Lie Nielsen No. 102 block plane
#31
You're right. I misspoke. It's a threaded adjuster with no lateral movement.
That brings up another issue. The other problem with this adjusting mechanism is that when you move the blade forward, it doesn't stay straight--the mechanism shifts it a little bit askew. You have to give it a little tap or push to straighten it out.
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#32
I have the same problem with mine too. I just live with it. I don't adjust it that much so I never bothered trying to improve it. In my opinion LN's low angle plane adjusters are inferior to LV's. My LV planes are smooth as silk. My LN 102 and low angle jack are rough.
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#33
Contact LN Australia (Henry Eckert). They sell adjusters that use bearings for the LN 60 1/2 (and I think that this will also fit the #62).

I have one. It transforms the #60 1/2.

Regards from Perth

Derek
Articles on furniture building, shop made tools and tool reviews at www.inthewoodshop.com
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#34
Are we talking an iron or bronze body plane? Can envision more issues with a metal body plane, but don't think Lie-Nielsen makes them in iron anymore?

Have an early model bronze and it's probably the easiest adjusting plane in my rack, and even though metal to bronze is a self lubricant, still give it a coat of wax.

Such a simple design, can't imagine a problem that's not self evident, like seeing a rub pattern on the blade or plane body, I would smoke the blade, install, run it back and forth, remove and look at the results.....then a little wet sanding with 1000 to 1500, and a thin coat of wax....


Andy
-- mos maiorum


-- mos maiorum
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#35
I don't think it's a problem with this particular plane. I think it's just a limitation of the design. My plane has a bronze body but the adjuster is a stainless steel nut that fits into (and turns in) a recess on the blade. Alas, Henry Eckert's improved ball-bearing adjuster for the 60 1/2 doesn't fit the LN102, and he hasn't yet made one for the 102. That would solve the problem.
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#36
Derek, is that adjuster available separately?  I see they sell a version of the plane with it included.  I remember you posted about it a couple of years ago.
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#37
Overland, you bring up the idea of the body material being a possible issue in the adjuster problem on the LN 102.  Most of the focus here has been on the adjuster nut binding in the groove on the back side of the blade.  What you mention may be a contributing factor, but it sounds like LN feels that the problem lies in the hardness of the blade steel.  In my case the iron body #102 plane is balky to adjust with any tension on the blade.  My adjustable mouth LN block plane (also iron, of course) can still be adjusted with moderate tension on the blade; using an almost identical style adjusting wheel.  What I would like to get to is reducing the friction at those points of contact.  A wax sounds like a good place to start, as opposed to wet lubricant that would run over the plane body and perhaps onto the work-piece.
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#38
You're right. That binding or friction is the problem. It's got nothing to do with the body of the plane. I'll put some wax in there to see if it helps. If you're trying to buy a Howard Adjuster for your LN 60 1/2, you should write to Mike Eckert. I do think he sells them, even though they're not listed on the Eckert Fine Tools web site.
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#39
In the shop today, grabbed the 102 and the 60-1/2 LN's and wiped them clean.  Applied paraffin canning wax to the mating surfaces of the adjuster and the blade-to-body contact areas.  With moderate tension on the spin wheel I found the blade adjust much improved on both planes.  I would not go with bee's wax as that can get sticky...just cheap canning wax (for plane bottoms too).  I like the results.
Yes
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#40
I use candles to wax, but again my bronze 102 is very easy to adjust, I can see an iron one being a little more difficult but with a bronze I'd be looking into that....

Andy


-- mos maiorum
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