LEFT HANDED question - Vertias plow x2 or the Combo plane?

Hi all. I sincerely hope your day today is long, lazy and carefree.

On my mind for a while is how to approach certain jobs. For those unfamiliar, I've moved from power tools to hand tools. (A forced move has really thrown me in the dumps, but that's for another time).

I've a wonderful old Record 405 that I'm restoring. It was donated by Homey (thanks dude!). Its a nice plane and obvious why it was a smash hit. To accommodate my left-handedness it feels hard to use.

On using the Veritas SMALL PLOW PLANE one can buy the right handed version and a LEFT handed version. Unfortunately they don't share blades, so one must double up purchases and double up costs.

The Veritas COMBINATION plow plane, however, may be used (apparently) left and right. Same blades. Yay.

So, while I may spend more to start with, perhaps I'll save in the end (pay once, cry once, and all that).

LEFT HANDED forumites who happen to have a plow or combo, could I bother you for your opinions on how you've used/overcome/adapted/accommodated with either the right handed small plow, or whether you own both, or if you have a combo... and your thoughts/feelings/reflections?

I found a few places of where it was discussed, but not really in any depth.

It is my last big purchase and I dont really want to bugger it up!


TIA. Peace!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by woodPixel

Hi all. I sincerely hope your day today is long, lazy and carefree.

On my mind for a while is how to approach certain jobs. For those unfamiliar, I've moved from power tools to hand tools. (A forced move has really thrown me in the dumps, but that's for another time).

I've a wonderful old Record 405 that I'm restoring. It was donated by Homey (thanks dude!). Its a nice plane and obvious why it was a smash hit. To accommodate my left-handedness it feels hard to use.

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Hi WP

to quote from Record Multi Plane 405 - Review
The 405 can be used left or right handed, with the fence being able to be positioned on the left or right side by pushing the arms through to the relevant side.

Ahoy WP

I own the left handed small plough plane and it's excellent. I'm a complete muppet doing anything right handed so would never need the ambidexterity of the combination plane, nor the right handed plough.

I also have never come across a situation where I have thought I needed a right handed approach. Granted, I only use it for ploughing grooves and not the myriad of other things it can apparently do. What is it you are doing that makes you think you would need both?? If you are going to wider blades you need the conversion kit and the wide blades are all right handed, but the conversion kit takes care of that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by woodPixel

..... To accommodate my left-handedness it feels hard to use.
.....

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Hi WP

Grossly off-topic but a little story about another leftie.

Michelangelo, the renowned renaissance artist, was a natural leftie but in both Italian and Latin the left is the sinistre side - the devil's side. Now no good Catholic boy could sup with the devil, so in school the nun's beat it out of him and he was converted to right handedness.

But Michelangelo had the last laugh when he created his most famous sculpture, David. David is left handed!


Fair Winds

Graeme

Handedness is a curse. Im the worst, as Im mixed in absolutely everything. Its so bloody arbitrary. It is a sure sign of mental illness....

I'm considering buying just the leftie to start with, see how that goes. I've the Record 405 that is being restored, so that should suit if I ever need a rightie (should get onto finishing that).

On the other planes Ive had zero doubt when buying, but this one feels like a very important purchase.

I'll be using it for my commercial jobs. I make frames and this wil do all the rebates. The table router used to do these.... used too :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GraemeCook

Hi WP

Grossly off-topic but a little story about another leftie.

Michelangelo, the renowned renaissance artist, was a natural leftie but in both Italian and Latin the left is the sinistre side - the devil's side. Now no good Catholic boy could sup with the devil, so in school the nun's beat it out of him and he was converted to right handedness.

But Michelangelo had the last laugh when he created his most famous sculpture, David. David is left handed!

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Yeah, well, its a known fact that Lefties are smarter :)

Only we have to be a little ...under-handed... about it :doh::doh:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by woodPixel

Handedness is a curse. Im the worst, as Im mixed in absolutely everything. Its so bloody arbitrary. It is a sure sign of mental illness....

I'm considering buying just the leftie to start with, see how that goes. I've the Record 405 that is being restored, so that should suit if I ever need a rightie (should get onto finishing that).

On the other planes Ive had zero doubt when buying, but this one feels like a very important purchase.

I'll be using it for my commercial jobs. I make frames and this wil do all the rebates. The table router used to do these.... used too :)

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If you would like to give one a go I could send you mine for a test once I finish building the doors on my whisky cabinet. Then you could decide if you needed the left and right ability or not. I only have a 1/4 inch blade for mine so far but it could give you an idea.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by woodPixel

Hi all. I sincerely hope your day today is long, lazy and carefree.

