Very thorough and clear description of these workshop workhorses! Like you, I learned about planes by restoring my Great Uncle's complete set of Stanley-Bailey planes that he bequeathed me back in the late 1970's. And, like you, when we began spending a great deal of time in proximity to the Lie-Neilsen factory (and showroom), after many deliberations and hard thoughts, this was the first plane I purchased (along with a toothed blade!) and their low-angle block plane. The Veritas are nice bits of kit, too, but as someone with small hands and too many decades of physical labor, the grip size and slightly lighter weight are perfect. I'm also glad you mentioned the proper height of a planing bench...I have been in sooooo many shops where the bench is far too high for anything but maybe sawing motrise and tenon or dovetails. Period. I'll also suggest that the Lie-Nielsen planes are not brittle and can withstand the occasional drop that would shatter or crack a Stanley-Bailey. And too many people work on concrete surfaces without rubber padding for their own physiological well-being, let alone that of their tools. My great uncle was a horsetrader who told me the Stanley 55 and 45 were for people who had more time than good sense. He also lived by the maxum that bad tools are weapons best used as door stops or anchors.
You just cleared up a whole lot of stuff for me. Well done. I have a 62 and a 4, and I have another number 4 that I have set up as a scrub. Appreciate the explanation.
Anne, I just want to say when I first saw you in a video with April I really didn't know much about what you did. After watching more of your videos, I now know that you are extremely talented and a great teacher as well. Keep up the great work!
Living just down the street from Lee Valley I always go there for answers to questions and I love that if their tools are not in your price range they will help you pick a tool that will do the job. Loved the video!
Thank you for the video. I am about to start building a boat, and some of the tasks will require a plane, but nowadays that specific combination of skills and knowledge is hard to find if a person lives inland. Your explanation of the features of different planes and their use has let me ask a much better class of questions.
Boats can require special planes Is it hard chine or plank on frame? There are very few straight lines in a boat Unless it is a very basic one Like a punt Spokeshaves are a good plane If it is a round plank on frame a hollow out plane is needed wish you luck
@@jamesHadden-l6l Unfortunately, I have had to conclude that my back is not up to completing the project. But, to comment directly about planes and chine-hulled boats - We know that the chine angle changes from bow to transom. One way of approaching that problem is to make very fine-kerf saw cuts into the chine logs to establish the precise angle needed at each bulkhead or station. You can then use a plane, leaning more heavily on one side to approach the depth of those kerfs. The “leaning” technique can finesse a smooth transition of the chine angle from station to station.
as a retired furniture maker, i have tried low angle and to be honest i find them no better or worse than high angle. its all in the setup and technique.
A sharp blade will cut best. Doesn't matter how much money you spend just learn to sharpen and tune. A Kolbolt plane will cut well if you take time to setup. Anyone starting out this is an important lesson.
One thing that I totally agree with Ann is the complexity. I am a hobby woodworker and still dread using hand planes for that reason. There is many moving parts, also a skill in it's own-sharpening. Then finally technique of handplaning. Sure some people are natural, but not all. I for one struggle in all of these areas and that's why Ann has a point. Hand planing is fun! but it's f#@$# difficult skill that some need lots of hours to learn. That's all.
@@kosinskiarek Just practice working with the setup, watch videos, test it, learn, fail. Rinse and repeat. The easy options are usually the worst. Once you get it, there's nothing better than the sense of accomplishment when it all clicks together!
By putting a back bevel you can raise the angle of attack...no need to change the frog in a bench plane. Don't have a low angle jack don't feel i need...i smooth endgrain just the same with my no 6 and no 4...
While low angle bevel up planes are good planes, their low angle is meant for end grain (i.e. butcher blocks as mentioned in one of the comments) for which there is no need for a chip breaker. This is one of the primary reasons that antique Stanley no 62s are not very common. While they can be used reasonably for other planing tasks, they are a specialty plane that was never meant for general work (nor advertised for it by Stanley). While I love the adjustable mouth it does not make up for the absence of a chip breaker. Chip breakers (i.e. double irons) were a major development (before metal planes were common) specifically for smoothing surfaces with crazy grain patterns. It is easy for Veritas & Lie Nielsen to tout low angle jacks because old no 62's are not common and cost a lot. It is a much harder sell for them to market their standard bench planes when some many reasonably high quality older Stanley, Sargent, Millers Falls etc planes are available for a fraction of the price.
"Low angle" really just refers to the angle of the bed. Depending on the bevel angle of your blade, the effective cutting angle can be anywhere from 37° to 62° (assuming your bevel angle is between 25° and 50°). Even with a 25° blade, once you add a 5° micro-bevel, you're effectively cutting at 42°--about the same as a standard 45° Bailey pattern plane. As for chip breakers... meh. I wouldn't say they're useless but people had been using hand planes for thousands of years before the advent of the chip breaker. IMHO, the chip breaker on a Bailey style plane compensates for a fixed cutting angle; a thin, flexible blade; and a mouth that is difficult to adjust. A low angle jack doesn't need a chip breaker because the cutting angle is variable, the blade is twice as thick (3/16" vs. 3/32"), and the mouth is super easy to adjust. I get better results on crazy grain using a low angle jack with a sharp, high angle blade (38° bevel with a 5° micro bevel for an effective cutting angle of 55°) and a tight mouth than with a well tuned Bailey pattern plane. I own all sorts of planes but my low angle jack is, by far, the one I reach for most often.
