Liogier Floats (yer boat)

[Eric The Viking]

Menttioning this because of the recent 'floated' discussion.

Got a sales email from Monsieur Noël this morning, sadly too late for my own Christmas list, but welcome nonetheless. I thought I'd mention this because, at long last, he has a new range of floats available.

Like many others, I bought a couple of hand-stitched rasps after the passaround he organised a couple of years ago. They have become much used tools, far more so than I expected, and I'm really pleased with them.

Being a leftie, the left-handedness ofmy rasps is especially appreciated, as I no longer make grooves when I should be making smoothness. I realised how much I'd got used to them only yesterday, using an ordinary, *******-cut file to 'clean up' the ends of some aluminium I'd hacksawed, I forgot, and, being too vigourous, I swapped one set of grooves for another!

Left-handed or not, I'm sorely tempted by the float range, probably a "combination float", but it all depends on funds once Santa's been and gone.

Anyway, I'd be really interested to know if anyone else is thinking of getting one, or better still, has bought one and can report back.

E.

 

[tobytools]

i really wish they would put nicer handles on their tools, a beautiful and great tool dampened by a crappy handle. just like narex

TT

 

[Eric The Viking]

I quite genuinely don't understand what you mean.

The handles on my rasps are absolutely fine - comfortable, just the right size, and well finished. Should they be boxwood, or cocobolo? Not if it bumps the price up!

I buy tools to use, and good tools for me are those which perform the best, not the ones that look the best. If the two things coincide, that's a bonus, but function wins every time.

And Mr. Liogier's tools do work rather well.

 

[tobytools]

the handles are terrible,
the tools on the other hand are fantastic and i say this from experience.

and how much could a handle bump up the price £5 isn so for the sake of a small price id rather a nice handle, but as you say you buy tools to use and im just a collector...

TT

 

[Vann]

i really wish they would put nicer handles on their tools, a beautiful and great tool dampened by a crappy handle.

With a tight budget, and the cost of postage, I'd prefer to buy these expensive tools un-handled. I can make a handle, I can't make a rasp/float. £5 more for a handle... I'd choke :mrgreen:

I have some of Noels rasps and am very happy with them - and I'm pleased I stumped up the dosh to buy top quality. I'm tempted to order a float, just to see if it would become a tool I'd use often. The combination float looks to be good value for money - cheaper than two separate floats (I'm assuming the top side wouldn't get to be a pain when holding the float?).

Cheers, Vann.

 

[Corneel]

The combination float is 6mm thick. That is a bit much for floating the bedding of a traditional wooden plane. The normal straight one is 4mm which is better. The LN bedding float is 1/8" (about 3mm), which is best if you want to make a plane with a 1/8" thick blade, like they used in the 18th century. In the 19th century blade thickness was often closer to 4.5 mm. I have a few NOS irons from England which are all just over 3mm thick.

All these sizes just for your information!

 

[Eric The Viking]

The combination float is 6mm thick. That is a bit much for floating the bedding of a traditional wooden plane. The normal straight one is 4mm which is better. The LN bedding float is 1/8" (about 3mm), which is best if you want to make a plane with a 1/8" thick blade, like they used in the 18th century. In the 19th century blade thickness was often closer to 4.5 mm. I have a few NOS irons from England which are all just over 3mm thick.

All these sizes just for your information!

Good points. I won't be making my own planes soon though, and the combination float would probably do it for me.

I think for me, the issue would be when I'd come across a situation where tha float would work when paring wouldn't (apart from planemaking, that is). He suggests they're useful for tenon cheeks, but that strikes me as one of the easier things to deal with, and anyway you want a rough surface (within reason) to help the glue.

Would it become a reached-for tool to smooth odd, small surfaces? How good are they on end grain?

 

[condeesteso]

Just a note on the handles if I may. It used to be standard (in Europe) to sell the rasps unhandled just like files etc. It was the UK and US markets that expected handles so Noel uses very basic ones in order not to impact price. I know he has looked at many handle alternatives but they all bump the price up. I am not speaking for Noel but I'd rather have them with no or a basic handle and rehandle myself if I feel like it.

 

[tobytools]

condeesteso, i get that i do, also having a lathe and timer i can turn most handle shaped but i was just saying that they could be nice a lot nicer with out really impacting the price, im looking at my sapphire hardened handle makers rasp and i can't help but this the handle is bland, and the ferrels.... don't get me started, but as you and other no rout agree it works and isn't really a problem. just voicing my opinion thats all.

TT