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Lie Nielsen tools: a waste of money?   You are logged in as Guest
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[Poll]

Lie Nielsen tools: a waste of money?
YES, Lie Nielsen tools ARE worth the extra money!
  28% (2)
NO, Lie Nielsen tools are NOT worth the extra money
  57% (4)
Lie Nielsen tools are only worth buying if you are a professional
  14% (1)
Lie Nielsen tools are for "Luthiery Posers"
  0% (0)


Total Votes : 7
(last vote on : Jan. 30 2010 13:04:53) 
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JBASHORUN

Posts: 1839
Joined: Jan. 23 2005
 

Lie Nielsen tools: a waste of money? 
I've heard a few people go on about Lie Nielsen tools... particularly their planes. Some people think they are the best tool for the job, whereas other people I've spoken to think they are over-priced and a waste of money. I'm not sure what I believe, because I've never been able to afford one! But I just thought I'd ask any luthiers or wannabe luthiers out there who may have tried them what they think. Is it worth investing in a Lie Nielsen tool, when I can buy an equivalent plane/scraper/etc for less money?

Picture is a LN adjustable mouth Block Plane... prices start at $150 for those:



http://www.lie-nielsen.com/

Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 13 2007 16:47:02

stephen hill

 

Posts: 300
Joined: Feb. 16 2004
From: La Herradura, Granada, Spain

RE: Lie Nielsen tools: a waste of money? (in reply to JBASHORUN) 
I have a lie neilson plane the same as the one in the pic. Heavy little plane. I like it in very accurate work but often use a record block plane as they are easier to hold and work great if the blade is sharpened well.
I was given mine by one of my ex students so I didnt have to buy it!
A great alternative are the ones from clifton (uk)
http://www.axminster.co.uk/category-Planes--Clifton-207707.htm
these are really nice say jack plane. Find someone to give you one as a birthday present!

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stephen hill - granada spain
http://www.spanishguitars.co.uk
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 13 2007 18:24:10
 
Per Hallgren

 

Posts: 241
Joined: Jul. 1 2006
From: Sweden

RE: Lie Nielsen tools: a waste of money? (in reply to JBASHORUN) 
I agree with Stephen. Lie Nielsen is nice but not essential. For the #4 smoothing plane ,for example, I prefer the Clifton. One draw back with the lie nielsen block planes is that you have very little adjusting sideways of the blade.
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 13 2007 21:14:10
 
r0bbie

 

Posts: 160
Joined: Feb. 11 2007
From: Holland

RE: Lie Nielsen tools: a waste of money? (in reply to JBASHORUN) 
I dont have a Nielsen plane and never tried one so I don't know about the quality of the planing itself, but they are very expensive.

If you compare the weight of the plane to a car, I think the Nielsen tools are way overpriced! Say a plane is 1,5 kg and you pay 150$ for it... that is 100$ per kg. Now suppose you have a car that is 1200 kg times 100$ = 120.000$

Geee... that would be a nice car!
And they did not do a crashtest with the plane, no engine engineering, wind tunnels, baring testing, roadtesting, durability tests and so on and so on....

Yes, the steel they use might be better but still... I think a simple stanley plane which costs 40$ is not so much worse to justify the price difference.

My girlfriend knows someone who trades horses for a living and got rich with it, he said, if you have a horse that is not bad but not the best, ask a LOT of money... people will pay because it is expensive so it must be good!

I think the same go's for guitars and planes, if you have a good guitar or plane, make it expensive, a lot will buy it because it must be good.

Heeeyyy... my girlfriend is expensive.. so she must be..... Stop Robbie!

Rob.

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 14 2007 0:21:30

stephen hill

 

Posts: 300
Joined: Feb. 16 2004
From: La Herradura, Granada, Spain

RE: Lie Nielsen tools: a waste of money? (in reply to JBASHORUN) 
regarding the poll, if I say yes to lie nielson planes are for luthier posers does that make me a poser because I have one?

Ah, one point, I find the steel can get to a great edge but loses it quite fast.

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stephen hill - granada spain
http://www.spanishguitars.co.uk
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 14 2007 7:52:14

JBASHORUN

Posts: 1839
Joined: Jan. 23 2005
 

RE: Lie Nielsen tools: a waste of money? (in reply to stephen hill) 
quote:

regarding the poll, if I say yes to lie nielson planes are for luthier posers does that make me a poser because I have one?


I guess not, because you didn't buy yours, but rather received it as a gift.

But interestingly, the majority of people who voted thought they were NOT worth the extra money!