While changing the bevel angle on the blade changes the cutting angle it doesn't change that the no 62 & 64 were almost exclusively made and marketed to act as giant block planes to specifically to deal with end grain and not much else. Adjustable mouths existed before Stanley on bench planes and ultimately only ended up sticking with low angle block planes and the no 62 & 64. Chip breakers on the other had, for general bench plane tasks, largely displaced single iron planes (for a reason) before Stanley came around despite already having very thick blades and adding extra cost of the metal (which was insignificant at the time). The argument that chip breakers were to compensate for thin Stanley blades is a myth. Single iron planes were not very common (widely used) for bench planes while molding planes assumed you had very straight grain clear stock to work with.
I am not convinced about the chip breaker. My go to plane is a number 4 size wooden plane with a cow horn front handle. It has a wide throat, no chip breaker, no adjusters. The sole is worn away a little forward of the iron, so it’s not flat. It cuts the best shavings thin or thicker. The throat does not clog up. The iron is thick and takes a very sharp edge which lasts. It cost $25!
@Rusty A They were specifically designed for end grain for which there is no need for a chipbreaker. While you can use them for other things they do not make up for not having a chipbreaker. An adjustable mouth is nice but it does not compare to the benefits of a chipbreaker. There is a reason you only see adjustable mouths on bevel up planes (these and block planes) and not on bevel down planes that have a chipbreaker (except the new veritas planes). In the very early days of metal wood planes multiple companies experimented with adjustable mouths and in general, they all quit doing it. When it comes to chipbreakers, there is a myth that they were only used to make up for chattering from thin Stanley blades. They were developed long before that and were on wood planes that already had very thick taper irons. Despite the fact that in those days "double iron" (w/ chipbreaker) planes were more expensive than single iron woodworkers definitively preferred "double iron" planes in spades. I would argue that those old woodworkers knew a lot more about this subject than we do. The no. 62 is a good plane, but again, it is a specialty plane for a specific purpose ( a giant low-angle block plane for end grain work). In it's day it was considered a good plane that was sold in relatively low numbers because no-one would think to use it for general purpose over a traditional no 5. The current no 62 equivalents by Lie Nielsen & Veritas are better than the older ones because they have fixed the issues the old 62's had where the mouth was prone to crack and there tolerances are likely better. That being said, it is still a specialty plane. For a novice, a no 62 is probably easier to figure out. However, because one can do a very thin cut with a 62 that doesn't make it special. Any reasonably tuned plane works well if you have a sharp blade and are taking a super thin cut. The difference that a chipbreaker makes comes when you try to do anything more than a super thin shaving on wood with changing grain. A chipbreaker set right will allow you to minimize tearout while trying to flatten a board (think using a try plane before smoothing). You can remove a reasonable amount of wood and get the job done in relatively short time and not be left with a giant mess of tearout that will take a long time with a smoother to fix and you won't be wasting wood to do it. A tight mouth doesn't solve that problem and a bevel up plane cannot do much for you in that situation unless you want to spend the rest of your life trying to flatten a board with a million passes because you need to keep a tight mouth and thin cut to avoid tearout.
I started with a bevel up jack based on this recommendation several months ago. But over time, one thing really irritated me about it -- adjusting the depth of cut is very difficult bec of the screw that locks the cap (and blade) into place. I then tried a bevel down plane -- it is much more pleasant bec you can sneak up on the desired depth of cut by slowly spinning the thumbwheel as you glide the plane across the work piece. For this reason, I have relegated my initial bevel up plane for use as a rough work plane with a toothed blade. I don't see many folks discussing this important (in my opinion) disadvantage of bevel up.
Check out Rob Crossman's video on using a plane. An ideal height would be the wrist height of a person, and using steps (platforms of various heights, which keeps the plane at the same height for you) for really thick boards. Rob's technique is to stand upright and use a walking motion (using legs instead of upper body) to push the plane. You are standing behind the work piece at the start, and at the end of your stroke, end up bending over your upper body over the work piece. Your vice handle prevents you from walking forward, using your legs. I suspect this is not how you usually would plane, as it is a better camera angle and you are working backwards. Or its how you learned to plane being a left handed person. Because your left hand(dominate) should be on the handle of the plane and your other on the front knob. Your dominate hand is your left hand? Most benches are set up for right handed persons. So if you are left handed, you should have a different orientated bench. Which you do.
I use Lie Neilson planes. The tote and knob fits my hand and doesn't tire me out like the Veritas planes do trying to hold them in my hands. Excellent video as all of your videos. Thanks for sharing.
She is an excellent teacher! I learned so much, because she made it very clear how to apply the logic in getting the most out of a low angle jack plane. Plus now I have the justification needed to spring for that Lie Nielsen model haha.
I started a Veritas low angle jack plane. Even with the guides and nice water stones, I still struggle to sharpen the blades well. The process is also somewhat time consuming and filthy, which I dislike. Also, being a lefty, the mouth adjustment is always loosening up and needed to be reset; thank goodness for the stop screw! I picked up a Stanley #5, mostly for fun, and the blades sharpen easily with a diamond plate and oil stone with minimal fuss or mess. Absolutely a delight to use. It is now my daily plane and my Veritas planes will be for sale shortly.
Same here. My first hand plane was a LN low angle jack, but my go-to planes now are now old Stanley bench planes. When properly tuned they produce amazing results. The learning curve is indeed steeper but I enjoyed every break through moment. My LN low angle jack now stays with my shooting board because it cuts end grains easier, and the side walls are dead square unlike my other old planes found in garage sales.
