The new LV planes

[Derek Cohen]

For me it is mostly done right after sharpening. The blade is set in the plane and the lever cap tight as the plane is run across a piece of wood. The blade is then lowered until it starts to take a shaving. At this time the lateral adjustment is set until it is equal side to side, then the depth is set.

Sometimes a plane is taken off the shelf and is making a shaving lighter or heavier than desired. This can also be adjusted while the plane is moving across the wood.

My LN 62 can be adjusted like this with the cap loose. The shaving thickness changes a touch when the cap is tightened. It needs to be tight when working or things can come apart. LN suggests a quarter turn between using and adjusting.

jtk

I have a demo of this when I reviewed the LV SBUS:

One of the advantages of BD planes, such as Bailey types, is that they may be adjusted “on the run”. BU planes come in for criticism that they cannot be adjusted in this way.

Well that is not entirely correct.

If you crank down the lever cap on a Veritas BU plane you indeed will not move the blade in any direction. However this is not the correct way to set up a BU plane. What you need is just enough pressure to prevent the lever cap moving. Moderate firmness, no more, no less.

It is possible (as I do this regularly) to adjust the blade projection on the run. This is shown in the following set of pictures. Having stated this, I must also add that it is easier with a Bailey plane …













… in addition, while it is also possible to use the lateral adjuster while moving the plane forward, this requires a firm hand and a finely set blade. I doubt that many would bother. It is easier to take a practice test shaving beforehand. It is not a deal breaker.



Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jim Neeley]

If I may ask. . .what's wrong with a weightier plane?

I realize everyone has a preference here, so I'm more just curious as I may be able to incorporate something new into how I do things. Just keep in mind, I'm the same guy that has a mortise mallet made from 2 chunks of 7 inch 8/4 hickory glued together.

"The Barefoot Woodworker"

Is this because the hair on the Neander-toes is too long and thick to wear shoes? <j/k, Adam>

Jim

[Jim Neeley]

As far as being able to adjust without removing ones hand from the tote or possibly even mid stroke, that is what will depend on hand size and frog pitch...while I do find it nice to not need to remove my hand from the tote, I never make depth adjustments mid stroke so this aspect is less important to me.

Chris,

If you've never tried it, I recommend you give it a try.
When I install a freshly-sharpened blade I lower the blade and laterally adjust it by eye, then retract the blade and begin planing, slowly advancing the blade. This makes it very obvious which side is cutting deeper so simplifying the lateral adjustment.

Then I advance it until I'm getting the cut I want and often retract it some as I'm finishing up, to get the smoothest finish.

After trying this a couple of times, I found that it worked best for me... but then I have "old eyes" that aren't calibrated well enough to identify one side projecting a thou lower than the other.. it may well come automatic to you.

This wasn't a solution looking for a problem. I just tried it and it felt natural.

Just my $0.02.. YMMV.

Jim

[Chris Griggs]

Chris,

If you've never tried it, I recommend you give it a try.
When I install a freshly-sharpened blade I lower the blade and laterally adjust it by eye, then retract the blade and begin planing, slowly advancing the blade. This makes it very obvious which side is cutting deeper so simplifying the lateral adjustment.

Then I advance it until I'm getting the cut I want and often retract it some as I'm finishing up, to get the smoothest finish.

After trying this a couple of times, I found that it worked best for me... but then I have "old eyes" that aren't calibrated well enough to identify one side projecting a thou lower than the other.. it may well come automatic to you.

This wasn't a solution looking for a problem. I just tried it and it felt natural.

Just my $0.02.. YMMV.

Jim

Hi Jim,

I actually have tried it (on new and vintage planes) and didn't like it. I'm blessed with very good eye and can usually get and even cut just by eye ball. That said, I do something very similar but don't like making the adjustments while the plane is moving finding that I'm better able to control and jusge the amount of depth increase when I make the adjustment without the plane in motion. I pretty much do exactly as described but I just make the adjustment at the start of each stroke...if I need to be super anal able about making sure the lateral adjustment is perfect I'll do the thing where one planes the edge of board or narrow block, taking strokes at different areas of the blade to make sure its dialed in the center.

[Adam Cruea]

"The Barefoot Woodworker"

Is this because the hair on the Neander-toes is too long and thick to wear shoes? <j/k, Adam>

Jim

HA!

Nah, it's actually due to sliding all over the place if I have shoes on when I'm woodworking. A bonus is that the basement floor is cold, so with bare feet, it cools me down.

Trust me, I wish I had bushy hair on my feet. I accidentally dropped the 1" oak dowel I use for my LN twin-screw vise onto the top of my left foot; it still has a dull pain to it. Maybe the hair would have cushioned it.

[george wilson]

Bare foot in the shop is a big safety no-no.

[Rob Young]

Bare foot in the shop is a big safety no-no.

CJ0652.jpg

????

[Adam Cruea]

Bare foot in the shop is a big safety no-no.

It sure is.

That's why my reflexes are quick, like a bunny's. Besides, I have 10 toes; I can spare a few, I think.

It's also why I don't use metal when I build things.

[Jim Koepke]

Originally Posted by george wilson
Bare foot in the shop is a big safety no-no.

It sure is.

That's why my reflexes are quick, like a bunny's. Besides, I have 10 toes; I can spare a few, I think.

It's also why I don't use metal when I build things.

Yet a wooden dowel got you.

Of what are you chisels and other tools made?

jtk