Veritas Miter Plane

[Kevin Hampshire]

IMG_7480.jpgThe Veritas Miter Planes have been out for a while but I didn't notice any reviews so I thought I'd post my first impressions. This was a Lee Valley Cyber Monday plane.

First off, I was interested in this plane primarily as a block plane and less for shooting and miters. I already have the Veritas (right hand) Shooting Plane and a LAJ.

There were some unanticipated surprises about this plane. It's larger and heavier than I expected which is fine for it's designed uses. I knew that the plane had it's own specific blade but I didn't know that it would be shaped more like a rabbeting blade. The maple handles on mine aren't a perfect match but maybe that's why it was available on Monday. The screw slot on the lever cap is wider than the one used on the shooting horn. I had a screwdriver blade that fit the shooting horn screw perfectly which is a good if you intend to remove and replace that horn. Lastly, I'm 6'4" (sorry, no idea what that is in metric) tall and trying to hold this wide heavy plane like a block plane is slightly awkward. I've only taken a very few preliminary swipes with the plane so that may change.

I broke these surprises out for emphasis. The shooting horn is approaching perfection for my grip. I could not believe how natural it feels. Pulled out my Shooting Plane and LAJ to compare but they both feel a bit awkward after trying the Miter Plane horn. Not intended as a bad reflection on those planes which are wonderful to use for shooting, but I am trying to convey how well the shooting horn works. Not really a surprise but I forgot how well Veritas (and LN) planes performed straight out of the box. The performance of the plane is outstanding and all I did was give the blade a couple of quick casual swipes to hone.

I'm not sure if the Veritas Miter Plane will become the larger block plane that I was thinking about but that's fine as I still need/want and intend to get the Veritas LA block plane. There is some end grain on some 4" x 5" bench legs that I plan on testing this plane against. We'll see if the Miter Plane or LAJ are the best for that use. I don't have a miter jack but it's something I'd like to build and try out. I suspect this plane is way better suited for a miter jack versus the LAJ and Shooting Plane.

I forgot to mention that this plane has the fine thread adjuster.

[Kevin Hampshire]

In typical Homer Simpson fashion I have to say DOH! I grabbed the Miter Plane by its two knobs and that's a really comfortable way to use it. No idea why I tried to hold it like a block plane.

The PM-V11 blade (not my first one) is leaving a glass like surface on end and long grain.

[Bill Houghton]

Thanks for your report on this plane. I've got it on my wish list, but I suspect it'll stay there a long time.

[Normand Leblanc]

I wasn't getting this horn business and I look at LV website.
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/Pag...30,41182,48945

I now understand why it's so comfortable looking at the picture with the horn installed and, for a lefty like myself, this plane can be used left of right.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

It looks very well-designed. I almost bought one to play with, but it's hard to justify when I already have their other shooting plane. Thanks for the review. I was hoping someone would post a review.

[Matt Lau]

I'd love to hear your thoughts on getting this vs the dedicated shooting plane.

I'm thinking of getting a dedicated shooting plane myself for jointing soundboards (2-3 mm thick boards of spruce/rosewod/mahogany, etc).
However, it's a massive beast.

[Kevin Hampshire]

Matt, I won't hold myself out there as the expert on shooting planes but I do feel pretty comfortable with offering some observations.

If space, money or most any of your resources are limited, then I'd say it would be difficult to beat the LAJ. It's versatile and very effective as a shooting plane and capable of so much more. Same would go for the LN version.

If you have the space for a dedicated shooting board with a track, and you are approaching production levels of work, then the Shooting Plane is hard to beat. Yes, the Shooting Plane is a bit of a beast but it's mass really can help. Also, if you're doing more production type work, then the track and the tote will simplify things and probably improve efficiency.

I have to make it clear that I've had very little time with the Miter Plane. There's no doubt that it's an excellent plane. The ergonomics of the horn are excellent. It has plenty of mass. I can't see the shorter body being an issue for thin and narrower fret boards. I'm not certain about how versatile the Miter Plane is. My gut feeling is that it's a miter plane that can shoot and be a block plane. I've already mentioned that I don't have a miter jack. I wish I did though because I think this will work really well for that.

[Chuck Hart]

Kevin not to redirect your post bur I also have the shooting plane from LV. I have had it for a year or so maybe year and a half. I normally check my planes when the weather gets colder and wetter to male sure they are clean and no rust is apparent. This year I noticed that the set screw for the blade had disappeared from the plane. The is a very small set screw and could be easily missed. I wrote LV to buy a replacement and was told that they would send me a new set of screws for the plane. I thought that was a class act because they paid for shipping and sent me every screw for the plane. So if you are the happy owner of a LV plane I just wanted you to hear about my experience and also remind everyone who has small screws in their LV planes to put some Loc-tite or equivalent on their screws.

Chuck

[Kevin Hampshire]

Chuck, You're not hijacking the thread by mentioning those screws. I actually had wanted to mention them. I really wish LV/Veritas produced a dedicated gunsmith quality set of screwdrivers specifically engineered to fit their vast lineup of planes.

While not the sole reason, those set screws are one of the reasons a large number of my planes come from LV/Veritas versus their neighbor in Maine. I wouldn't mind being able to purchase a dedicated screwdriver that perfectly fit those screws.

I appreciate the comment about your plane and I'll check my screws. I'd prefer to avoid having to exercise their customer service.

[lowell holmes]

They sure are proud of it.

I agree with Kevin about the LAJ. It is my shooting plane.

[Kevin Hampshire]

I thought I would add a minor update.

While I still haven't seriously used the plane, I've fooled around with it enough to note a few more things.

I've already mentioned how the horn is very ergonomic, and I've touched on the knobs. I'm somewhat amazed by how well the knobs work. They are very comfortable to use on a normal bench but they may be at their best on a lower bench. With the right bevel angle, maybe this is a modern substitute for that heavy English smoother you've been looking for. I'm pretty confident that the knobs are equally as useful on a miter jack but I still haven't tried that.

I've tried this plane on:
Red and white oak, hard and soft maple, poplar, eastern white and hard pines. On straight grain material, the takeaway word is a "glass" like surface for both end and long grain. This is probably more a function of:

Veritas BU Plane + PM-V11 blade = Wow!

This isn't news to anyone already using these, but it's definitely worth commenting on again.



I noticed two unexplained tapped holes on the sides of the plane. Not sure what they are there for, but here's something they can do.

IMG_7520.jpg IMG_7518.jpg

Fence spacing matches the Veritas Jack Rabbet and Skew Rabbet planes. The fences fit and function perfectly but I can't comment on the usefulness since I haven't really worked with the plane in that configuration. The horn is probably too close to the fence knob to use it, but it does fit.