Good thing I didn't encountered Anne's video before I started woodworking. Otherwise, I wouldn't want to be born, believing how complicated life is. 😁😁😁😁😁 My view in life is... Don't worry son, Stanley had already figured out most of the challenging problem for us.
I do like that toothed plane, and it seems to work better for me than a scrub plane. That may be in part due to getting more time in on that tool. I also need to take one of my 12 inch planes and but a much more slight arc to the blade than what is on the standard scrub plane. One reason I prefer it, even though it won't take as much off in one pass as the scrub plane blade, it does not tend to tear out nearly as much as the scrub plane blade. I have found I need to vary from straight to skewed cuts. If I try to make then all in the same direction, there is a tendency is the for the teeth to follow the grooves from the previous pass. By skewing and angling the cuts, then I get better depth of cut. Can't say that I have noticed any difference caused by number of pieces per plane. I do find the more standard planes to be easier to adjust from side to side than the low angle planes.
I have modest experience and I have heard lots of advice from great masters like Paul Sellers, Ron Herman and others well known whom I have personally spoken with and find their advice to be extremely accurate and awesome. However, you have a very short time successfully communicated that less parts equals faster results successfully.
I've never been a huge fan of this plane. I own one and it does have it's uses. I mainly use it as a jack when i need to remove a lot of meat. I find it awkward to make the really fine adjustments that smoothing operations call for. Some people love it though. It IS quite versatile.
I have several planes, mostly Stanleys. However I recently made a low angle bevel up wooden job with a Veritas blade and Norris style adjuster. It is enormously superior taking off superior shavings with much less effort. I would recommend buying a low angle plane as the first. You may not need any normal angles.
Good vid! Thank you! I got an old Stanley No.6 for longer boards - and nursed it back to health. It works well. That said, I'd love to try a low-angle of about the same size because I also have a low-angle block plane. That's a tool I wouldn't want to be without. It's a pleasure to use. Low-angle planes really are great.
At 3:27 she states that the only way to change the angle of a bevel-down plane is to change the whole frog. That is not true. There is this thing called "back bevel". A very simple and effective way to change the angle of a bevel-down blade. Just watch Rob Cosman and David Charlesworth videos on that.
And the reality for fine woodworkers is that the low angle is only one tool in the arsenal. They wouldn’t suggest that any one plane is perfect for every situation. It is an excellent tool though, one of many.
@@alext9067no, at 3:37 she clearly said that the only way to change the angle of cut is with a different frog. She is mistaken. Creating a secondary bevel on the top surface (back bevel) changes the angle of attack while using the same 45 degree frog.
@@alext9067 But she talks about regrinding the beveled on the low angle plane. So she is wrong about how the ways to change the angle of presentation on the standard bench plane.
Thanks Anne. Another great video. I am an inner that has thankfully gotten a hold of some Lie-nielsen hand planes. You are correct, when you get a nice premium plane, you get an understanding for how the older planes should perform. The old Stanley's I have require quite a bit of fine tuning and also lead to quite a bit of frustration.
I have heard the positive and negatives of an LA Jack before. I went with a standard 5.5 Jack because I wanted the extra mass in the body when using the plane on a shooting board
Great video. You certainly make some good arguments for the low angle Jack plane. I've been to Lie Nielsen tool fairs and seen them touted as the one plane to own. Both you and Lie Nielsen make compelling arguments. Having a low angle Jack would indeed be a good choice as the one plane. Having said that, I like my No 5 Jack as my universal plane. I'd be hard pressed to trade it in for a low angle Jack. You are correct though, it is theoretically possible to change the throat in my No 5 but it is too much of a hassle to do so. I just bought a No 3 that I've set up for taking a fine shaving and smoothing. But that then gets me to two planes. Also, it did take a year to two years as a hobbyist woodworker before I reached the point where I really felt I understood all the ins and outs of how to use it. Less parts in a low angle Jack would probably speed up the learning curve.
this is sort of where I am too. I've looked at the LV and LN low angle jack for years knowing one day I'd get one. now that i'm to that point, I find that my love of my 5 1/2 is making me hesitant to get the low angle jack, for fear that i'd just put away what is currently my favorite plane.
Excellent explanation, demonstration, and tutorial! Forget the native negativity of UA-cam comments, I really enjoyed this video and this tool is now even higher on my list.
I just bought the Veritas low angle last week , it was my first plane . Good to know I bought the right plane right from the start . I love the finish it leaves
Excellent. Really helped. Getting back into woodworking. I started thinking about getting a jointer but noisy and won't flatten a wide board. Then I remembered I loved to use a hand plane before and was good at it. Seemed like a low angle jack plane might be the thing to use instead of a jointer. I searched "low angle jack planes" and came across your video. It confirmed what I was thinking and helped me to decide on which one to get (Veritas). Thanks a lot!
I thought video was really great And I agree that it is much versatile But old tool is just as good as the new one just need to know how to adjust it Thanks for the video
A most excellent video presentation! As a result, I just ordered a Veritas low angle jack plane with extra blades of different angles. And I’m subscribing to your channel as you do a superior job as a wood working educator.
What do you mean around 10:40 when you say you have your dominant foot and hand forward? Are you a lefty? Unless most of the other woodworkers are also left-handed, you appear to be holding and using it as a right handed person would. I'm a lefty and hold it the opposite way. Am I simply misinterpreting what you mean by dominant?