On my mind for a while is how to approach certain jobs. For those unfamiliar, I've moved from power tools to hand tools. (A forced move has really thrown me in the dumps, but that's for another time).

I've a wonderful old Record 405 that I'm restoring. It was donated by Homey (thanks dude!). Its a nice plane and obvious why it was a smash hit. To accommodate my left-handedness it feels hard to use.

On using the Veritas SMALL PLOW PLANE one can buy the right handed version and a LEFT handed version. Unfortunately they don't share blades, so one must double up purchases and double up costs.

The Veritas COMBINATION plow plane, however, may be used (apparently) left and right. Same blades. Yay.

So, while I may spend more to start with, perhaps I'll save in the end (pay once, cry once, and all that).

LEFT HANDED forumites who happen to have a plow or combo, could I bother you for your opinions on how you've used/overcome/adapted/accommodated with either the right handed small plow, or whether you own both, or if you have a combo... and your thoughts/feelings/reflections?

I found a few places of where it was discussed, but not really in any depth.

It is my last big purchase and I dont really want to bugger it up!


TIA. Peace!

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Evan, given a choice of the Small and the Combo, I would plump for the Combo. But it does cost more (of course!).

Having said this, while I am far from my workshop and only able to visualise the process, I am pretty confident that I could use the Small left-handed (and I am right-handed). There is a provisor: that the fence has a deep (say, 2") sub-fence. Then my left hand pushed the handle, and all the work is done by the right hand pushing the sub-fence against the side of the board being rebated or grooved (this is to keep it square and vertical). The sub-fence effectively does the work, not the hand.

Here are both with the sub-fences I recommend ...

https://i.postimg.cc/26PKjf3Q/Compar...pss4831fbc.jpg

Large ...

https://i.postimg.cc/mDvBvJsq/10a-zpsahvod2ew.jpg

Regards from Munich

Derek

WP
as I advised in post #2

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ian

The 405 can be used left or right handed, with the fence being able to be positioned on the left or right side by pushing the arms through to the relevant side.

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so your 405 is not really "handed" -- it can be used by both left and right handed people

Hmmm, not really. The 405 is the same as the Stanley 45; it is possible to bring the fence over to the right hand side but the handles are still in the same configuration. This means that although you can grip the main body handle in your left hand the second skate is still on the left hand side; in order to grip the knob in your right hand you would have to cross your right arm over the plane.

If you are using narrow cutters you don't need the L/H skate and therefore the plane works well in either hand..... providing you aren't bothered about having a depth stop. Dedicated plough planes like the 043 and 044 which don't have a second skate will work left or right handed, but again there is no provision for the depth stop on the left.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by woodPixel

Handedness is a curse. Im the worst, as Im mixed in absolutely everything. Its so bloody arbitrary. .....

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Hi WP

When we lived in the States there was a chain of stores called Lefties - dunno if they still exist. It sold left-handed versions of common items - tools, utensiles, bikes, etc.

I bought a pile of "left-handed stuff" as gifts for friends and relatives - scissors, knives, etc. I thought it was a great idea but it totally fell flat. The lefties were so adapted to living in a right-handed world that they could not cope with left-handed tools!


Cheers

Graeme

Hah! A few years ago we were staying in a caravan park with cabins; in the kitchen the only cooks knife had a left handed grind on it. To cut anything you had to tilt the knife over about 30 degrees so it rode down the bevel. When I popped into the office to ask for a proper knife I was laughed at by the dopey teenager on the front desk when I tried to explain how a knife could be "handed". Eventually (well, nearly a whole second later) I grew weary of her ignorance and got hold of the camp owner who was more receptive; she had purchased them all as a job lot on a clearance sale. She'd noted that they "didn't cut very well" but hadn't realised why until it was explained. Used left handed they worked perfectly!

I guess that every now and again someone tries to cater for the lefties; it is a pity Leftoriums don't really exist.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dogs857

If you would like to give one a go I could send you mine for a test once I finish building the doors on my whisky cabinet. Then you could decide if you needed the left and right ability or not. I only have a 1/4 inch blade for mine so far but it could give you an idea.

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1000 thanks. I really prefer not to borrow others tools. It doesnt feel right to me.

Its like going to the Doctor for the "50th birthday checkup". One must, but be prepared for The Finger.... :0

I'm very happy with opinions and experiences of others.

I'm also a bit unsure why I'm vacillating. Cant quite get myself to *commit*!