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I have been using 3 L/n planes , end grainshooting short pieces adj , low angle block plane, mid size pcs. large shoulder plane and top/back/sides with a low angle jack.Anyone bought one yet ? stephen b told me he loves his, any glitches or technical comments ?? Looks like 1 plane that does it all.

The only shooting board plane I see on their site is the #51 and it is $500. Is that the one you are talking about? Seems pretty expensive for a single purpose tool. But if I win the lottery, I will buy a pair and send you one!

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PMoMC

Your right it/s a #51. I will wait for one.

I'm going to run to the store with my dollar and a dream and buy a lotto ticket then. I will PM you for your address if I win. If I don't win, I'll figure out another way to get the planes. Speaking of which, what kind of car do you drive, and how good of a getaway car do you think it will make?

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PMoMC

I thought you didn't need a getaway car for an inside job.

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

I have used this plane at a Lie Nielsen hand tool event and really thought it was something special. But it is a plane that I will probably never own as I have other planes do this job almost as well. But this plane is designed around shooting end grain. This is the reason for the skewed angle of the blade. I do this in similar fashion on my ramped shooting board using my Veritas BU jack plane. So Im not real sure this plane is ideal for luthiery as most critical shooting joints are on long grain edges, not end grain.

I tried both long and end grain at their event in KC mar 1 for abt 3min.or so.One of those great to have tools but $$$$

I have the 51 & 52 that the master luthier who trained me used for joining violin backs and tops. He paid $50 in 1948 and willed his tools to me at his cost. Its a beautiful tool but is definately best on end grain. Joining guitar wood is more precise with with a simple plywood form and good block or bench plane.
Tim

This is purely a luxury item as other planes can be used for the same purpose. Now that I have one, however, I would pay twice as much for it. I use it constantly in conjunction with the shooting board that I made for sizing all manner of parts. It is rock solid and I have had zero problems with it. It works equally well on long grain and end grain and it is awesome on end grain. It was shipped in a custom wooden crate! My daughter uses the crate for flotsam and jetsam in her room. The only thing that it does not work perfectly for is shooting joint seams for tops and backs but I am sure that this is because of imperfections in my shooting board. I use the 51 to get close and go to my 6 1/2(Lee Valley) to finish the job. Shooting center seams requires a bit more "feel" than the 51 provides. I used lay my 6 1/2 on its side to do the same general jobs that I use the 51 for now but it really hurt my hand powering through rough edges coming from the band saw and I was constantly bumping the blade adjustments with my hand from the side of the 6 1/2 and needing to adjust it. With the handle on the 51 it is almost effortless and comfortable for all day use. I work all day every day building or repairing instruments so the 51 really makes sense for me. I would recommend the hobby builder or the not so dedicated use the capital elsewhere and multi task a more common plane.

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Thank you so much for sharing stephen. As always I learn something new.It/s one thing to try a new plane for a few minutes in a crowded showroom. vs you and the plane mano a plano by your lonesome all day long. I will have to use all my acquired luthiery skills to convince my wife of this much needed purchase. I also want to use it for shooting end grain for a number of future furniture projects.Have only used the LN adjust block and low angle smoother for end grain.The smoother , guessing because of the mass does a better job on end grain. I currently use the LN low angle jack for final long grain shooting of tops and backs .If the edges are out of whack I/ll use a recently refurbished bailey transitional jack to quickly get close and finish with the LN if I/m in a hurry I just take it to my delta 6 by 48 sander and it flattens almost perfectly for a flawless glue joint.But I still like the perfect smooth finish from the LN low angle.

Hey ernie, I think you would be best to just keep your LN LA jack plane in use for all shooting tasks. This plane is really one of the best planes for shooting long grain and end grain that one can have in their arsenal. With the right blades installed it will handle every kind of wood you throw at it. Hone a 25deg blade for end grain, a 35deg blade for easy long grain, and even a 48deg blade in tough curly long grain edges to eliminate tear out. I would top this plane off with LN's hotdog attachment and you would have an extremely useful shooting plane.

This is exactly how I treat my LV BU jack plane and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I built a ramped shooting board for shooting end grain and basically every piece of wood touches this board and plane combination in order to get it sized for the project.

I know you really just want to purchase another tool (you are certainly not alone!) but I truly think you could spend that $ better elsewhere on something a bit more useful in the shop. Don't get me wrong, I would love to own this tool too but just can't justify it.

