Lee Valley Slick

[Sailor]

Re: Lee Valley Slick

Got an image of that scabbard setup Jay? That sounds ideal.

[Jay Greer]

Re: Lee Valley Slick

I will shoot a pic today for you.
Jay aka Jbird

[Jay Greer]

Re: Lee Valley Slick

[Jay Greer]

Re: Lee Valley Slick

The ones I prize are the four above. The penta top tool is not really a slick but I prefer to push it rather than hit the handle.
My favorite is the one next to the biggest. It is stamped "Keen Cutter" and is the best for shaving bungs. The biggest was found in a box of old scrap tools at a garage sale. It had been abused to the point that it had more pits in the surface than an old country road. I think it had been used as a hammer or an anvil. It took about ten hours of griding and polishing to make it usable. I call it my heavy gun. When all else fails it works! I just got a special wide tool rest for my grinder and expect to put a cleaner hollow bevel on it next time. In truth, the hollow grind does not cut as clean as a ramp bevel will. But it does give a good base to start with.
Jay

[Bob Cleek]

Re: Lee Valley Slick

A boatbuilders slick will always have to hole in it for a screw.

Two reasons, one is so you can knock it down to fit in your "kit" at the end of the day, and the other is that a boatbuilder will often be working above other men, and that handle can and will come loose.
A slick is a heavy precision tool for fine work, sharpened every bit as sharp as any other paring chisel. It can be dangerous, that "chisel" is heavy enough to cut your toes off dropped from the height of a workbench. If it won't, it is not sharp enough...
(The screw is a good thing and is the difference between a professional and a dilettante)

I've never heard that before, but it sure makes perfect sense!

[Bob Cleek]

Re: Lee Valley Slick

Bob, have you ever bought an edge tool from Lee Valley or Lie Nielson?


Steven

Truth be told, no. I've got first-hand familiarity with Lie Nielson planes "right out of the box" in stores, though. The first thing I noted was that they were well-sharpened "in the box." I'd say Veritas, Lee Valley, Lie Nielson, and other "aspirational" tool lines touting themselves as the "very best," probably do put a fine edge on their blades before shipping these days. That really wasn't the way it used to be done across the board. I guess, too, it depends upon how you define "sharp." I've seen a lot of Stanley and Record blades "out of the box" and I'd say they all were useable. I'd expect anybody who knew the difference, though, would end up touching up a new edge before using it.

[Canoez]

Re: Lee Valley Slick

Truth be told, no. I've got first-hand familiarity with Lie Nielson planes "right out of the box" in stores, though. The first thing I noted was that they were well-sharpened "in the box." I'd say Veritas, Lee Valley, Lie Nielson, and other "aspirational" tool lines touting themselves as the "very best," probably do put a fine edge on their blades before shipping these days. That really wasn't the way it used to be done across the board. I guess, too, it depends upon how you define "sharp." I've seen a lot of Stanley and Record blades "out of the box" and I'd say they all were useable. I'd expect anybody who knew the difference, though, would end up touching up a new edge before using it.

I received one of Lie Neilsen's bronze block planes as a gift from a grateful student. The blade on that plane was literally sharp enough to shave with out of the box. I was also gifted a "Little Victor" from Lee Valley. That, too, was sharp enough that I cut myself on the blade checking out the flatness of the lapping job on the blade - apparently they have a precision lapping machine to sharpen blades at the factory.

However, if you don't know how to sharpen tools, you're still SOL once you've used the tool for a bit. Sharp out of the box doesn't matter much if you don't know how to put a good edge on a tool.

[Hugh Conway]

Re: Lee Valley Slick

The lie-nielsen's I own were flat & true on the sole and flat & sharp of blade out of the box. Great performing tools. People always comment about their price, having bought lots of used hand tools, if you sum the price of a decent vintage Stanley block plane, a new good blade, and your labor to get it into shape, the price isn't much different.

The lee valley tools have generally been very good - the plane blades sharp, the plane flat, but some of their chisels have had funky back topography.

[nedL]

Re: Lee Valley Slick

A variety of leather covers.

[Jay Greer]

Re: Lee Valley Slick

Ah Ned, very nice!
Jay

[nedL]

Re: Lee Valley Slick

Thank you Jay. I've been lucky to come across them over the years. A couple of them were actually "dump finds" that had been used for decades with broken off handles, to the point that the ferrules were mushroomed over. Some carefu work on my forge and anvil got them back to where they belonged. One was so badly mashed that I had to rebuild about half the fertile. The two slicks are a matched pair with laminated blades marked "L.&I.J. White - 1837- Buffalo NY" (I've had them for about 40 years.)

[Jay Greer]

Re: Lee Valley Slick

Wow Ned, you are one lucky guy! Seems like slicks and adzes end up just being found when you are not looking for them. Two of mine suffer from the extreme split socket syndrome as well. I really don't know why slicks end up being so abused. I gotta fix them some Tuesday next week, quote from LFH. Do you oil those leather covers?
Jay aka Jbird

[Boater14]

Re: Lee Valley Slick

As long as we're on the subject. Am I correct that a slick has a slight angle below the socket so the blad lies flat while the handle cants up a little or is that for timber framing. Also, not to start the freehand vs jig wars again but that new lie neilsen side clamping guide is very nice. I got the ductile version of the LN block plane awhile back on sale from Woodcraft for $74.00 delivered. Had it on my belt during the Kudzucraft SOF build. Made in Maine.

[J P]

Re: Lee Valley Slick

As long as we're on the subject. Am I correct that a slick has a slight angle below the socket so the blad[e] lies flat while the handle cants up a little or is that for timber framing.

Most slicks that I've seen and worked with had canted handles. One of my Japanese made slicks is just slightly canted.

I'll second SMARTINSON's mention of Barr's tools (post#19). Barr makes good stuff and I think his slicks in particular are a great value. Most of the guys in our shop have a few of his tools.

[Jay Greer]

Re: Lee Valley Slick

Slicks back in, olden times, had rocker forged into the blade which, insures the ferrule has clearance above the work. My Japaese slicks are built that way but, the first slick I ever bought was nothing more than a five inch wide framing chisel. This required my taking it to a blacksmith who heated it and bent it to match an existing true slick. It then had to be quenched to insure that the temper was correct. I have made several handles in the past, one of which can be seen in the picture here. It is comfortable in the hands and some tuesday next week I think I will make up a few more for the other slicks in my collection. Why in the world anyone would beat on a slick ferrule to the point of damaging it is beyond me!
Jay