# low angle or normal angke plane



## forgotten (Dec 9, 2007)

I need to get a plane for school class, and was wondering which one I should get. I can only afford one. My professor said he doesn't like em but they supposedly can cut end grain better so it would seem like they are more useful.


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## skymaster (Oct 30, 2006)

Low angle it can do everything a regular plane can do PLUS YES way better on end brain.


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## forgotten (Dec 9, 2007)

Then Why doesn't everyone switch over them. Just a new thing that people are just now catching onto.


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## Jimmy Walker (Dec 23, 2007)

forgotten said:


> Then Why doesn't everyone switch over them. Just a new thing that people are just now catching onto.


No one is switching over to them. They have been around forever. I own 3 60 1/2 Stanleys and a 60 1/2 Record. Love them all. I keep one in my pocket all the time when I working on something in the shop.

With the low angle, the iron slices thru the end grain fibers smoothly. 

Handplanes are varied and many. There is no one "do it all plane", but a LA block is a very good place to start.:thumbsup: 

Jimmy


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## MeatPuppwt (Dec 16, 2007)

From personal experience low angle planes work really well on the the end grain, but tends to tear out quite a bit on the face grain in figured wood. Since you can only afford one plane, go with the low angle and get at least 2 or 3 different blades. Keep one blade at the stock angle (about 25 degrees) and grind the others to a steeper pitch. You might be able to buy some blades with this steep pitch, think its called a York pitch (about 38 degrees if you want to regrind yourself). For really figured wood that has a lot of reversing grain go with a 50 degree grind angle. What your looking to do with that high of and angle is create a Type II chip. Means the wood shaving fails right at the micro bevel of the blade instead of up higher at the chip breaker or cap iron.

Might have to fool around with the angles that you grind at cause it depends a little bit on what's the bed angle of your plane. Most I've run into are bedded at 12 degrees.


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