New Gets

I've worked a number of Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Events over the past two seasons, and at the last show I cashed in part of my tool credit. On Thursday I took delivery of two large boxes.



Inside I found an 8C.



A 6C.



A 4 1/2C.



I ordered the smoother with a 55° frog.



All three I had corrugated, and I freely admit I did that mostly for the looks.



I spent ten minutes honing, this curly soft maple was no challenge.



I also received a 9, which I think I will really enjoy owning. My short time with this miter plane has revealed it to be extremely versatile, good for not only shooting end grain but also for working long grain. It's surprisingly comfortable, and the extended sole makes me confident in its registration. It comes with the hotdog auxiliary handle, but I requested mine to be drilled and tapped for the side knob as well. Somehow I was sent two side knobs instead of one. I have them both installed for the photo, but as the second will make shooting impossible it is redundant.



I got a fifth plane, the 40B. It's used for cutting the mortise to let in butt hinges.



I also picked up a saw, a 16" rip tenon. I've done very little in the way of cutting tenons by hand, and I look forward to picking up the skill.



I've pretty much finished out my hammer drawer with these two, in brass for adjusting plane blades, and in steel for driving small brads.



I also got a Glen-Drake Tite-Mark, I've had one of these on my wish list for a long, long time. The finest marking gauge I've ever used, easy one handed use and looks that don't quit.



A Lie-Nielsen Panel Gauge was also in the box. These come oiled, I prefer a lacquer finish on my tools. I shot this one on Saturday, that and a coat of wax improved it's looks, action, and resistance to filth from my grubby hands.



If you haven't had a chance to handle a LN socket chisel I highly recommend them. I'll sit on the sofa just rolling them around in my hand they feel so good. I got a 1/8" and a 1", now I need to work on getting the 1/16" increments to finish up my set. These are the only tools I purchased without the cocobolo upgrade, hornbeam is the better choice for mallet work.



I did order a set of LN screwdrivers in cocobolo. Unfortunately they are on back order, however I did get a cocobolo handled countersink. It's a nice hint at exciting things to come.



I also got a key fob and a pair of rulers, one for measuring, the other for the ruler trick.



I'm a member in a local woodworker group, and I'm hosting the next meeting tomorrow. Not only do I get to show off my new toys, I get to open the beers in style with this classy lady.



You can expect to see in-depth posts on some of these tools in the near future, Constant Reader. Hopefully I'll have a real camera, I love my iPhone but it doesn't do cocobolo and brass justice. In the meantime I'll be hard at work trying to wipe the silly smile off my face.