# L-N 7-1/2 Low Angle Jointer



## Julie Mor (Feb 10, 2013)

I don't have a power jointer (at least not one that works) and I've been eying L-N and Veritas jointers for years. I finally caved and bought this: 



























I had a piece of 8/4 sapele I ripped on the bandsaw and took my eyes off while doing so and that rip wasn't so straight. So I started trying to fix it with a L-N LA jack plane and it was taking forever.

When I opened the box from Craftsman Studios (great service there!) I saw pretty much what I expected. I removed the blade iron and put a small bevel on it using 4000 grit and finishing with 8000 grit water stones.

I then placed the blade back in and set the depth. Then I tried to move the mouth plate and it wouldn't budge. I own ten or more L-N planes and have never had a problem with them but this thing was locked in place.

I managed to remove the plate without damaging the plane (it wasn't easy) and cleaned up the anti-rust gunk. It still wouldn't fit. So I took about 40 minutes painstakingly removing micro-millimeters from the sides until it fit snugly. I noticed along the way the width at the curved end was okay but at the mouth it was tight. Don't know if it was the piece or the cut in the plane body.

Once that was done, I adjusted the mouth and took it to the 8/4 sapele edge. *WOW!* I couldn't believe how this thing cut! Nice long shavings neatly curling up as I slid the plane along the edge.









After the edge was straight I took a piece of 1/2" x 8 pine that I had just resawed as a test piece. It was warped so I wanted to see how flat I could make it. I planed one side a bit then flipped it and repeated. I could see the warp coming out of it. If I kept going to finish, it probably would have been 3/8" thick when I was done. But the jointer plane alone was doing a great job.

It was a different feel with the pine. More small chips, both in part because I was taking the bandsaw marks off and because of the nature of the wood.

When I was done, I looked at the bottom and noticed chips had lodged in the gap in the adjustable mouth.








That's probably unavoidable so it will have to be cleaned as necessary. At least the plate is easier to remove now.

Here's some other pics:


















All in all, I love this tool! Maybe because I'm getting better with planes now. Maybe because I started with a nice straight grained, plane friendly wood. I don't know. But it cuts so well I may abandon the dream of buying a decent power jointer.


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## ACP (Jan 24, 2009)

Beautiful! Congrats!


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## Julie Mor (Feb 10, 2013)

Suddenly this has become my "go to" plane. Plane pros would say that makes no sense. They all know the process and nowhere in the process to you start and finish with a jointer plane, with nothing else in the middle.

No, it's not that severe...

I have 








Lie-Nielsen No.102 Low Angle Block Plane - Bronze








Lie-Nielsen No.140 Skew Angle Block Plane With Nicker








Lie-Nielsen No.164 Low Angle Smoothing Plane








Lie-Nielsen No.62 Low Angle Jack Plane








Lie-Nielsen No.60-1/2R Rabbet Block Plane w/Nicker








Lie-Nielsen No.4 Smooth Plane








Lie-Nielsen No.042 Medium Shoulder Plane

And now this:








Lie-Nielsen No.7-1/2 Low Angle Jointer Plane

I will not say I've mastered all of these tools but I know how to make them work. Not one of them was such a dream to work with as the 7-1/2 jointer. If I was a plane pro, maybe I could tell you. But I'm just one of those people who knows what she likes and I love this plane.

BTW, it shocked me that I would take to such a large plane. I fell in love with the #102 years ago. It catapulted me into hand tools. But it's so easy to use, primarily because of its size. So I have to say I am surprised how much I love this new plane.


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## ACP (Jan 24, 2009)

Well Julie, you certainly have a beautiful collection of heirloom tools there. I am a Veritas homer myself, but I begrudge you nothing with those LN's. I have the Veritas low angle jointer and am similarly in love with it. A cool tool to have for sure. It works like gangbusters as I've no doubt your LN does too


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

Good to see others not afraid to admit to owning some Lie-Nielsen tools. I've got few myself and love them. Going to one if their handtools events tomorrow, so I'll probably come home with 2-3 more ;-)


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## ACP (Jan 24, 2009)

*You suck!*



sawdustfactory said:


> Good to see others not afraid to admit to owning some Lie-Nielsen tools. I've got few myself and love them. Going to one if their handtools events tomorrow, so I'll probably come home with 2-3 more ;-)


Lucky dog, have fun!


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## Julie Mor (Feb 10, 2013)

sawdustfactory said:


> Good to see others not afraid to admit to owning some Lie-Nielsen tools.


I guess I must have missed class the day the bully picked on L-N owners and caused them to go into hiding. :innocent: The more I use them, the more I love them. Of course the whole sharpening and setting thing plays a big part, but that's true of any plane.

Oh, and Mr. Bully? I own over a dozen L-N chisels, their screwdrivers, all three Boggs spokeshaves and a few floats. So Mr. Bully, I ain't sceered o' you! :gun_bandana:


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## Gilgaron (Mar 16, 2012)

I think he meant scared of the price. I 'd love some but I am too cheap/poor...


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

Julie, I meant just the opposite, I too have lie-Nielsen tools, love them, and plan acquiring several more. There are those here that will give you grief for buying new higher end tools versus finding vintage tools and rehabbing them. I'm not one of them.


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## Julie Mor (Feb 10, 2013)

sawdustfactory said:


> Julie, I meant just the opposite, I too have lie-Nielsen tools, love them, and plan acquiring several more. There are those here that will give you grief for buying new higher end tools versus finding vintage tools and rehabbing them. I'm not one of them.


I'm one of those "out of the box and put it to work" kind of people. I've read a few articles about bringing an old plane back to life and it's a lot of work. I'm at that age where I want to enjoy what I do and not have to spend half my time bringing an old plane back to life, only to find myself too tired to use it. :laughing:

As for buying quality, my years in construction, the real life testing grounds, have taught me what brands fail easily and what lasts. It's nice to know the tool you have in your hands won't fail in the middle of a job.

BTW, I recently bought a Festool CT26 and two 5" RO sanders. Just like when I first tried a L-N plane, I found myself saying, Where have you been all my life?" :smile: Good quality tools make working with them a joy.


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

Julie, you and I are of very like minds. I have limited time to spend in the shop and on the computer. I rather be here that searching fleabay for old planes and when in the shop I'd rather be working on a wood project than a tool rehab project. 

By the way, I picked up a Lie-Nielsen 16" tenon saw yesterday. I'll post pics and a review later.


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## Julie Mor (Feb 10, 2013)

My dad always said, "Buy the best you can afford." Out of 6 kids, I'd say half buy the best, even when sometimes they can't afford it. I have often succumbed to that but only regretted it when I didn't get out of it what I expected. 

When we built the house, everything we "settled for", in other words tried to save a few bucks, we regretted later. Windows and patio doors are the first that come to mind. We "saved" $1K over Andersen and $2K over Pella. In less than 8 years, all the glass had lost its seal and vapor formed between the panes. The manufacturer honored the warranty by sending out just the glass. Ever tried to remove double pane glass from an aluminum clad frame? :wallbash: 

The first one I tried, I ended up breaking the glass out and I still broke the frame trying to free up the glass from the caulking holding it in. We ended up forking out $15K for new windows. Later we replaced the patio doors for another $3K.

THAT'S why I prefer quality. Buying cheap at the beginning always costs you more in the long run.


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