BTW here is a good read on this #51 plane. If you haven't seen this site before I highly reccomend it to hand tool woodworkers! Derek is really a huge resource for use neanderthals.
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReviews/LN51ShootingPlane.html

And here is where I got the idea for a ramped shooting board, thanks again Derek.
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/Advances%20in%20a%20ramped%20shooting%20board.html

Anthony thanks for the tips Will check LN website for the hotdog attachment.I have never seen or heard of a ramped shooting board.Could you please post a pic I would love to see it,and perhaps cobble one up .I/ve never thought abt the 48 deg bevel or 35or 25 so all those are good ideas, cheaper to buy blades than planes.I use a 30 deg bevel on mine, and have never used it for end grain just the LN low angle smoother. Lots of good ideas here .

Thanks anthony I read the excellent article by derek,on the 51/52.Those are quite the fancy shooting boards .Mine are laminated 1.5in MDF with a pine fence , they seem to work.

Thank you for the vid Todd, ernie

2 months ago on a cold and miserable day I lucked out and got a whole bunch of bench planes off craigslist a 5/1/2 c bailey, a sargent number 6 fore plane a stanley jack transitional. an a really old wood jointer 28in long with a french cast steel blade. I managed to flatten the back of 5 1/2 c and get the blade sharp enough to take a .0015 shaving So this plane will get into the triumvarite of shooting tasks. I reread derek cohen/s article on slanted shooting boards and finally understand the geometry of the skewed blade and evening out the blade wear by using a ramp.. Think I will call L/N tomorrow and add the "hot dog" and an extra blade then I will add a secondary bevel at 45 deg, for long grain shooting on woods like O. orange and both of the locusts honey and black they tear a lot even with a 35 deg bevel. The 51 and 52 will have to wait , as the only time I/m planing end grain is straightening FB edges, bridges with LN block an LA smoother, and back seams where I find the 2nd smallest LN shoulder plane invaluable for getting that ovoid look. Thanks anthony and todd for the detailed explanation. I really appreciate it, as it gives me a better understanding of how to use the tools I own to make luthiery tasks easier. I only started using shooting boards 3 years ago. Before, the plates were held in a vise a la todd/s euro bench I built a similiar one on 07.

I have two Lie Nielsen planes and love and use them every time I'm in the shop. This is a fantastic gizmo but I really can't think of anytime I really need to "shoot" end grain? When I fit sides to glue to the end blocks I use my small modelers plane and my block plane. Could you get a bent side in the shooting board?

No problem. I personally have very little experience in luthiery but do understand typical edge joining and shooting techniques as I've been a hand tool woodworker for a long while. I have just started my first acoustic build a couple months ago and have spent more time making jigs and buying tools than actually working on the guitar. Joining guitar plates is about the easiest part of the process for me to understand and do.

I'm not sure that the 5 1/2c bailey is a great plane to shoot real thin stock. Sometimes the corrugated sole can get caught up in thin material and cause unwanted results. Otherwise it would be fine in thicker material.

I agree with Todd about the Veritas BU jack plane being a better plane for shooting than LN's version. The Veritas version has a very nice feel to it when placed on its side due to a dimple milled in the side of the plane. It seems it was designed around holding comfortably on its side for shooting purposes. But I also agree that the tote is terribly uncomfortable and needs immediate replacement/modification. I ended up just making my own using LN's handle as a pattern and drilling it out to match LV's weird mounting system.

Anyways, the point of which plane is better id beyond the scope of this as you already own a great shooting plane. Check of Derek's site a little more and read up on sharpening bevel up plane blades as there is a certain geometry issue if you plan on using this plane to smooth plane large surfaces where a camber is needed to eliminate plane tracks. He explains this extremely well, along with a whole lotta other extremely useful information.

Thanks anthony ,I do vy little cabinetry and spend most of my time building cl gtrs/ ukes, and perfecting my techniques. I used the 5 1/2c on 3/4tamarind to flatten the edge then my high angle english jack then the LN LA. I consider the 5 1/2c a "roughing" tool when the plates or whatever are not flat.I/ll check derek/s other posts. I won/t be planing any large panels soon .But who knows I/m vy interested in chinese ming/quing furniture there is an excellent selection of this beautiful furniture here at the nelson- atkins museum in KC. Carey has a final comment for you on the thread about 'japanese ' planes.,With a number of other silly and inane comments about how to offend or not insult others. . The dimple would not help me on the Lee valley as I./m missing 1/2 my rt index finger , so it.s easier for me to grab the LN LA plane .I plan to call LN and get the hot dog and another blade as per your 48 deg suggestion regards ernie.

Nice videos Todd. Not just these but the epoxy pore filling ones too.

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