21st birthday coming up and.......

[shim20]

i was thinkinng of asking for a no7 plane of some sort, the LN one looks nice any one got it or used it, or any other no7s. thought it would be a good present as it would last the rest of my life and get used alot.
cheers

 

[Paul Chapman]

Clifton #7 for me - my favourite plane

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[shim20]

Clifton #7 for me - my favourite plane

Cheers :wink:

Paul

in what way ??

 

[dunbarhamlin]

Hiya
My first bench plane was a (Clifton) #7 - great tool. Some folks favour it as their prime user (believe Alan Peters was one such)
Could be worth arranging a trip to ClassicHandTools in Ipswich to try out the alternatives (Clifton, LN and Veritas.)
Cheers
Steve

 

[dunbarhamlin]

Why #7?
Heft, breadth, versatility. The large size lends stability even on small pieces, and lends it command over larger work.

Why Clifton?
The (thick) blade's carbon steel, it has a stayset cap iron, it has more heft, it's racing green, it's British...
(Can't deny LN probably has a higher bling factor for many)

 

[Paul Chapman]

Clifton #7 for me - my favourite plane

Cheers :wink:

Paul

in what way ??

I have four Cliftons - #3, #4 1/2, #6 and #7. If I could have only one plane, it would be the #7 because you could do most things with it.

Where bench planes are concerned Cliftons are my planes of choice. Size for size they are heavier than LNs, which I prefer. And I prefer their shape - the shape of the side pieces of the LNs I find get in the way a bit.

Probably nothing to choose between LN and Clifton in terms of performance and they are very similar in that they both have Bedrock frogs.

Planes are very personal things and I would do as Steve suggests and try before you buy - as you say, it will last for ever so you want to be happy with it

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Aled Dafis]

Another vote for Clifton. I have a #3 and a 5 1/2 and am well pleased, a #7 is next on my list.

The Carbon steel iron really takes some beating, it's so easy to hone to a wicked edge compared to the nasty A2 irons found in other premium planes. I'm even considering changing the irons on my Veritas LAJ and BUS to O1.

Regards

Aled

 

[lurker]

Damn the planes :lol:
I just wish my 21st was coming up

 

[bugbear]

i was thinkinng of asking for a no7 plane of some sort, the LN one looks nice any one got it or used it, or any other no7s. thought it would be a good present as it would last the rest of my life and get used alot.
cheers

If you (or the givers) can afford it, I'd go the LN #8; a #7 is too big for small tasks, so you may as well go for broke. The LN #8 is MAGNIFICENT.

http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?sku=8

If you simply want to get jointing and large surface finishing done the LN or LV low angle jointers might be a good choice, with the "I won't repeat the discussion here" advantages of BU blades.

http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?sku=7_5

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx ... 1182,52515

BugBear

 

[woodbloke]

LV BU jointer here...fabulous. I've tried all the others (not the LN No8 ) and prefer the BU configuration, but as Paul and Steve have said, with this sort of investment...try before you buy - Rob

 

[dunbarhamlin]

a #7 is too big for small tasks

Most strongly disagree.

A #7 was my only bench plane for a long time, and if I had to go back to one, I would again chosse a #7 in preference to any other.

It is a tool which by nature of it's traditional usage, must be capable of producing a good finished surface, and yet has the mass to facilitate hogging material as well.

For components shorter than the toe, I would accept that a shorter plane is easier to use, but I use(d*) it to achieve a vacuum fit between components down to 2" x 4"

Smaller than that, can hold the plane in the vice and use it as a dimitutive planing table.

It is good on the shooting board, and again, for small or thin parts, large enough to be secure on it's side and shot against.

Have already mentioned one of Mr Cosman's mentors.

It's only potential shortcoming is that it cannot plane into a hollow on a wide board. So buy a scraper.
[edit - in the spirit of full disclosure) It is admittedly, also rather cumbersome for chamfering.[/edit]

Ideal restricted plane set up for me would be #7, LA block and card scraper.

Cheers
Steve (who wouldn't want people to think he disliked his #7 )

* I have splurged on a few more planes now , but do consider these a luxury rather than a necessity.

 

[MrJay]

Yeah, I reckon a #7 is a good all round bench plane. It's certainly the most picked up thing in my shed.

 

[ByronBlack]

I've got an old Record, and it does the job nicely. I'm unsure of the benefit of an LN/Clifton/etc over a well-tuned record in a No.7. I can understand it for smoothing etc, but jointing and flattening large boards seems to me to be something that you don't always need the most high-end tool..