I believe that dominant means she is left handed BUT she is doing it completely opposite . She is planing like a right hander.You are CORRECT. You are NOT the weakest link ,ha ha .
Hello Anne! Thanks for the video. You have covered the issues of knocked out settings, plane length cutting angles and others, in a way I found most agreeable. You did not even miss out on the manufacturers compulsion of designing things to retain a certain "image" or signature; on priority. Without question about your analytical skills, besides using wax on knotty or wild grained wood, water may be used to ease the annoyance faced. I've observed this watching the poorest of the poor. Of course taking measures to prevent rust. I have tried this on ebony and many others are following suit.
Thanks Anne. Very nice explanation of the different models. I use the Veritas Low Angle Jack Plane. I purchased it because it's heavier, wider and longer than the Lie-Nielson equivalent.
I have literally never had a plane change adjustment because I bumped something with it. I don't disagree about the increased complexity of a bevel-down plane, but there is no reason to add straw-man arguments.
I feel I should point out that veritas makes tooth blades in coarse for rapid stock removal ,medium for general workhorse use ,and fine for veneer surface prep.with minimal tearout.
I've heard people talking about bevel up planes at least half a dozen times. You're the one who made it make sense. Thank you. Can i ask what brand are your bibs? They look rock solid and great pocket lay-out
I have both the Veritas #5 Jack plane and the #4, low angle. I haven't had them long but so far I really like the Jack plane. If it is a Jack of all trades is a woman's version called Anne of all trades?:)
Just looking at the title, I knew this video was going to be a bout low angle jack planes. I own all sorts of hand planes but my low angle jack is first one I reach for 90% of the time. I'll drag out my #7 jointer plane and (sometimes) my #4 smoothing plane when the need arises but the low angle jack covers everything in between ...and then some.
Not that it’s the case with the 62 but sometimes tools are extremely rare because people used the hell out of them and refused to get rid of them until they were toast. I’ve found this instance to be the case with froes. Everybody had one in the day, but try finding a serviceable antique one, at least here in the southeast....and by the same reasoning the first plane anyone should get is a no 4 or 5 because they’re a dime a dozen and everywhere because everyone had one....again not saying that’s the case, just pointing out there’s sometimes more to it
Where do I get these toothed blades for the Stanley no 62? I have some chainsawed boards I've made that I would love to make smooth and would love to simple switch a blade to accomplish getting them nice and flat.
I enjoyed this video. I would like to see a video of when it is appropriate to use the different bevel angles for the Low angle Jack planes. Lee Valley comes with a 25 degree bevel so with the 12 degree bed angle the angle of attack is 37 degrees. They offer the blade with a 38 or 50 degree lap giving a 50 and 62 degree angle including the bed. Which is the better final angle for general smoothing and for shooting end grain? Would like to see a video explaining these differences. Thanks!
Very thorough and clear description of these workshop workhorses! Like you, I learned about planes by restoring my Great Uncle's complete set of Stanley-Bailey planes that he bequeathed me back in the late 1970's. And, like you, when we began spending a great deal of time in proximity to the Lie-Neilsen factory (and showroom), after many deliberations and hard thoughts, this was the first plane I purchased (along with a toothed blade!) and their low-angle block plane. The Veritas are nice bits of kit, too, but as someone with small hands and too many decades of physical labor, the grip size and slightly lighter weight are perfect. I'm also glad you mentioned the proper height of a planing bench...I have been in sooooo many shops where the bench is far too high for anything but maybe sawing motrise and tenon or dovetails. Period.
I'll also suggest that the Lie-Nielsen planes are not brittle and can withstand the occasional drop that would shatter or crack a Stanley-Bailey. And too many people work on concrete surfaces without rubber padding for their own physiological well-being, let alone that of their tools.
My great uncle was a horsetrader who told me the Stanley 55 and 45 were for people who had more time than good sense.
He also lived by the maxum that bad tools are weapons best used as door stops or anchors.
You just cleared up a whole lot of stuff for me. Well done. I have a 62 and a 4, and I have another number 4 that I have set up as a scrub. Appreciate the explanation.
Clear concise explanations throughout. Very informative
Anne, I just want to say when I first saw you in a video with April I really didn't know much about what you did. After watching more of your videos, I now know that you are extremely talented and a great teacher as well. Keep up the great work!
I really like the idea of Veritas' thumb indent and the ability to grip the narrow lever cap when shooting boards on its side.
Living just down the street from Lee Valley I always go there for answers to questions and I love that if their tools are not in your price range they will help you pick a tool that will do the job. Loved the video!
True wisdom based on experience, thanks for this! It makes so much sense.
Thank you for the video. I am about to start building a boat, and some of the tasks will require a plane, but nowadays that specific combination of skills and knowledge is hard to find if a person lives inland. Your explanation of the features of different planes and their use has let me ask a much better class of questions.
Boats can require special planes Is it hard chine or plank on frame? There are very few straight lines in a boat Unless it is a very basic one Like a punt Spokeshaves are a good plane If it is a round plank on frame a hollow out plane is needed wish you luck
@@jamesHadden-l6l Unfortunately, I have had to conclude that my back is not up to completing the project. But, to comment directly about planes and chine-hulled boats - We know that the chine angle changes from bow to transom. One way of approaching that problem is to make very fine-kerf saw cuts into the chine logs to establish the precise angle needed at each bulkhead or station. You can then use a plane, leaning more heavily on one side to approach the depth of those kerfs. The “leaning” technique can finesse a smooth transition of the chine angle from station to station.
