Thread: Which type of plane

I have used bevel down Records and Stanleys for the last 50 years. I use planes almost daily in my job and then my hobby. I have bench planes from No.3 to 7 with all the half numbers. I use scrapers to improve surfaces, Stanley no.80 plus card scrapers. My new Quangsheng LA 62 costing £129 with 3 blades is exceptional. It can do nearly everything that the 3's to 6's can do, plus it is a better plane on the shooting board. Quality is exceptional. Save some money.
Workshop Heaven - Fine Tools

I got the LAJ from LV about a month ago and there was only $8 difference between the 8-12 week option and the UPS Express. I've posted the quote sent to me below. Dunno what the Xpresspost quote is about ! Ordered Sunday afternoon and it arrived Wed morning which I still find incredible.

*Surface Mail 8-12 Weeks $67.15
*Xpresspost 8-10 Business Days $124.21
*UPS Express 5-6 Days to Major Centers $75.69

You'll love the LAJ.

Sam

Currently on the website front page* and in a recent issue Fine Woodworking has a comparative evaluation of smoothers of diff. types and brands. A worthwhile read.

* you have to be a subscriber

Hi Ern

I thought that was a particularly poor review. The way that the writer designed the assessment showed low insight. He missed many points and features that should have been made. This left a skewed conclusion.

Indeed, I think that he missed an opportunity to make a meaningful recommendation, one would have clarified the essence of the strength and weaknesses of Bu and BD smoothers, which were the planes included here.

For example ...

1. It is likely that one who freehand sharpens blades will choose a BD plane over a BU plane. This is an irrelevant issue for one who uses a honing guide.

2. The strength of a BU plane lies at the extremes - low angle (endgrain, cross grain) and high angle (interlocked face grain).

3. The strength of a BD plane lies in the middle range (softer- to medium hard wood without interlocked grain).

4. If using a BD plane with a high cutting angle, choose one with a narrow blade - they are harder to push than the equivelent sized and angled BU plane.

etc, etc ...

I must admit also to have a knee-jerk reaction to anything that comes out of the Quangsheng factory. While their current (series III) designs have moved on, their original planes ripped off both LN and LV without shame. This was demonstrated by an article in Fine Woodworking mag (that is, the copies of the bench planes came from castings of LN planes and not of Stanley). I would still not knowingly purchase anything Quangsheng.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by Mike Wingate

My new Quangsheng LA 62 costing £129 with 3 blades is exceptional.

But you can't interchange irons between it and the Veritas BUS, and you'll be ordering from two different suppliers so your shipping costs will be inflated, and then there's the issue of: do you want to support products made with cheap labour, that undercut quality manufacturers....

Stick with your decision to buy the Veritas LAJ and BUS in my opinion.

Cheers, Vann.

Re Derek's comments:

What constitutes an adequate test protocol is a vexed business. (And how much space the editor wants to devote to a test is also a consideration.)

You're opting for quality as fitness for purpose, and with varying purposes, so varying tool types and tests. I can't argue with that. It would have made for a rather more complex evaluation.

My guess is that Gochnour assumed that the average user will buy just one good smoother and so rolled the performance of each on diagonal, end and with-the-grain, as well as with figured timber, into the one summary. Maybe if clear differences between BU/BD had emerged he would've commented?

As for the WR plane, it would have been remiss of him not to test one surely. They're on the market, they're legal and users are interested. I take your point about ethics and applaud consumer interest in that.

I have been using my QS62 most of the time in the workshop. I found that the rear handle/tote did not suit me, so I made another, taller so I can get all 4 fingers gripping if I want to and a larger radius on the lower curve. Better for me now.
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p...s/P1010873.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p...s/P1010872.jpg

Mike - looks like you leaned it forward more, too?

I hated the rear tote on my Veritas BU smoother, and made one similar to yours (or similar to an old Stanley tote). But I don't feel right with a 4-fingered grip, after pointing my index finger forward all these years. Trouble is with these planes, there's no frog to rest it against, so I usually end up wrapping it around the tote anyway....

Cheers,