 

[Paul Chapman]

I've got an old Record, and it does the job nicely. I'm unsure of the benefit of an LN/Clifton/etc over a well-tuned record in a No.7.

There really is a difference. I have a Record #7 and a Clifton #7 so I'm able to make a direct comparison. The Clifton is significantly better in terms of performance. However, you really do need to use the different planes (preferably side by side) to fully appreciate how much better the best ones are - that way you can remove personal bias and base your assessment on performance.

I use my Record #7 as a scrub plane now, with either a heavily cambered or toothed blade in it, a role in which it performs very well.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[ByronBlack]

I've got an old Record, and it does the job nicely. I'm unsure of the benefit of an LN/Clifton/etc over a well-tuned record in a No.7.

There really is a difference. I have a Record #7 and a Clifton #7 so I'm able to make a direct comparison. The Clifton is significantly better in terms of performance. However, you really do need to use the different planes (preferably side by side) to fully appreciate how much better the best ones are - that way you can remove personal bias and base your assessment on performance.

I use my Record #7 as a scrub plane now, with either a heavily cambered or toothed blade in it, a role in which it performs very well.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

Hi Paul, I'm not doubting that the premium planes are better tools, but where do you see the benefits? Is it the number of woods you can plane without tearout, or is it that the finish is better? I've always been unsure when it comes to a work-horse plane like a No.7 whether the upgrade is worth it, whereas in a smoother or a specialist plane, I can see the benefit of a premium tool more clearly.

 

[shim20]

i was thinkinng of asking for a no7 plane of some sort, the LN one looks nice any one got it or used it, or any other no7s. thought it would be a good present as it would last the rest of my life and get used alot.
cheers

If you (or the givers) can afford it, I'd go the LN #8; a #7 is too big for small tasks, so you may as well go for broke. The LN #8 is MAGNIFICENT.

http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?sku=8

If you simply want to get jointing and large surface finishing done the LN or LV low angle jointers might be a good choice, with the "I won't repeat the discussion here" advantages of BU blades.

http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?sku=7_5

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx ... 1182,52515

BugBear

ohh the ln low angel forgot that one, will mostly be used for jointing, take it these are good at that, thanks for all tha advice/views given

 

[Paul Chapman]

I'm not doubting that the premium planes are better tools, but where do you see the benefits? Is it the number of woods you can plane without tearout, or is it that the finish is better? I've always been unsure when it comes to a work-horse plane like a No.7 whether the upgrade is worth it, whereas in a smoother or a specialist plane, I can see the benefit of a premium tool more clearly.

Difficult to say. I have Clifton blades and cap irons in my Records but they still don't perform anywhere near as well as the Cliftons.

The weight of Cliftons has something to do with it but it's more than that, I think. They perform better right across the range. Today I've been planing some end grain oak about 2 1/2" square. The Record #4 would have struggled but the Clifton #3 planed it like a hot knife through butter.

Must be the whole package - weight, design, Bedrock frog, precision of the parts.

It doesn't just apply to Cliftons - LNs, Veritas and Cliftons are all better than old Records and Stanleys in my view. They've all put a lot of thought into the design of their planes and got the materials and manufacturing right.

All I can say is try them out at the shows and compare them - I'm sure you'll then see what I mean.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[shim20]

right im having a job here to decide between the clifton no7 and the ln low angle jointer, would you say the ln low angle is better for shooting and general work, or a no7 with the normal angle i.e not low angle, cheers

 

[Ironballs]

If you're spending big money then you have to think about what the plane is for and how often you'll use it. I got a Stanley No 6 for 15 quid off ebay and it works very well, however I don't need a No 6 very often so extra expense wouldn't have been warranted.

I also have a LV BUS and I reach for that plane all the time, even when I should perhaps use another plane because it works so well. So unless you're going to need a No 7 a lot of the time I'd go for a different plane

 

[shim20]

yea good point, i have a stanley no6 with a hock blade which i use 90% of the time as i find its not to big and not to small for most jobs, but also have a stanley no7 but dont get on with it dosent feel nice to use for some reason, hence the clifton/ln no7 and i probally would not use it all the time but atleast once a week as we do alot of handwork at work, would be nice to know its there and i thought it would be a good plane to keep through out my life, but i know where your coming from i will have to think, problem is theres to many planes to chose from :lol: