Lie Nielsen 073 Plane Review By: I.Ball
Category: Shoulder Planes
Extra Info: What is a Shoulder Plane? Shoulder Plane Videos
Manufacturer: Lie Nielsen
Plane Type: Shoulder Rebate
Model No: 073
This Lie Nielsen shoulder plane review discusses the three different sized Lie Nielsen shoulder planes. The review includes lots of information and photos about the shoulder planes.
The three sizes of Lie Nielsen shoulder planes are classed as:
- Small
- Medium
- Large
All three shoulder planes are based upon the old popular
Record 073 shoulder plane
design.
These shoulder planes are each made with a stress relieved ductile iron adjustable
body and fitted with a lever cap, plane blade and fine blade
adjustment mechanism.
The planes are also each fitted with a shouldered, bevel edged cutter / blade which spans
the full width of the body; it actually sits a fraction wider then the body.
The
cutter / blade is placed in position with the bevel facing upwards, also referred
to as 'bevel-up'.
The plane cutter / blade is made from A2 tool steel which has been cryogenically
treated. This treatment ensures the plane blade holds a good edge for a longer time
than most lower-cost plane blades.
The cutter / blade is secured in position with the use of the Manganese bronze
lever cap. The lever cap is secured / released by turning the wheel nut located
on the underside of the lever cap.
The very top of the plane cutter / blade locates with the fine blade adjustment
mechanism's collet / nut at the rear of the plane. Once located, the collet / nut
adjusts the cutter / blade upwards and downwards very smoothly when turned to set
the depth of cut.
Note: ensure to loosen the lever cap before making blade adjustments to avoid damaging
the plane.
It goes without saying that the body is ground flat and square.
The body has a curved window running through the body at the cutting area.
The reason
for this is: so the cutter can span the full width of the plane in order for the
plane to cut right into the corners, so the shavings will curl and flow out of the
sides with ease in order to help prevent the shavings jamming, and to a certain
extent to help make it easier to see the position of the blade and the cutting area.
Adjusting The Mouth:
The mouth of the Lie Nielsen 073 plane is adjusted by firstly
loosening the locking-screw located on top of the plane at the front-end above the
nose. The locking screw is loosened using a flat head screwdriver.
The mouth can then be adjusted by turning the mouth adjusting screw located at the
very front of the plane on the nose. The mouth screw is also adjusted using a flat head
screwdriver.
The locking screw should then be tightened once the required mouth width is found.
Note: be careful not to adjust the mouth so it runs into the plane blade
The Lie Nielsen shoulder planes are each supplied in a Lie Nielsen cardboard box
and are designed to be ready for use straight from the box (minor adjustments may
be needed to suit individuals preferences).
* Important: please refer to the 'disclaimer' at the foot of this review.
* Wearing safety clothing and eye protection is usually a good idea to help protect against injury.
- The blade(s)/cutter(s) is very sharp, take suitable precautions when using/handling/storing
the plane/cutter(s) to prevent injury.
- Failure to loosen parts when making adjustments to the plane can result in damage
to the plane such as cross-threading screw threads. Never force a part to move.
- Overtightening parts can cause damage to the plane and the plane threads.
The Lie Nielsen small shoulder plane is very similar in size to the
Record 041 plane
while being a small version of the
Record 073 plane.
The small Lie Nielsen shoulder plane is 146mm (5 3/4 inch) long, 16mm (5/8 inch)
wide and weighs in at approximately 610 grams (1.35 lbs).
The small shoulder plane
cutter is also 16mm (5/8 inch) wide and is 3.5mm thick.
The cutter is actually a fraction wider than the plane body to ensure the best cuts
are acheived.
Lie Nielsen 073 Small Shoulder Plane Dimensions
Length: 146mm (5 3/4 inch)
Width: 16mm (5/8 inch)
Lie Nielsen 073 Small Shoulder Plane Blade / Cutter
Width (bottom): 16mm (5/8 inch)
Thickness: 3.5mm (1/8 inch)
The Lie Nielsen medium should plane is slightly longer and a little bit wider than
the small shoulder plane version.
