Any story behind Lie Nielsen numbering their planes 3, 4, 5 etc when their planes are actually designed after Stanley 603, 604, 605 etc. The lie Nielsens are designed like and look like Bedrocks.
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Replies
hi corners
to answer your ? the numbers on the lie neilsen (and most others also) planes correspond to the original bailey/stanley number sizes from way back when .
i believe the bedrock numbers were just to make sure people didn't confuse them with the original bailey/stanley numbers
i have an original #2 bailey and a lie neilsen #2 and they are virtually the same size , say within a 1/16 of an inch all the way around
i hope this helps grizzly
The numbers 3, 4, 5 etc. are commonly associated with a given blade width and sole length. When Stanley added the Bedrocks to it's line, it needed to differentiate the new frog bedding mechanism version fromt eh standard bailey design planes it offered - they added a 6 and 0 to the front. LN offers no other design, so the single numbers are enough. Further, while the frog design is like the Bedrock's, I don't think LN is trying to say they are making bedrock reproductions. The LN planes are different (and often better) than the Bedrocks in many features like ductile iron, better machined finish, tighter tolerances, different thickness blade, different chip breaker style, etc.
When Stanley added the Bedrocks they also changed the shape of the plane to differentiate them from the old designs. Lie Nielsen copied that shape. I wish my Lie Nielsens had the old rounded shape - to me it's a much better looking tool. Perhaps I'll do some grinding and polishing.
You know that the first Bedrocks had rounded sides, right? I'm not gonna look it up, but I think it was in the late teens - 1920 time frame that they chopped the sides on the bedrock line. My one bedrock is 607 and is one of the early rounded siders. I love her dearly.
I dunno if grinding and polishing would work as the squared sides likely "cut-off" some of the metal (at the height of the arch?) you'd need to duplicate the curved sides.
Yeah, I'm guessing early on, LN wanted to incorporate the well known calling card of the Bedrocks - chopped sides - to draw the association with the BR's which many woodworkers already associated with higher quality. Funny thing is, Patrick Leach claims on his Blood and Gore Bedrock page that on the Stanley's at least the squared sides were weaker, as bodies cracked in this area are found. With ductile iron, LN doesn't have that issue, I'm guessing.
Just a note adding to what has already been said on this thread. Cliftons are also based on the Bedrock design, and they obviously opted for the rounded side, but I don't believe that they are ductile cast iron like the Lie-Nielsens, so maybe the structural issues mentioned above played a role in going for the rounded vs squared sides. Clifton also went with the #3-7 numbering instead of 603-607.
I am inclined to agree.It would be interesting to know exactly what influenced decisions one way or the other, but I suspect that the chief accountant might have had his say (and been ignored as per standard procedure). I also suspect that the Bedrock shape is less involved to produce, and that the flat top is useful in the manufacturing process for reference purposes. I am still to make my own mind up one way or the other, but have favoured the Flat Top so far- as in these two.Philip Marcou
Hi Philip,
I think I'm on the same page with you in prefering the flat top -- your new smoothers look great. I do have some LN's with rounded sides, too -- the 40.5 scrub, the little bronze block plane, and the 62. Vive la difference!
-Andy
Just plane gorgeous(pun intended) I like the flat tops as well.Troy
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