Lie Nielsen Number 9 question

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Shady

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I know that 1 or 2 of you here have a number 9: how good is it? Any negatives worth mentioning, or just unreserved praise?

TIA for comments...
 
I'm under the tutelage of Han Koot http://www.houtwerkrenkum.nl watch out this is dutch.

But all his pupils look for any excuse to use the 9, it's an absolute delight.

One of our more wealthy patrons has actually ordered the Hotley version
http://www.holteyplanes.com/no11imp.htm at some ludicrous price - but as he states he will be able to sell it for more than he paid at any time - Hmm heard that before somewhere.

I keep on nearly ordering one but then back off, as I rarely use the shooting board at home, and have access every Friday to one at the Hans's place!

One other thing to consider maybe one of those cast iron guillotines from Axminster, Hans has also one of those and that 'shoots' short pieces amazingly well (actually quite long ones too) - http://www.axminster.co.uk/default.asp?part=MT1

Go for it is my advice
 
Andy: thanks for that. The Holtey is a superb work of art - but I can neither afford it, nor if I could, would I ever use it!!

The mitre trimmer is an interesting point: it's effectively taking the plane and shooting board one step further - but it just doesn't quite have the 'craft' element that I like... If I were in a production situation, it'd make perfect sense.

Looks like Mr L-N is getting another mortgage payment from me...
 
I only got my #9 on Friday, and amazingly was actually making stuff over the weekend, so never got the chance to play! :shock:

However, I did get the chance to unpack and have a gander; first impressions:

* The iron is hoooooj . I mean ginormous. I mean massive! I mean this iron is NOT going to chatter if you get it drunk and make it smoke funny cigarettes!
* Build quality looks wonderful, though haven't taken any straight edges or squares to it.
* Contrary to what I've seen posted elsewhere, I didn't consider the iron to be sharp out of the box - this may just mean I'm being hyper-critical, or that I got OTT with the sharpening, or I must be doing my sharpening really well, cos I think a couple of mins work are definitely needed to get it spot on; no more than that though.
* No lateral adjuster - so care needed to keep the iron square.

When I have a chance to play, I may even do a mini review...just don't hold yer breath!
 
How anyone who has spent a few grand on a plane actually is brave enough to use it - is beyond me! What if you dropped it! It's bad enough when I drop any of my Bedrocks or my LNs, but hey that's on only a couple of hundred not a couple of grand (and al ong wait for a new one!)

Point taken on the mitre trimmer, it is very very useful bit of kit though - you need to but the end stop to shoot properly with it - but it's easy to take very very fine cuts.
 
Thanks guys. Yeah Andy, I know. They are stunning planes, but I just think that they're 'off the plot' in terms of a useable tool. LNs require enough agonising to justify the purchase, but are just affordable enough that their price simply acts as an incentive for me to keep them in immaculate condition... But a Holtey would simply sit in a bank vault, I'm afraid...

There's also the point about how good is 'good enough'. They seem to me to be a bit focused toward the sort of people who start using microscopes and diamond pastes to achieve the 'ultimate edge', almost to the exclusion of actual woodworking. All well and good, and no doubt better than the edge I achieve with my waterstones. But my edges allow me to work the wood I normally use, at a 'time and money cost effective' investment.

Similarly, a well tuned LN, Clifton or Veritas will allow me to make furniture to standards that I'm happy with. (In fact, thinking about it, one of my personal faves is my 1980s vintage Stanley non-bedrock number 7 with a Hock blade).

Still, takes all sorts, and it's nice to see the skill involved being rewarded with admiration..
 
I've just re-read my message and when I say i keep getting close to odering one, I mean the LN not the Hotley, mind you come the lotto win and I'll order the full set of Hotleys!

Dream dreams dreams
 
Hah! - Yea, I kind of assumed you meant the LN offering... :wink:
 
Shady...

If you're not going to shoot a lot of edges, you may well be better off with one of the multi-purpose planes...they tend to be cheaper and you'll get more use from them....

However... if you're a shootin freak (not getting into what that says about me), looking for a perfect edge first time, every time using a tool that's designed solely for the job, then the #9's the only tool worth considering. In size, weight, solidity, balance and useability it's about as close to perfect as I've seen. It's primary ace-in-the-hole is the 2 handed grip; you'll deliver infinitely more power into the stroke with this than with any bench plane laid on its side. What's more, you'll be in perfect control of that power too.

There is a slight down side to the ergonomics of the plane however... a long session with the plane will probably raise some blisters and give the heel of your hands (cos it works both left and right handed) a bit of a work-out...

In use, it's one of the easiest planes to "read" that I've had; because the surface it's riding on should be perfectly flat and smooth, you can sense the feedback from the blade far easier than with a bench plane. Newly honed, it'll slice through grain with an efficiency bordering on contempt; as the blade dulls, you'll feel the drag increasing. If you reach a point where you need to put some serious effort into the stroke, it's way past time to re-hone as you'll be generating heat more than cut. Going beyond this will result in slight chatter...

The build quality should be exemplary in every respect... definitely one of my better buys...
 
Midnight":3pbfw8kx said:
It's primary ace-in-the-hole is the 2 handed grip
Now that's what I'd consider to be an Achilles heel... I think we had some previous discussion vis-a-vis clamping or not clamping work on shooting boards, so I won't repeat it. Suffice to say it'd drive me nuts to clamp work down on a shooting board. How is it for a one-handed grip? Just until someone sends me one to review... (hint hint :wink: )

Cheers, Alf
 
How is it for a one-handed grip?

I honestly donno......never tried it...

like I said replying to that post... I designed my boards with clamping in mind... never tried it any other way... the results I get haven't fueled a need to create another way...

<shrugs..
 
Works perfectly one handed, I cannot imagine shooting a board with a two handed grip, nor indeed shooting with the work clamped to the board - baffles me how one could do that!

It does quite nicely as a low angle block/jack/smoother or whatever you like to call it plane with two hands though.
 
baffles me how one could do that!

so I'm different.... this is news cossssss....????

:p :wink:

shows what happens when you build the board before having the faintest idea how to use it.... improvise, adapt and overcome....
 
Interesting comments - thanks. I have to say, my technique leaves me a little puzzled by the 'two handed grip': irrespective of clamping the work or not (and I do tend to for absolute precision, which is really what shooting is all about), I like to use my right hand on a shooting plane. The left balances me on the bench/shooting board, and provides feedback on any hint of movement/slip on the stuff I'm working: I can't quite see how I'd hold it 2 handed with any degree of precision feedback - but I'll see how I feel when it arrives...
 
<probably diggin a deeper hole for myself...

the boards I have were built in such a way that, when the work's clamped down, it's goin nowhere... the plane fits between me and the work letting me assume a stance that's as close to conventional as I can manage...

only reason for this...was I'd never seen how to shoot "conventionally"... so I adapted the board design to suit... figured the rest through "suck it an see"...
 
I just calmed my twitching credit card down and look what happens more temptations!

Anyone out there got any of these beauties?

p.s.
no more mentions of the footy - but what a ref!
 
Hi Andy.....I was tempted at one point and sent Darryl a few emails aksing about his planes. One of the comments I got back was the fact that non of his planes had ever been return due to people not being happy with them and if I wasn't happy for some reason, he'd give me my money back no questions!! Can't ask for more than that!

SimonA
 
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