@@Sagart999 1000s thumbs up Sliding T Bevel helps with finding the bevels Built a cold molded pram when the Gougeon Brother's book first came out
as a retired furniture maker, i have tried low angle and to be honest i find them no better or worse than high angle. its all in the setup and technique.
A sharp blade will cut best. Doesn't matter how much money you spend just learn to sharpen and tune. A Kolbolt plane will cut well if you take time to setup. Anyone starting out this is an important lesson.
One thing that I totally agree with Ann is the complexity. I am a hobby woodworker and still dread using hand planes for that reason. There is many moving parts, also a skill in it's own-sharpening. Then finally technique of handplaning. Sure some people are natural, but not all. I for one struggle in all of these areas and that's why Ann has a point. Hand planing is fun! but it's f#@$# difficult skill that some need lots of hours to learn. That's all.
@@kosinskiarek Japanese and Western wooden planes are bevel-up planes and I do not find them complex at all.
@@kosinskiarek go find Paul Sellers on you tube. Get his book on Amazon....thank me later.
@@kosinskiarek Just practice working with the setup, watch videos, test it, learn, fail. Rinse and repeat. The easy options are usually the worst. Once you get it, there's nothing better than the sense of accomplishment when it all clicks together!
By putting a back bevel you can raise the angle of attack...no need to change the frog in a bench plane. Don't have a low angle jack don't feel i need...i smooth endgrain just the same with my no 6 and no 4...
People just want an excuse to buy tools they don't really need.
While low angle bevel up planes are good planes, their low angle is meant for end grain (i.e. butcher blocks as mentioned in one of the comments) for which there is no need for a chip breaker. This is one of the primary reasons that antique Stanley no 62s are not very common. While they can be used reasonably for other planing tasks, they are a specialty plane that was never meant for general work (nor advertised for it by Stanley). While I love the adjustable mouth it does not make up for the absence of a chip breaker. Chip breakers (i.e. double irons) were a major development (before metal planes were common) specifically for smoothing surfaces with crazy grain patterns. It is easy for Veritas & Lie Nielsen to tout low angle jacks because old no 62's are not common and cost a lot. It is a much harder sell for them to market their standard bench planes when some many reasonably high quality older Stanley, Sargent, Millers Falls etc planes are available for a fraction of the price.
"Low angle" really just refers to the angle of the bed. Depending on the bevel angle of your blade, the effective cutting angle can be anywhere from 37° to 62° (assuming your bevel angle is between 25° and 50°). Even with a 25° blade, once you add a 5° micro-bevel, you're effectively cutting at 42°--about the same as a standard 45° Bailey pattern plane.
As for chip breakers... meh. I wouldn't say they're useless but people had been using hand planes for thousands of years before the advent of the chip breaker. IMHO, the chip breaker on a Bailey style plane compensates for a fixed cutting angle; a thin, flexible blade; and a mouth that is difficult to adjust. A low angle jack doesn't need a chip breaker because the cutting angle is variable, the blade is twice as thick (3/16" vs. 3/32"), and the mouth is super easy to adjust.
I get better results on crazy grain using a low angle jack with a sharp, high angle blade (38° bevel with a 5° micro bevel for an effective cutting angle of 55°) and a tight mouth than with a well tuned Bailey pattern plane. I own all sorts of planes but my low angle jack is, by far, the one I reach for most often.
While changing the bevel angle on the blade changes the cutting angle it doesn't change that the no 62 & 64 were almost exclusively made and marketed to act as giant block planes to specifically to deal with end grain and not much else. Adjustable mouths existed before Stanley on bench planes and ultimately only ended up sticking with low angle block planes and the no 62 & 64. Chip breakers on the other had, for general bench plane tasks, largely displaced single iron planes (for a reason) before Stanley came around despite already having very thick blades and adding extra cost of the metal (which was insignificant at the time). The argument that chip breakers were to compensate for thin Stanley blades is a myth. Single iron planes were not very common (widely used) for bench planes while molding planes assumed you had very straight grain clear stock to work with.
I am not convinced about the chip breaker. My go to plane is a number 4 size wooden plane with a cow horn front handle. It has a wide throat, no chip breaker, no adjusters. The sole is worn away a little forward of the iron, so it’s not flat. It cuts the best shavings thin or thicker. The throat does not clog up. The iron is thick and takes a very sharp edge which lasts. It cost $25!
@Rusty A They were specifically designed for end grain for which there is no need for a chipbreaker. While you can use them for other things they do not make up for not having a chipbreaker. An adjustable mouth is nice but it does not compare to the benefits of a chipbreaker. There is a reason you only see adjustable mouths on bevel up planes (these and block planes) and not on bevel down planes that have a chipbreaker (except the new veritas planes). In the very early days of metal wood planes multiple companies experimented with adjustable mouths and in general, they all quit doing it. When it comes to chipbreakers, there is a myth that they were only used to make up for chattering from thin Stanley blades. They were developed long before that and were on wood planes that already had very thick taper irons. Despite the fact that in those days "double iron" (w/ chipbreaker) planes were more expensive than single iron woodworkers definitively preferred "double iron" planes in spades. I would argue that those old woodworkers knew a lot more about this subject than we do. The no. 62 is a good plane, but again, it is a specialty plane for a specific purpose ( a giant low-angle block plane for end grain work). In it's day it was considered a good plane that was sold in relatively low numbers because no-one would think to use it for general purpose over a traditional no 5. The current no 62 equivalents by Lie Nielsen & Veritas are better than the older ones because they have fixed the issues the old 62's had where the mouth was prone to crack and there tolerances are likely better. That being said, it is still a specialty plane. For a novice, a no 62 is probably easier to figure out. However, because one can do a very thin cut with a 62 that doesn't make it special. Any reasonably tuned plane works well if you have a sharp blade and are taking a super thin cut.
The difference that a chipbreaker makes comes when you try to do anything more than a super thin shaving on wood with changing grain. A chipbreaker set right will allow you to minimize tearout while trying to flatten a board (think using a try plane before smoothing). You can remove a reasonable amount of wood and get the job done in relatively short time and not be left with a giant mess of tearout that will take a long time with a smoother to fix and you won't be wasting wood to do it. A tight mouth doesn't solve that problem and a bevel up plane cannot do much for you in that situation unless you want to spend the rest of your life trying to flatten a board with a million passes because you need to keep a tight mouth and thin cut to avoid tearout.
Taylor Maxwell check out Stanley’s latest modern bevel down #4.
Bedrock style frog, thicker blade, flat chop breaker and?...... an adjustable mouth
I started with a bevel up jack based on this recommendation several months ago. But over time, one thing really irritated me about it -- adjusting the depth of cut is very difficult bec of the screw that locks the cap (and blade) into place. I then tried a bevel down plane -- it is much more pleasant bec you can sneak up on the desired depth of cut by slowly spinning the thumbwheel as you glide the plane across the work piece. For this reason, I have relegated my initial bevel up plane for use as a rough work plane with a toothed blade. I don't see many folks discussing this important (in my opinion) disadvantage of bevel up.
Check out Rob Crossman's video on using a plane. An ideal height would be the wrist height of a person, and using steps (platforms of various heights, which keeps the plane at the same height for you) for really thick boards. Rob's technique is to stand upright and use a walking motion (using legs instead of upper body) to push the plane.
You are standing behind the work piece at the start, and at the end of your stroke, end up bending over your upper body over the work piece. Your vice handle prevents you from walking forward, using your legs. I suspect this is not how you usually would plane, as it is a better camera angle and you are working backwards. Or its how you learned to plane being a left handed person. Because your left hand(dominate) should be on the handle of the plane and your other on the front knob.
Your dominate hand is your left hand? Most benches are set up for right handed persons. So if you are left handed, you should have a different orientated bench. Which you do.
I use Lie Neilson planes. The tote and knob fits my hand and doesn't tire me out like the Veritas planes do trying to hold them in my hands. Excellent video as all of your videos. Thanks for sharing.
She is an excellent teacher! I learned so much, because she made it very clear how to apply the logic in getting the most out of a low angle jack plane. Plus now I have the justification needed to spring for that Lie Nielsen model haha.
I started a Veritas low angle jack plane. Even with the guides and nice water stones, I still struggle to sharpen the blades well. The process is also somewhat time consuming and filthy, which I dislike. Also, being a lefty, the mouth adjustment is always loosening up and needed to be reset; thank goodness for the stop screw!
I picked up a Stanley #5, mostly for fun, and the blades sharpen easily with a diamond plate and oil stone with minimal fuss or mess. Absolutely a delight to use. It is now my daily plane and my Veritas planes will be for sale shortly.
Where do you live? I'd take these planes :D
Same here. My first hand plane was a LN low angle jack, but my go-to planes now are now old Stanley bench planes. When properly tuned they produce amazing results. The learning curve is indeed steeper but I enjoyed every break through moment. My LN low angle jack now stays with my shooting board because it cuts end grains easier, and the side walls are dead square unlike my other old planes found in garage sales.
I too find the old bevel-down planes easier and more fun to use than the low angle ones.
I have been using the same Stanley #5 for 30 plus years, a delight to use.
I can see the use of hand planes to square and smooth the sides. But for face grain, I use thickness planer. What am I missing here?
Wood working and homesteading skills...I heart you.
Good thing I didn't encountered Anne's video before I started woodworking. Otherwise, I wouldn't want to be born, believing how complicated life is. 😁😁😁😁😁
My view in life is... Don't worry son, Stanley had already figured out most of the challenging problem for us.
Stanley didn’t figure anything out until Leonard Bailey came along.
I do like that toothed plane, and it seems to work better for me than a scrub plane. That may be in part due to getting more time in on that tool. I also need to take one of my 12 inch planes and but a much more slight arc to the blade than what is on the standard scrub plane. One reason I prefer it, even though it won't take as much off in one pass as the scrub plane blade, it does not tend to tear out nearly as much as the scrub plane blade. I have found I need to vary from straight to skewed cuts. If I try to make then all in the same direction, there is a tendency is the for the teeth to follow the grooves from the previous pass. By skewing and angling the cuts, then I get better depth of cut. Can't say that I have noticed any difference caused by number of pieces per plane. I do find the more standard planes to be easier to adjust from side to side than the low angle planes.
I work with a Stanley no. 62 and it is a Great Tool!
I have modest experience and I have heard lots of advice from great masters like Paul Sellers, Ron Herman and others well known whom I have personally spoken with and find their advice to be extremely accurate and awesome. However, you have a very short time successfully communicated that less parts equals faster results successfully.
