Is there a trick to the LN 62 (LAJ)

[Bibliophile 13]

I'm sure that LN would be willing to loosen it for you, if you're willing to send it to them. They routinely recondition the tools they sell. It's part of what you pay a premium for.

[MattP]

I'm sure that LN would be willing to loosen it for you, if you're willing to send it to them.  They routinely recondition the tools they sell.  It's part of what you pay a premium for.

Yes, I expected that. I've already heard back from them. They gave me the same instructions as Bill, unfortunately, and then told me to send it back to them if I was uncomfortable trying to unstick it myself. I've had good experience with LN customer service in the past, so I knew they'd come through again, and they have. So now I'm off to the store for some liquid wrench to see if that helps unstick the shoe.

[DaveBeauchesne]

Matt:

While saturated in penetrating oil, I would get it good and hot with a hot air gun - In my job, I am always in-sticking things - some heat may help. ANNNND, you may be amazed how small a spot of rust can cause just what you describe.

Good luck -

Dave B

[MattP]

Yeah, it got bonded and fixed in place over time. Bill's advice is spot on. WD 40 does you no good at all, so get yourself some penetrating oil like liquid wrench or PB blaster.  If you've taken off the knob and adjuster, fill up the recess and let it sit overnight, try some more tapping, and if no joy, fill 're up again then try tapping again. Repeat until success, it will eventually loosen up. Patience is your friend. I would not under any circumstances use heat to break the bond. 

I've never had a LN with this issue, but untold numbers of block planes, and this has worked for me. Also, the LN is ductile iron, much, much less likely to fracture during this process. Alternative is to send off to LN for repair, which they will be happy to do.

I sprayed it with liquid wrench when I got home from "work" last night and it easily tapped free this morning. That's the compartment for the adjustable shoe to the right in the picture. This relatively light film of rust was the culprit.

It's cleaned and waxed and good as new. Bill and Admiral, if you're ever in Vegas, the first beer is on me. Thanks for the help.

It must have been rusted in place for years. I have lived here in Vegas for five years, and rust simply isn't an issue in 7% humidity. Back east, though, in Virginia Beach, was basically like living underwater.
 guess I'll make a point of adjusting the plane mouth more than once a decade. 


Also, I thought this was a funny entry into the "your memory isn't as good as you think it is" files: If you had asked me any time in the last 7 or 8 years, I would have told you that back in 2006 or whenever, I had purchased the Veritas Low Angle Jack plane. I can't tell you how shocked and confused i was when I saw "Lie Nielsen" on the toe of this plane while I was trying to adjust the mouth. SMH, premature senility, I guess.

[Admiral]

Great news, good for you.  It don't take much rust to get stuck.  Now do some work with it!!  

[MattP]

Great news, good for you.  It don't take much rust to get stuck.  Now do some work with it!!  

This is what I was working on. It's the front face of a corner mount thingy for my TV to hang on. It's just cheap cedar from the orange big box. I used my LN 4 to cut the long grain chamfers, and was using the LN 62 to do the end grain chamfers. I had had it set for a fine cut, and wanted to open it up a bit, and that's when I found it stuck.

Also, although I suck at woodworking, I feel compelled to point out that the dark line in the top left of the panel is a dark streak in the wood, NOT a gap in my glue line.