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The Lie-Nielsen Low Angle Jack Plane is based on the Stanley No. 62,
one of the three large format low angle block planes that Stanley made.
At 14" long, the No. 62 was the largest. It was produced between 1905
and 1942*. It is often referred to as a butcher’s block
plane, giving you an idea of one use it was designed for. It features
an adjustable mouth and a 12° blade angle in a full-size bench
plane scale. The 62 is useful in a wide variety of jobs, from rough
work to smoothing, and our version with the 3/16" blade and heavy
Ductile Iron body casting is an outstanding performer.
For the best finishes, use a very sharp blade set to take a fine cut.
The mouth opening should be no larger than necessary to pass the chip.
When you want to cut more aggressively, open the mouth more and advance
the blade for a deeper cut. For best results on end grain, set the
blade and mouth fine.
Geometry:
The blade sits in the body at 12°; it comes with a 25°
flat ground bevel, making the included cutting angle 37°.
Blade Sharpening:
The blade comes ready to use. Slight additional honing will increase
performance. A secondary bevel of up to 5 degrees helps achieve a razor
edge quickly. This also improves edge life in
hardwoods. For more information on advanced sharpening
techniques we suggest David Charlesworth's DVD Hand Tool Techniques: Plane
Sharpening.
Mouth Adjustment:
Hold the tool in one hand and loosen the front knob about 1/4 turn.
Adjust with the brass lever. Tighten the knob again firmly, but do not
overtighten.
Blade Adjustment:
Blade adjustment is simple, direct and positive. Hold the tool in one
hand with your thumb on the cap. Loosen the cap iron thumbscrew all the
way, then tighten slightly until there is a little resistance. Adjust
depth of cut with the stainless steel nut. Sight down the base of the
tool from the front, and judge depth and squareness of blade by the
thin dark line of the blade showing against the sole as it protrudes.
When you are done, snug the cap thumbscrew. Do not overtighten.
Make sure the mouth is adequately open before advancing the blade to
avoid damaging the edge.
Lateral Adjustment:
The Low Angle Jack Plane intentionally has very little lateral
adjustment of the blade. This is an advantage. As you adjust the blade,
it will track squarely with the sole. The disadvantage is that you must
sharpen the blade square. Today there are many good jigs on the market
that make this easy to do. If you find that you don’t like
this feature, you can grind the blade narrower to give more lateral
play.
Materials:
The body is cast from Ductile Iron, a very strong alloy that will take
a lot of abuse. These castings are fully stress-relieved, a process
that removes inherent stresses and ensures that the tool will remain
flat and true. The cap is Manganese Bronze. Other parts are Brass,
Steel and Cherry.
The blade is 3/16" A-2 cryogenically treated Tool Steel, double
tempered to Rockwell 60-62.
Our heat treating technique ensures that the blade will take and hold a
very fine edge for a long time. After heat treating, the blade is fully
surface ground on the top, back, and cutting edge, giving a smooth,
flat surface that will take a mirror finish very quickly. The thick
blade provides solid
chatter-free cutting.
Maintenance:
The sole is ground flat to .0015" or less. Occasional hand lapping with
fine wet/dry sandpaper (320 grit or higher) on a flat surface like a
glass plate, will help remove dings and keep it true. The cap iron can
be polished with any good brass polish, or allowed to patina with age
and use. Occasionally, the tool should be disassembled, cleaned, and
moving parts oiled. The blade should be kept lightly oiled to prevent
rust, especially when the tool is not in use. We recommend Camellia
Oil, a vegetable oil based product. It is non-toxic, odor-free and easy
to use. Also, in our shop, we use a fine abrasive handblock to remove
any light surface oxide from tool bodies and blades. Camellia Oil and
abrasive handblocks are available from us.
Guarantee:
Materials and workmanship are guaranteed for the life of your tool.
Call for repairs or replacement parts. We are available for advice if
you ever have a problem using your tool.
*John Walter, Antique and Collectible Stanley Tools: Guide to Identity
and Value, Second Edition, The Tool Merchant, 1996.
Proposition 65 Notice: Bronze and brass alloys contain lead, a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects, or other reproductive harm. Wash hands after handling.
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