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RWW #107 WoodRiver and Lie Nielsen Hand Plane Shootout

36 comments
14 years ago
Hand Tools     Videos
Lie Nielsen vs WoodRiver Hand Planes

This image can bring tears to any woodworker's eyes

In my last video, I walked through the out of the box test of my new WoodRiver #3 plane.  I admitted that it wasn’t fair because every new plane needs to have the blade honed and set up properly.  To prepare for this episode, I honed the blade and pit it head to head against a new Lie Nielsen #4 Hand Plane. However, I did the same thing with my new Lie Nielsen that I did with the WoodRiver: no tuning whatsoever.

I say this several times in the video but I will say it again here. This episode is possible because of my viewers. So many of you responded to the last episode by clicking and buying WoodRiver planes though my Woodcraft affiliate links that I was able to purchase this new Lie Nielsen just to pit it against the WoodRiver. Not that I needed much encouragement to buy a Lie Nielsen plane, but again, thank you for the support.

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Julien

Hey Shannon, thanks a lot for the shootout! I just checked the Lie-Nielsen web site, and the difference in price is $250, not $150, between the Lie-Nielsen and the WoodRiver plane. For 20 minutes of prep, I too agree that the WoodRiver plane is a tremendous value. I will pick one up, clicking on your affiliate link of course! 🙂

    Shannon

    oops, I never said I could do math. Thanks for catching that.

Yaakov

I have planes from Lie-Neilsen, Record, Veritas, and Stanley, but my Lie-Nielsen’s are my favorite. As a matter of fact, I just wrote a blog about that yesterday.

http://fbyaakov.wordpress.com/2011/02/10/lie-nielsen-darn-well-worth-it/

Enjoy!

    Shannon

    Good post Yaakov, I could not have said it any better. The people there are the best.

Chuck "Sac" Isaacson

Hey Shannon, great review. Just a quick question, you say that you get plane tracks with that LN #4. You said that it wont take you long to get those out, how do you go about doing that? I have a refurbed pre-war Stanley Sweetheart #4 with a Hock iron and chipbreaker. I get horrible lines with it, do you have a video or anything that demos how to do that or a resource that I could use? Thanks.

    Shannon

    It really comes down to spending just a few more seconds honing the microbevels on the corners. I can do a quick hand tool tip on it probably this weekend. I get this question a lot and should really address it in better detail.

      Chuck "Sac" Isaacson

      Thanks, that would be great. I would appreciate it..

Marilyn

Speaking of Lie-Nielsen, have you seen this video yet? I found it fascinating. Day at the Toolworks – http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150184086453332&oid=100708343015&comments

Chris

Basically matches my experience 100%. I’ve got 1 LN 4 & 1/2, a WR #3, A LV low angle #4, and an old stanley #5 just to cover the slightly smaller to slightly larger than a smoother range :). They all make really fine shavings when freshly sharpened to the same degree. The LN controls are just tighter and smoother and it may make a slightly fluffier fine shaving but it’s close.

Don’t write off that old stanley you had in the first video, mine had a .006 warp in the sole. $15 of PSA sandpaper on a granite block and an hour or two got it flat. A new LV <$50 blade and chipbreaker set has it equally anything else in my arsenal although its 60 year old controls are probably a bit sloppier than the new Wood River.

FWIW, I think my LN iron 4.5 came oiled up. Your #4 was bronze which doesn't need it on the body. Also, I got the 50 degree high angle frog on mine. If you do much figured wood planing consider one of those or the 55 degree frog.