Which Wooden Smoother?

[ByronBlack]

Ok, so i've got a birthday coming soon and i'm looking for idea's to recommend to SWMBO.

I've decided I would like a real nice smoother as my stanley has been gradually getting worse and is requiring a lot of fettling despite my first impressive opinions of it.

Looking around, i've seen some nice wooden smoothers and have read good reviews, but i'm not sure what would be a good choice, so I thought I'd ask others opinions on your favourite wooden smoother.

Should I go for a new one (HNT Gordon, Knight, Japanese, ECE?) or maybe an older one with a hock blade??

Opinions appreciated!

 

[woodbloke]

BB - I've just done a refurb on an oldish Ulmia bought from PFT which has turned out quite well, pear wood body and lignum sole, adjustable mouth, blade set at 50deg, very comfortable to use. Might be worth adding one of these to SWIMBO's list? - Rob

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Hi Byron

Other than my own woodies, I have only used HNT Gordon, which is reviewed below:

http://www.wkfinetools.com/contrib/dCohen/z_art/hntGordon-S/hntGordon-st1.asp

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Scrit]

I've had an ECE Primus Reform with a lignum sole since the late 1970s - nice plane, peculiar adjuster to my mind, 50 degree bed and that lignum vitae sole really does glide well......

There's a bit about these planes written by Peter Austin on Dieter Schmidt's site, here, which might be of interest. Personally I prefer the heft of a metal plane, but if you are looking for a woody these are worthy of consideration, not least because at € 165.00 (or circa £112) they are reasonably affordable, at least against a L-N metal plane. Oh, and ECE make planes for left handers, too

Edit: Found a better review on BenchMark

Scrit

 

[ByronBlack]

cheers so far guys! How good a finish does the ulmia give? Basically, i'm looking to use a smoother for my final finish - I don't want to use sand paper as i've never really got that nice glassy finish i've seen from some smoothers.

Also, i assume with the increased angle these are good for tight interlocking grain and stubborn timbers?

I just wish the design of the ulmia was more welcoming - but if it does the job!

 

[woodbloke]

BB - Scrit's got the slightly more expensive version to me as it has an adjustment mechanism but both work equally well and do produce superb results. As Scrit says, they don't have the heft of a metal bodied smoother, but then do need heft in a smoother for final finishing? Useful to have but not sure it's essential, main thing is I think that the lignum sole makes it almost effortless to use.....just hugs and glides over the timber. At the end of the day, as with all things, you pays your money etc....... - Rob

 

[pam niedermayer]

I've found that both the HNT Gordon and Primus Reform smoothers prepare the surface for finishing. On the other hand, my Japanese smoothers prepare the surface to go unfinished, they polish/burnish the wood, but at a huge cost premium. You'd also probably have a lot to learn about properly tuning them. So if you're up for this, say so and I'll be happy to list some candidates.

Pam

PS It would be a good idea to search out some local UK stores that carry Japanese planes.

 

[ByronBlack]

Hi Pam,

Funny you should mention the japanese ones, i've been looking at them over the last few days after receiving my new magma catalogue from 'classic hand tools' - a UK supplier!

Please feel free to fire away with some information, I'm not afraid of a little tuning or learning curve as basically I'm after as good a final finish as I can get from a smoother to lessen the need for scraping/paper.

 

[Scrit]

I just wish the design of the ulmia was more welcoming - but if it does the job!

Byron, just what's wrong with the Primus? If anything the adjustable mouth makes it a better design than the Ulmia (and is actually why I bought it over the Ulmia)

Ccrit

 

[dchenard]

Have you considered Clark & Williams? They're very highly regarded...

http://www.planemaker.com/

DC

 

[ByronBlack]

I just wish the design of the ulmia was more welcoming - but if it does the job!

Byron, just what's wrong with the Primus? If anything the adjustable mouth makes it a better design than the Ulmia (and is actually why I bought it over the Ulmia)

Ccrit

Scrit - sorry, didn't mean the actual working design of the plane, I meant the aesthetics - i feel with that horn it's a little ugly, but I guess at the end of the day it's not looks I'm after, it's the finish.

DC - thanks for the link, i'll have to read up on their planes, they seem a little pricey. But then I was considering the very highly rated high angle mujingfang which only works out about £20 and in a comparison of some of the best smoothers available it came second!