Jb

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¡Si esto no está en compas, esto no es el Flamenco!
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 14 2007 10:04:30

JBASHORUN

Posts: 1839
Joined: Jan. 23 2005
 

RE: Lie Nielsen tools: a waste of money? (in reply to JBASHORUN) 
Rob, one other point: I was told that on some Lie Nielsen planes there is no "slack" when you turn the wheel to adjust the plane blade. I know this is hardly essential, but some would consider it a time-saving design feature.

Jb

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 14 2007 10:34:13
 
Doitsujin

Posts: 5078
Joined: Apr. 10 2005
 

RE: Lie Nielsen tools: a waste of money? (in reply to JBASHORUN) 
40 years ago they builded perfect guitars. And? Did they need these expensive tools? No.
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 14 2007 10:46:50
 
aarongreen

 

Posts: 367
Joined: Jan. 16 2004
 

RE: Lie Nielsen tools: a waste of money? (in reply to JBASHORUN) 
Well they don't make them like they used too either. Tools that is. I have a drill press made by Craftsman almost 80 years ago. It's alot beefier than what you see today unless you spend major bucks. I happen to like my Lie Nielson planes, I have four of them. I also have an old (also at least 80 yrs old) Stanley jointer plane that is every bit as good, it's the old planes that Lie Nielson is based on, making them like they used to. I have an old compass plane, probably between 100 and 150 years old, that I have used in furniture projects, although have yet to find out how to use it in Lutherie. It's a work of art, geared adjustments for the sole. I have seen similar ones going for many hundreds of dollars, sometimes upward of a thousand at auctions. Of course I didn't pay that.:)

I think the bigger issue is what does it take for you to enjoy your work or hobby? I personally like nice tools that are well made. It makes my life easier and adds lots of pleasure to my task. Someone else might be more than satisfied with cheap tools but I know for a fact that to get them to work at the level we need them to work at, you'll spend an aweful lot of time truing them up. I'd rather work on guitars.
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 14 2007 13:51:36
 
Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006
 

RE: Lie Nielsen tools: a waste of money? (in reply to JBASHORUN) 
I agree with Aaron. Its nice with some nice tools. And if Lie Nielsen is what turns you on... Then go for it. They will last the rest of your life...

If they are nescessary to build good instruments.... No way. Any good plane will do.. BUT more important is to know how to sharpen and how to set up a plane, a chisel etc.

I personally dont like metalplanes very much . My favorite plane is chineese, its cheap, its extremely beautifull, made out of Macassar ebony. It really works well if you know how to set up planes without adjustment screws.



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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 14 2007 15:43:04

stephen hill

 

Posts: 300
Joined: Feb. 16 2004
From: La Herradura, Granada, Spain

RE: Lie Nielsen tools: a waste of money? (in reply to Anders Eliasson) 
anders, is that a chinese plane or a japanese?

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stephen hill - granada spain
http://www.spanishguitars.co.uk
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 14 2007 16:32:50

stephen hill

 

Posts: 300
Joined: Feb. 16 2004
From: La Herradura, Granada, Spain

RE: Lie Nielsen tools: a waste of money? (in reply to aarongreen) 
Aaron, I had a compass plane once, I used it curve back bars and to make curved jigs.. very nice but I had to give it back.

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stephen hill - granada spain
http://www.spanishguitars.co.uk
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 14 2007 16:34:05
 
Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006
 

RE: Lie Nielsen tools: a waste of money? (in reply to JBASHORUN) 
Stephen. Its a chineese plane. HSS steel blade in the middle of the plane, meaning its supposed to be used both ways. Its really nice. 44 euros at this place ( DIC* ) that you cannot write on foroflamenco

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 14 2007 18:10:44
 
r0bbie

 

Posts: 160
Joined: Feb. 11 2007
From: Holland

RE: Lie Nielsen tools: a waste of money? (in reply to JBASHORUN) 
quote:

Rob, one other point: I was told that on some Lie Nielsen planes there is no "slack" when you turn the wheel to adjust the plane blade. I know this is hardly essential, but some would consider it a time-saving design feature.


Maybe not essential but I think it would help, one thing I dont like about my plane is just that what you mention.

But I think if I would start building for a living I would buy one that is good, then the price does not matter that much. They last a lifetime and being botherd while adjusting the plane for the rest of your life is a much bigger price.

I work with tools every day and non professional tools can be very annoying, they go blunt, break off and get you in to danger. So buy what you think is best.
Whats a 100$ in a 40 year...

Rob.

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 14 2007 19:45:28
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