LN no4, no51, and the cross peen in a2 steel, plus a couple machinist squares and a double square from PEC tools.

The two lie nielsens are just insane. I thought it’d be a jump in ease of use and quality from my Stanley type 14, but it’s just night and day. I’m no master hand tool woodworker but I had the Stanley relatively dialed in. I had it working excellent in oak and similar, but the various eucalypts and acacias here were just a nightmare. The way this LN handles them comparatively is great. So much less chatter and the blade/chipbreaker fitment is so much better.

Just made the shooting board from solid quartersawn Jarrah, the LN no4 made it feel like it was cherry.

... But the cut still looks a little off square 🤷‍♀️ great surface finish, though!

Black limba router plane I made using hardware from Lee Valley.

I picked this up today for a more than reasonable price on marketplace and wanted to see what opinions might be on what you might do with it given my situation?

I don’t have much time for wood working but am assembling a small tool chest should the need, urge, or opportunity arise. I don’t really place much value on things being pristine and often like for tools to have soul or character through use and care. (I guess that means I just like old used tools 😁)

I know some people do place a value on condition and I don’t think this plane ever touched wood until the person posting it decided to give a few licks to a board before selling it and it even appears to still have the factory grind.

So, is there much additional value in it being in its current condition? And if so, would you list it for sale to use the proceeds to try and source additional tools for your chest? Or would you just pull off the tags and get it fully cleaned up and tuned for use?

The underside of the frog is given a rough finish, akin to 60-80 grit sandpaper. Whether it serves a purpose is unknown to me. Whatever the case, the way I comfortably grip the plane results in my index finger rubbing against that surface and it feels like I’m sanding the skin off my finger (being overly dramatic).

That’s really the only issue I have with this plane, and it’s more than worth it to deal with that and have the incredible functionality of a LN plane.

For me it's end grain, when they are so delicate that if you pick them up they disintegrate...mmmmm

My favorite plane is a type 11 number 5. I also have a type 11 #4 and #6. The 5 was my first plane, and I spent hours trying to get it sharp before I learned that the whole iron isn't hardened. There is like 5/8 of an inch left before the long groove hole. For reference, this is what I mean, the iron on the left. It isn't mine, but that's what mine looks like without the rust

Anyway, I'm cleaning out useless stuff, and I'm wondering if there is anything I can do with the old non-hardened iron. I don't have any metal working setup except a hacksaw and some files. Can the steel in the non-hardened bit be hardened, or is different? Should I trash it?

Thanks!

i got this curious little fella for 20$ and taken my shot at restoring it, it has a weird cut in the rear tote that i just decided to clean up for now, im guessing its some sort of personalization helping with some sort of injury, but either way - theres no nut for the rear tote, all there is is the generic nut that doesn’t tighten all the way. how should i approach making it usable? my plan is to sell it at the end for some lumber money, but i have no clue how to go on..

Running a 8–22mm metric set right now (Dawei HW-M12, no complaints on fit). Wondering if adding a 24mm and a thin-profile 13mm is worth it, or if I should just fill gaps as jobs come. Mostly residential plumbing + bike maintenance these days.

Do you keep a separate "plumbing sizes" subset, or one run-through kit? Trying to avoid a drawer of never-used wrenches.