I've never been a huge fan of this plane. I own one and it does have it's uses. I mainly use it as a jack when i need to remove a lot of meat.
I find it awkward to make the really fine adjustments that smoothing operations call for.
Some people love it though. It IS quite versatile.
I have several planes, mostly Stanleys. However I recently made a low angle bevel up wooden job with a Veritas blade and Norris style adjuster. It is enormously superior taking off superior shavings with much less effort. I would recommend buying a low angle plane as the first. You may not need any normal angles.
Excellent video; worth saving.
Great video - I learned a lot and also LOL'ed when I heard "tool-shaped object!"
You hit some excellent teaching points that I missed on other channels. Really good job, Anne. And I'm subscribed!
I would like if you can inform me where I can procure a jointer plane. I have difficulty finding a location to obtain one. Thanks!
gosh your shop is amazing
Thank you very much anne
Good vid! Thank you!
I got an old Stanley No.6 for longer boards - and nursed it back to health. It works well.
That said, I'd love to try a low-angle of about the same size because I also have a low-angle block plane. That's a tool I wouldn't want to be without. It's a pleasure to use.
Low-angle planes really are great.
Top video, many thanks Anne!
I bought a low angle 62 from Axminster in the UK. Haven't regretted it.. great plane. Does everything.
Very informative, thanks.
clear presentation of differences between jack/smoothing planes vs low angle planes. Thank you Anne
Well done video!
Anne, very educational 😊
At 3:27 she states that the only way to change the angle of a bevel-down plane is to change the whole frog. That is not true. There is this thing called "back bevel". A very simple and effective way to change the angle of a bevel-down blade. Just watch Rob Cosman and David Charlesworth videos on that.
She meant the adjustments on the plane. Not recutting the bevel.
And the reality for fine woodworkers is that the low angle is only one tool in the arsenal. They wouldn’t suggest that any one plane is perfect for every situation. It is an excellent tool though, one of many.
@@alext9067no, at 3:37 she clearly said that the only way to change the angle of cut is with a different frog. She is mistaken. Creating a secondary bevel on the top surface (back bevel) changes the angle of attack while using the same 45 degree frog.
@@alext9067 But she talks about regrinding the beveled on the low angle plane. So she is wrong about how the ways to change the angle of presentation on the standard bench plane.
Thanks Anne. Another great video. I am an inner that has thankfully gotten a hold of some
Lie-nielsen hand planes. You are correct, when you get a nice premium plane, you get an understanding for how the older planes should perform. The old Stanley's I have require quite a bit of fine tuning and also lead to quite a bit of frustration.
I have heard the positive and negatives of an LA Jack before. I went with a standard 5.5 Jack because I wanted the extra mass in the body when using the plane on a shooting board
Awesome!...Thank you
Great video.
You certainly make some good arguments for the low angle Jack plane. I've been to Lie Nielsen tool fairs and seen them touted as the one plane to own. Both you and Lie Nielsen make compelling arguments. Having a low angle Jack would indeed be a good choice as the one plane.
Having said that, I like my No 5 Jack as my universal plane. I'd be hard pressed to trade it in for a low angle Jack. You are correct though, it is theoretically possible to change the throat in my No 5 but it is too much of a hassle to do so. I just bought a No 3 that I've set up for taking a fine shaving and smoothing. But that then gets me to two planes.
Also, it did take a year to two years as a hobbyist woodworker before I reached the point where I really felt I understood all the ins and outs of how to use it. Less parts in a low angle Jack would probably speed up the learning curve.
this is sort of where I am too. I've looked at the LV and LN low angle jack for years knowing one day I'd get one. now that i'm to that point, I find that my love of my 5 1/2 is making me hesitant to get the low angle jack, for fear that i'd just put away what is currently my favorite plane.
This is the most usefull video about hand planes i watch. Thank you :)
The best video I've watched explaining the difference in planes for beginners!
Thanks!!!
Excellent explanation, demonstration, and tutorial! Forget the native negativity of UA-cam comments, I really enjoyed this video and this tool is now even higher on my list.
I have a low angle plane and a set of standard planes with chip breakers...having multiple planes can be highly useful.
Great video. Love my Lie-Nielsen jack plane. Best investment I have made.
“Tool shaped object”
I lol’ed!
Dusty Splinters Channel has some in depth info on Handplanes as well.
I just bought the Veritas low angle last week , it was my first plane . Good to know I bought the right plane right from the start . I love the finish it leaves
Gracias por el video desde Galiza Spain, espero tengas traductor a ingles ya que no escribo ni hablo tu idioma.
Sorry for my bad english. Anyway.. Stanley are stil making the stanley 62 SW plane. And it woorks great.
Made in Brazil I believe, but not as good as an original one.
Very informative! Thank you!
great video, thanks. Great presentation - now I need a planing bench..........
Excellent. Really helped. Getting back into woodworking. I started thinking about getting a jointer but noisy and won't flatten a wide board. Then I remembered I loved to use a hand plane before and was good at it. Seemed like a low angle jack plane might be the thing to use instead of a jointer. I searched "low angle jack planes" and came across your video. It confirmed what I was thinking and helped me to decide on which one to get (Veritas). Thanks a lot!
Excellent tutorial, you are a fine teacher, can honestly say, I learned much from to about various planes, thanks Anne
Great job Ann!!
Great video! Covered important details no other video on planes touched on, such as handle size.