 

[dchenard]

DC - thanks for the link, i'll have to read up on their planes, they seem a little pricey. But then I was considering the very highly rated high angle mujingfang which only works out about £20 and in a comparison of some of the best smoothers available it came second!

True enough, that was Lyn's review, wasn't it?

But that was done before the Bevel Up planes sprouted out of the Veritas factory :wink:

The Mujingfang is indeed inexpensive enough that I'm tempted to get one every time I go to the LV store. But I have already a good arsenal of smoothers, with one more coming (Shepherd kit in progress).

Truth to be told, with a high enough cutting angle and a sharp iron, my Veritas BU planes have yet to fail me...

DC

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Mmm ... I forgot about Mujinfang.

These are excellent planes, with a performance that compares waaaay out of their price range. Excellent materials (mine are either Rosewood or Ebony) and great steel (some are HCS and some HSS). All they lack is the finish of the more expensive planes. They are good, but not as good as a HNT Gordon, and the choices of timber are not there, as they are with the latter.

One more idea .... why not approach our illusterous Philly? He may be challenged to produce something especially special.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[pam niedermayer]

Hi Pam, ... Please feel free to fire away with some information, I'm not afraid of a little tuning or learning curve as basically I'm after as good a final finish as I can get from a smoother to lessen the need for scraping/paper.

OK, but I'm going to give you referrals instead of trying to recommend specific planes, there are too many good/great planes at too wide a price range.

So, ask these people what they recommend given your conditions:

1. Kayoko at Misugi Design, http://www.misugidesigns.com/aboutUs.html

2. So at Japan Tool in Australia, http://www.japan-tool.com/

3. Tomohito at Iida Tool, http://www.japantool-iida.com/

4. Dieter at Fine Tools, http://www.fine-tools.com/index.htm

There are several other places to buy tools with confidence, such as Japan Woodworker, Hida Tool, and I'm sure there are a couple or three in the UK; but I suspect you'll get superior advice from the ones I listed.

Pam

 

[MixedHerbs]

Hello,

I bought a Japanese plane many years ago and found the following book very useful:

Japanese Woodworking Tools: Their Tradition, Spirit and Use by Toshio Odate

It explains how to tune a Japanese plane.

I remember a shop in Hitchin had a rather splendid plane in a cabinet. It had a blue steel blade and a body of red oak. Stunning. But at £1,000 it was beyond my reach.

Regards, Peter.

 

[woodbloke]

BB - I speak from a position of complete ignorance on this one re Jap planes but as I understand they are designed to be pulled rather than pushed, which might make it awkward for a someone used to Western style push planes. The cheapo Multifwhatis planes from Rutlands (I have the 160cm version as does Philly and Newt) are excellent in use and incrcredible value for money and are meant to be pushed in use....feel free to shoot back if I'm pontificating out of you know where...probably am - Rob

 

[pam niedermayer]

BB - I speak from a position of complete ignorance on this one re Jap planes but as I understand they are designed to be pulled rather than pushed, which might make it awkward for a someone used to Western style push planes. The cheapo Multifwhatis planes from Rutlands (I have the 160cm version as does Philly and Newt) are excellent in use and incrcredible value for money and are meant to be pushed in use....feel free to shoot back if I'm pontificating out of you know where...probably am - Rob

I often pull the few western planes I have, so I don't think this need be an issue.

Pam

 

[Alf]

I think, as a wooden plane taster, the Mujingfang option is a pretty good place to start. They're not expensive, amazingly effective and you can play pushing and pulling with them to see how you find it. Having said which, it might be worth bearing in mind that in days of yore, when Britain was Wooden Plane Central, for that high class finish on cabinet work the desirable planes were, erm, metal...

Cheers, Alf

 

[Scrit]

I remember a shop in Hitchin had a rather splendid plane in a cabinet. It had a blue steel blade and a body of red oak. Stunning. But at £1,000 it was beyond my reach.

Would that have been Roger's by any chance?

 

[MixedHerbs]

"Would that have been Roger's by any chance?"

Yes, Roger Buse. He closed his shop about 20 years ago and got a job with a mail order business (I think).

Regards, Peter.