The Veritas Small BU Smoother - reviewed

[Derek Cohen]

My first review in a while. Hope you find it useful. Post questions if you like - discussion is what we do here. http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolRev...USmoother.html Regards from Perth Derek

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Thanks for the review. I've been thinking about one of these.

A couple questions on setting the lateral adjustment - I've never used a plane with a Norris type adjuster, can you still fine tune the lateral adjustment with light hammer taps, like I do on my old Baileys? Even if you can, do you find it necessary, or can you tweak things finely enough with the lateral adjuster? And if one was to use a hammer here, could you even get it in there to tap? It looks a bit like my block plane in that it may be a pain to get a hammer in there (I need to get a warrington type hammer - it's probably cheaper than my idea of getting a hock blade with the more squared off end just to keep using my little brass hammer)

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Joshua

I do use a tiny brass jeweller's hammer to adjust these planes when needed.



The brass head is 1/2" diameter and only 2 oz in weight. Just enough to make careful adjustments in small areas.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[David Keller NC]

Nice review, Derek - I enjoyed reading it.

One comment - the two lateral blade stabilizers are adapted from post-war Norris planes. What they are there for is to allow a manufacturer to avoid having to fit each blade and plane together as a unit (which would be very expensive).

In a Norris adjuster, 2 points of contact are required - the first one is the lever cap screw (original Norris design) or pin (Norris adjustable bullnose and shoulder planes, and adapted by Karl Holtey), and the second is the contact of the side of the blade with the sides of the mouth.

On the original Norrises, the width of the blade was fit extremely closely to the sides of the mouth so that the 2-point fulcrum operates smoothly and there is no sloppiness. The problem with this design is that the plane and blade are now a unit, and either requires extreme precision in blade manufacturing to allow 2 or more interchangeable blades, or requires that a replacement blade be a few thousandths wider than the original and the mouth to be filed to fit.

Needless to say, that's not optimal. The post-war Norris company introduced a solution - to adjustable "mushrooms" on either side of the blade close to the mouth, as you've pictured in your review. That design change eliminates the need to fit one blade and one plane together as a unit, allows the user to make easy and simply adjustments to a few thousandth's difference in blade width, and still allows a 2-point lateral adjustment with no slop.

[Dave Beauchesne]

Thanks for the review Derek - always look forward to what you have to say!

Dave Beauchesne

[Zach England]

Are you able to spill the details of the "new steel"?

[Derek Cohen]

Are you able to spill the details of the "new steel"?

What, and spoil Rob's fun?!

He has posted a little on a couple of forums. In fact I think that he has even named it. But I will leave it to Rob to say more, when he is ready to do so. In the meantime I can tease as well ..

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jim Koepke]

Thanks for the review, looks like a nice little plane.

jtk

[Larry Slotylak]

I have this smoother and I also think it is a very fine plane. I think most people will find the new tote on this plane very comfortable. I have larger hands so I never had any issues with the totes on the larger planes but I find this tote to be even more comfortable.

A small nit-pick regarding the front knob, I also noted the ommision of the brass coller at the base on the knob. I prefered having the brass coller since I found the adjustment of the mouth to be smoother with the brass coller. Also, on my small smoother, the threaded stud on the knob was not installed perpendicular (on axis) to the base of the knob so the full surface of the knob did not contact the plane when tightening. Not a big deal, but it means the knob has to be lossened more when adjusting ittherefore the adustment it not as smooth.

One note regarding your review, the blade width on the LA block plane is 1 5/8" not 1 3/4".

I enjoyed reading the review, thanks.

[Hans Braul]

Derek, Thanks for a great review. I don't own a smoother, and was planning to buy the BUS. If you had to pick just one of the 3 smoothers, which would it be? RegardsHans

[Eugenio Musto]

Very nice little plane..I like the lock screw for the Norris adjuster and the new shape of the handle and toe.
Thanks for the review Derek, I have to think about your "wear bevel" theory because i never used the DC ruler trick on my Veritas blade...

[bob blakeborough]

Great review!

[Derek Cohen]

Derek, Thanks for a great review. I don't own a smoother, and was planning to buy the BUS. If you had to pick just one of the 3 smoothers, which would it be? RegardsHans

Hi Hans

I am sure that this is a trick question - whio buys one smoother?!

But if ... I am very fond of the LA Smoother. It has a great range, a flat side that enables it to be used on the shooting board (where the BUS is dedicated to smoothing), and a nice balance in heft and size. I do think that it comes down to the size of the work you do.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Harvey Pascoe]

I got the small smoother a couple months ago and love it, most especially the narrow blade as I work a lot of very hard woods and have a lot of trouble with wider blades.

I don't mind the adjuster cylinder coming out with the blade as I find this makes putting the blade back in easier and safer, contrary to Derek's view. Its easier to put the large cylinder in the large hole than to try to get it to go into that wobbly little pin that always cocks and makes getting the blade in harder and more likely to nick the edge. Just place the blade on the adjuster and then drop the whole thing in place.