The Veritas/LV shooting plane promises to become the leader. I first saw the plastic model in January at the factory, possibly the same one that was at the show. A significant advantage over the LN #51 is that the Veritas is a BU design with a low bed, thus achieving a lower cutting angle.
All that aside, my intention was to comment on a hotdog handle for the LV LA Jack. I designed and built two versions some years ago. The first version was solid wood made with hand tools. The second was laminated and machine-made, more precisely fitted and attached. These are on my website. http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMad...ck%20pics.html
The point I wanted to make is that they are unnecessary. If you use the correct hand hold with the LV LA Jack then it is easier to push and more controllable than with a hotdog.
I wrote up a comparison of the LN #51, LV LA Jack and the LN #9 shooting planes on both ramped and vertical shooting boards. Go to my website for the full article. http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furnitu...sCompared.html Below is an excerpt that explains what to do ...
The Ease of Use
The #51/52 combination was in a class of its own. Even a novice could easily produce clean edges without fail. The #51 is captured by the rails of the #52, and this guides the plane so that all the user needs do is push the plane forward.
The advantage of the #9 over the LAJ is twofold: there is better registration for the base of the plane, and this encourages a user to push the plane in the ideal manner. When a novice was given the choice of the #9 and the LAJ, they would inevitably plump for the #9. However … when the user was taught how to push the LAJ, and/or the LAJ was used with a hotdog handle, very frequently this choice was reversed. The factor here is that the LAJ is potentially more tippy because it has a smaller footprint, it. I recall one person thrusting the LAJ forward .. and bouncing it against the fence at a canted angle.
The correct way (in my opinion) of holding the LAJ (and shooting planes generally), is to exert downforce at a central point while simultaneously exerting low lateral sideforce. One must not attempt to simply push the plane against the sidewall to the shooting board. This will unbalance the plane and cause it to cant over.
Downforce is applied by the thumb directly into the dimpled fingerhole. Sideforce is applied by the four fingertips pushing from under the levercap.
This handhold is quite comfortable and makes the LAJ a practical user without a hotdog. Indeed, there is the potential for someone to grasp a hotdog (whether on the LV or LN LAJ planes) and attempt to push it against the fence from high (and not use their fingers to maintain sideways pressure from low).
Contributing to “tippiness” is the amount of “run up” to the board that is used. Many – both experienced and novices alike – would draw the plane back to the start of the runway, and then push it forward fast in an attempt to create momentum, as if this was necessary to power through the end grain. Shooting in this manner would lead to user losing control of the plane.
What is necessary for control is minimum run up. Place the plane with the blade nearly touching the near edge of the board, and then simply push the plane forward, with even pressure and firmly. Since the shaving removed is very fine, a plane with a sharp blade will cut without much effort. Once this was understood, the extra mass of the LAJ was an advantage over the more stable #9.
Regards from Perth
Derek
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Originally Posted by David Weaver