The medium version is similar in size to the
old Record 042 shoulder plane
with the features of the
Record 073 plane.
The medium Lie Nielsen shoulder plane is 196mm (7 3/4 inch) long, 19mm (3/4 inch)
wide and weighs in at approximately 1.07 kg (2.35 lbs).
The medium shoulder plane cutter is also 19mm (3/4 inch) wide and is 3.5mm thick.
The cutter is actually a fraction wider than the plane body to ensure the best cuts
are acheived.
Lie Nielsen 073 Medium Shoulder Plane Dimensions
Length: 196mm (7 3/4 inch)
Width: 19mm (3/4 inch)
Lie Nielsen 073 Medium Shoulder Plane Blade / Cutter
Width (bottom): 19mm (3/4 inch)
Thickness: 3.5mm (1/8 inch)
The large Lie Nielsen shoulder plane is substantially bigger than the medium shoulder
plane version, weighing towards double the weight 1.81 kg (4 lbs) and being 13mm (1/2 inch)
wider.
The large Lie Nielsen shoulder plane is 209mm (8 1/4 inch) long, 32mm (1 1/4 inch)
wide and weighs in at approximately 1.81 kg (4 lbs).
The medium shoulder plane cutter is also 32mm (1 1/4 inch) wide and is 3.5mm thick.
The cutter is actually a fraction wider than the plane body to ensure the best cuts
are acheived.
The large Lie Nielsen plane is heavily based upon the
old popular
Record 073 shoulder plane
with the length, width and weight being the same.
For this reason this plane is often referred to as the Lie Nielsen 073 shoulder plane.
Lie Nielsen 073 Large Shoulder Plane Dimensions
Length: 209mm (8 1/4 inch)
Width: 32mm (1 1/4 inch)
Lie Nielsen 073 Large Shoulder Plane Blade / Cutter
Width (bottom): 32mm (1 1/4 inch)
Thickness: 3.5mm (1/8 inch)
Body: stress relieved ductile iron
Lever cap: manganese bronze
Plane finish: bright ground
Cutter Bed: 18 degrees
Overall Cutting Angle: 43 degrees
Lie Nielsen 073 Plane Blade / Cutter
Material: High Quality Oil Hardened Tool Steel
Hardness: 59-61 Rockwell 'C'
Cutting Edge Grind: 25 degrees
Width (bottom): 18mm (11/16 inch)
Top Of Blade Shape: Squared, with open window slot
Lie Nielsen 073 Plane Markings
"Lie Nielsen USA" - found on both sides of the plane in the black/dark grey area.
Width: 18mm (11/16 inch)
Length: 138mm (5 1/2 inch)
2004 - Today
Lie Nielsen 073 rabbet plane
Lie Nielsen 073 shoulder rabbet plane
....
Do you have a question/answer or something to share about this tool?
Please Contact Us
- Lie-Nielsen Tool Works Inc.
(i) Please always refer to and follow the manufacturer's instructions / guidelines /
safety notices / cautions and similar notices as the manufacturer's instructions
may contain important information on safety, personal safety and the good health of your tool,
something to which this review's scope does not guarantee to extend to.
(ii) This review may give warning(s) / advisory notes / cautions / guidelines given
in good faith however any such information should not be solely relied upon and should not be seen
as the exhaustive list of warnings / advisory notes / cautions / guidelines.
Refer to disclaimer note (i) for information on safety, as well as the
good health of your tool.
In addition refer to good safety practices for the safety of you and others. Refer to good practices
for the good health of your tool and property.
(iii) The details here are given in good faith, there is scope for error and shouldn't
be fully relied upon, please be aware the details may also become out of date due to manufacturer
changes to the product, please confirm any details for yourself by performing additional
research from reliable sources.
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