check jointed edges with a straight edge and without having to have much clamping pressure.

[Chris Griggs]

I just got double festooned in the last two weeks. Nice tools are nice to have when they function fundamentally better.

You were on two occasions in the last two weeks adorned with chains, garlands, or other decorations?

I believe you got double Festooled.....

LOL, I love auto correct!

[David Weaver]

I did that on purpose I feel like using the word festool is talking about your flair. My grandfather would call me a mark. I still refuse to buy the vacuum, i'll say that on my death bed - i hope.

At one point I vowed never to buy anything black and green, but I'm getting lazier and they work like a point and and shoot camera (set them on a track, align them with a mark and go). I can still sort of pat myself on the back when I look at a sanded surface (and say "I was right...it's horrible!!"), no matter how good the sander is, the surface still looks dull unless you take much longer to use sanders than planes would ever take.

I wonder if one could make a power burnisher.

I used a power planer three days ago for the first time in about 2 1/2 years, too. I think the end is near.

[Jim Koepke]

David mentions shop humidity and bronze tools.

Derek mentions not having much of a marking problem from bronze tools in his shop.

My bet is there is a large difference between the average relative humidities between Perth and Western PA.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, the weather person will be telling us how dry it is with the on screen graphic saying we have 80% humidity.

Shop conditions have a lot to do with how tool surfaces react.

jtk

[Chris Griggs]

I did that on purpose I feel like using the word festool is talking about your flair. My grandfather would call me a mark. I still refuse to buy the vacuum, i'll say that on my death bed - i hope.

At one point I vowed never to buy anything black and green, but I'm getting lazier and they work like a point and and shoot camera (set them on a track, align them with a mark and go). I can still sort of pat myself on the back when I look at a sanded surface (and say "I was right...it's horrible!!"), no matter how good the sander is, the surface still looks dull unless you take much longer to use sanders than planes would ever take.

I wonder if one could make a power burnisher.

I used a power planer three days ago for the first time in about 2 1/2 years, too. I think the end is near.

I see. I assumed it was a similar situation to the time I posted a question about buying a moving filibuster, and than got chided for discussing politics.

Its really hard not to like nice tools when they actually do help you get better results quicker and easier. When you see their fruits in the form of a finished piece that would have taken either longer to complete or been more tedious to get the same results without that tool it makes it very easy to want more.

All this stuff, LV, LN, festool, ect. isn't a requirement, obviously, but the handful of premium planes I have sure are REALLY nice to have, and I'm guessing the green and black tools with their strange tails that get inserted into the wall are the same way.

[Jim Stewart]

I probably qualify as a level 3 tool freak; level 1 being a mild tool freak and 10 being the ultimate, extreme freak. I have a bronze #4 and that is probably the first plane that I bought. I recently bought an iron 4 1/2 steep frog LN and have used it a bit. I also have a LV bevel up smoother with the new steel, PMV whatever. I use the #4 on all poplar and probably use it the most of all smoothers. I don't notice any marks from using that plane, though I think I used to?? I use that tool on poplar because it is so easy to push and it does not need sharpening very often. I use the LV bevel up on my finish hard woods. Man it does and incredible job. I think it pushes harder but I have never sharpened it after grinding the new steel blade to 50 degrees (that was not fun). The percent usage on my planes may change here shortly as I will be finish planing a Tiger Maple Chest-on-Chest of drawers using the LV. Indiana is very humid at times and not so much at others. My shop is insulated, heated and at times air conditioned. That may be why the bronze does so well.

[David Weaver]

David mentions shop humidity and bronze tools.

Derek mentions not having much of a marking problem from bronze tools in his shop.

My bet is there is a large difference between the average relative humidities between Perth and Western PA.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, the weather person will be telling us how dry it is with the on screen graphic saying we have 80% humidity.

Shop conditions have a lot to do with how tool surfaces react.

jtk

Yeah, our humidity is not as bad as yours. Ours averages 80% in the morning and 60% in the afternoon (RH). I see yours averages about 78% overall, vs. what is probably 70% average or a little less for us.

[Bill Fleming]

Thx for the comments and thoughts. I haven't had marking problems with the couple of bronze tools I have but I use them. The reason for my question was driven by consideration of the skew block plane. Just wondered about the toughness since the sole is supported by the single side. I guess Derek answered that with his restored but well abused example.

Thx again - Bill

[David Weaver]

The bronze skew block works as it should. Get one with the nicker if you are ordering a new one.

[Jim Neeley]

I too have the bronze skew block and like it so much I found myself using it as my go-to block. I'm a lefty but ended up adding a RH one to my arsenal as well as the LH. I generally use the RH one as my block, LH for my skew, with the ability to sharpen up the RH as skew if I have gnarly grain issues.

Jim

[Mike Cogswell]

I prefer the bronze for the small (2 & 3) bench planes. The extra weight does, IMHO, help keep the plane moving smoothly and the planes are small enough the weight isn't tiring. For a #4 I think the opposite. The iron 4 is already heavy enough and you really don't need the extra weight. I do have a bronze #4, but it has a high angle frog so the weight probably does help it a bit in that configuration. Unless I'm dealing with difficult grain I just use an iron #4 with a standard frog.

My shop is heated and airconditioned, so I don't have a humidity problem. I also keep the soles cleaned and waxed with a non-silicon wax. If they aren't being used much they also get a light coat of oil over the wax. As a result, I've not had any issues with marking the wood so far.

[Jim Palmer]

Does anyone know if the Bronze they use has much - if any - lead content?

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Does anyone know if the Bronze they use has much - if any - lead content?

Enough they have to include the California Prop. 65 notice on their website. I don't know how much lead that actually means is in the stuff. My understanding is that lead is mainly a hazard if ingested or inhaled - handling is relatively safe if you wash your hands. My understanding is the major concerns with lead have been it's use in plumbing where it can contaminate water in some instances, and the lead oxides used in paint, which could flake and become airborne, or in the case of childrens toys, become ingested easily.

[bob blakeborough]

I have the bronze LN No.3 and I have never noticed any wood marking etc. Beautiful and functional!