She really is the coolest. I loved watching Anne build her tiny house last summer!
So cute 😍
I thought video was really great
And I agree that it is much versatile
But old tool is just as good as the new one just need to know how to adjust it
Thanks for the video
Throwing a bit of shade there!
Awesome job you explained the tool demonstrated the tool, thank you
Excellent job. I've been using bench planes for longer than I care to say, and I found your video informative. Thank you.
Wow, such great information. Very well presented.
Anne, thank you for this great video. Very instructive. Love your work.
Excellent overview
A most excellent video presentation! As a result, I just ordered a Veritas low angle jack plane with extra blades of different angles. And I’m subscribing to your channel as you do a superior job as a wood working educator.
The angle of attack of a standard jack plane is easily changed by creating a micro bevel on the top. It’s not necessary to have a different frog.
Nice shop
Damn! She's a master
The mass of the plane is helpful because of the inertia, not because of gravity pulling it down more.
What do you mean around 10:40 when you say you have your dominant foot and hand forward? Are you a lefty? Unless most of the other woodworkers are also left-handed, you appear to be holding and using it as a right handed person would. I'm a lefty and hold it the opposite way. Am I simply misinterpreting what you mean by dominant?
I believe that dominant means she is left handed BUT she is doing it completely opposite . She is planing like a right hander.You are CORRECT. You are NOT the weakest link ,ha ha .
Hello Anne!
Thanks for the video.
You have covered the issues of knocked out settings, plane length cutting angles and others, in a way I found most agreeable.
You did not even miss out on the manufacturers compulsion of designing things to retain a certain "image"
or signature; on priority.
Without question about your analytical skills, besides using wax on knotty or wild grained wood, water may be used to ease the annoyance faced. I've observed this watching the poorest of the poor. Of course taking measures to prevent rust. I have tried this on ebony and many others are following suit.
Thanks Anne. Very nice explanation of the different models. I use the Veritas Low Angle Jack Plane. I purchased it because it's heavier, wider and longer than the Lie-Nielson equivalent.
Excellent video. Thank you for sharing
Nice job. thxs for the info.
Explained it perfectly...enjoy your videos!
Bought a hand router and it’s small so I’m asking where did you get the one hanging up. Thank You.
You can buy new Router planes from Lie-Nielson and Veritas, or a vintage router plane from ebay.
That looks like a Stanley 71 with a depth stop add-on
11:36 - "Tool shaped object" that plus the workbench, I see some influence from Christopher Schwartz!
I learned so much from this video. Thanks.
You did good and you kept your enthusiasm I love your explanations.
i like the wood river the best
Thank You and Gracias!
Thanks Anne...good info
I have literally never had a plane change adjustment because I bumped something with it. I don't disagree about the increased complexity of a bevel-down plane, but there is no reason to add straw-man arguments.
Really great video. Thank you!
I feel I should point out that veritas makes tooth blades in coarse for rapid stock removal ,medium for general workhorse use ,and fine for veneer surface prep.with minimal tearout.
I've heard people talking about bevel up planes at least half a dozen times. You're the one who made it make sense. Thank you. Can i ask what brand are your bibs? They look rock solid and great pocket lay-out
Thanks for the amazing video Anne! It’s always fun to see you in the shop sharing your knowledge! 👍🏼👍🏼
I have both the Veritas #5 Jack plane and the #4, low angle. I haven't had them long but so far I really like the Jack plane. If it is a Jack of all trades is a woman's version called Anne of all trades?:)
Just looking at the title, I knew this video was going to be a bout low angle jack planes. I own all sorts of hand planes but my low angle jack is first one I reach for 90% of the time. I'll drag out my #7 jointer plane and (sometimes) my #4 smoothing plane when the need arises but the low angle jack covers everything in between ...and then some.
What bevel angle or angles do you use?
Not that it’s the case with the 62 but sometimes tools are extremely rare because people used the hell out of them and refused to get rid of them until they were toast. I’ve found this instance to be the case with froes. Everybody had one in the day, but try finding a serviceable antique one, at least here in the southeast....and by the same reasoning the first plane anyone should get is a no 4 or 5 because they’re a dime a dozen and everywhere because everyone had one....again not saying that’s the case, just pointing out there’s sometimes more to it
Where do I get these toothed blades for the Stanley no 62? I have some chainsawed boards I've made that I would love to make smooth and would love to simple switch a blade to accomplish getting them nice and flat.
I enjoyed this video. I would like to see a video of when it is appropriate to use the different bevel angles for the Low angle Jack planes. Lee Valley comes with a 25 degree bevel so with the 12 degree bed angle the angle of attack is 37 degrees. They offer the blade with a 38 or 50 degree lap giving a 50 and 62 degree angle including the bed. Which is the better final angle for general smoothing and for shooting end grain? Would like to see a video explaining these differences. Thanks!
Subscribe to this girls channel folks. She is truly an amazing person and when she says "all trades" she means all trades! You will be amazed!
What two different blades is she using? What are the angles and/or orientations of blades on those planes?
What angle did you sharpen the Lie Nielsen’s blade at? Thanks
Is that a tractor seat on your shave horse ? I love it ! Lol
If only I could learn to ‘hone’ in to the problem.
Great explanation for this old but inexperienced woodworker.
you can alter the angle of the body of the plane versus angle of push on a regular plane and that effectively reduces the angle on the cutting angle
the No. 62 'chisel jig' is most excellent... one of my favorite's next to the block plane..