LA block plane: useless or indispensable

[Daniel Rode]

I've vacillated deciding wether to get a decent low angle block plane or just skip it.

I hear some people say it's one their most used tools and they wouldn't be without one. Others say it's totally unnecessary and everything can be done just as well with a chisel or a smoothing plane.

Mine only block plane is a cheap "contractor grade" Stanley. The iron is at a standard angle and it has the adjustable mouth. Despite some fettling, It doesn't work well. The iron can't be adjusted properly to take an thin even cut. As a result, it mostly sits and collects dust. If I ever buy one, it will be of good quality and mostly likely a LA.

I'm just not sure what I'd use it for? What do you do with yours?

[Christopher Charles]

I have the LN low angle and it's one of my favorite and most used. It was the first really good plane I bought and was a bit of a gateway, thus possibly contributing to my fondness. Use for all sorts of tasks--end grain, easing edges, and other little tasks.

C

[Jim Koepke]

"contractor grade" Stanley

To me "contractor grade" means it is for use on wood that will be covered by sheet rock, putty and paint.

My LA blocks get used all the time. They are most useful for trimming end grain. Very useful for rounding corners. If you do any convex curved work they also help there.

jtk

[phil harold]

What are you doing with it

When i did carpentry the block plane was indispensable

in the shop I use other planes

[Judson Green]

What are you doing with it

When i did carpentry the block plane was indispensable

in the shop I use other planes

+1

I've got a few block planes and never seem to use them, but when I do its usually a LN LA 102.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I use mine a lot. My favorite is nothing fancy, an old Stanley 65.

[Andrew Bell]

Usage depends on situation, often many think the best tool to use is the on hand. The block plane fits into a pocket and can always be there; so becomes the swiss army knife of the plane world. Other woodworkers, with a well setup shop or who are prepared to walk to wherever their planes are stored, will probably grab the most appropriate plane for the job at hand.

Depending on what I'm doing and where I am the LA block plane is used a lot or not at all.

[Jim Koepke]

Mine only block plane is a cheap "contractor grade" Stanley. The iron is at a standard angle and it has the adjustable mouth. Despite some fettling, It doesn't work well. The iron can't be adjusted properly to take an thin even cut.

Dan,

Have you checked this thread?

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...05#post1246005

Some of the information may be helpful with the plane you have, especially this post:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...17#post1682217

Let me know if there is any other way I can help.

jtk

[Chris Griggs]

Neither useless nor indispensable to me.

But very nice to have for certain tasks. I could very easily live without anyway, but at the same time I wouldn't mind having another.

Mine is the LV LA block (older style not dx 60). I'll use it anytime I want to do something quickly using in one hand...usually this a small chamfer/knocking off a sharp corner. I also use it anywhere I want a of control over an angle....so if I'm making a larger chamfer I'll use it 2 handed and its small size makes it very easy to maintain the angle while taking heavy cuts. I also use it to flush up endgrain in dovetails an such....the small size lets me easily attack the end grain at a skew and hog it down quick before finishing with a finely set 3 or 4. I'll also use it to square up endgrain on piece that won't do well on the shooting board...again because its easy to use at a skew and also keep square on the end grain. It can be nice for small localized smoothing tasks too, but really I tend to use a block as a somewhat coarse tool before finshing with my SBUS or a no 4,as it lets me waste small things down quickly whilst maintaining a lot of control, and also lets me leave my finer set tools sharp and well, setup finely.

[Frederick Skelly]

I have the same Stanley block as you mentioned. It was my first plane. I fettled it into an acceptable tool. Its sharp, flat and big (relatively speaking). I bought an LN LA block and I use it constantly because its small, light and maneuverable. I use it for camphering edges on amost every project. I use it to fit doors and to correct small uneven spots with glued-on trim. I use it on end grain because the low angle gives me a better cut. The Stanley will do all that, but I reach for the LN almost automatically. It gets into places the Stanley wont reach, too.

YMMV of course.

Fred

[Jim Matthews]

I think the total included cutting angle of the blade makes more difference than the bevel position.

I like a cutting angle slightly more than 45 degrees, with a "blade pitch" of around 30 degrees (I hone freehand, that's what I get most of the time).
http://www.hntgordon.com.au/newsletterbladeangles.htm
http://virginiatoolworks.wordpress.c...-block-planes/

If you have an iron, bevel up - with a very steep bevel, it acts more as a scraper as the cutting angle approaches 90 degrees.

I would suggest two things to try, with your existing plane;

Strop with chromium oxide on a piece of hardboard, leather or cardboard after your last polishing step.
Adjust the blade with a small hammer, rather than the screw mechanism on the plane.
(If you have a small piece of hardwood, or the handle end of a hammer try that first. Steel on cast iron isn't a good practice.)


The thread pitch is likely too coarse to make fine adjustments.

Light taps on the back of the plane body should retract the blade (inertia is your friend).

If a finer edge and more delicate depth settings don't produce satisfaction,
buy one of Steve Voigt's new "mini smoother" planes.

It will do everything a standard block plane can, and more.

[David Weaver]

If you use one, then no shame in having a good one. I don't generally use one.

[george wilson]

Most of my life as a guitar maker,my only plane was a Stanley low angle block plane. I did not even have others until I came to the museum,and had the budget to buy others.

[Jim Leslie]

I have the LV skew angle and an LN 102. They both work well though the 102 is suited to the smaller work which is what I do the most. They do get used enough for the kind of work that I do and I wouldn't want to be without them.

[Chris Griggs]

...and how many do you have now George?

...and who has more George or Derek?

...on that note, hey Derek, hows that compendium of block planes coming [snicker]