4 1/2 Smoother

[Smoothjazz077]

I own a decent set of hand planes, and I was recently talking with a fellow woodworker about planes, and we got on the subject of the 4 1/2 bench plane. It seems that a lot of hand tool woodworkers are split on their opinion on the use and need of this plane. I do most to all of my smoothing with my #4 and #3, and plan on using my LA Jack, with a 38 degree blade as well when the need arises. The 4 1/2's on Ebay aren't cheap, and I know LV and LN make a beautiful version of this plane. I am curious on what other woodworkers think about this plane, and is it really worth the money? Is there that much of a difference to a #4?

[AHill]

You are correct about different camps on a 4-1/2. I have a LN 4.5 with a high angle frog. It's just too much to push, even when taking very small bites. Therefore, it doesn't get very much use. I am considering buying a regular 45 deg frog for it and selling the HAF. I may have more use for it after that.

[Peter Tremblay]

When it comes to bench planes I have found that I tend to reach for the smallest tool that will do the job.

I have a small infill (that I built) and I use that thing all the time for smoothing.

It's a joy for most everything except larger panels.

So I tend to reach for a #4 sized plane when smoothing larger things.

I do not like a 4 1/2. It just seems too big.

[Scoony]

I picked up a beater 4 1/2. Sent it off to Tablesaw Tom for a grinding. Got it back and put it back together. It looks great, and is flat and square. No complaints and it is now one of my nicer vintage Stanleys.

I was smoothing a few cherry panels that I had glued together for a project. Decided to try out that 4 1/2. Worked really nice, but for some reason I kind of wished I was using my #5 or a #4. That extra width really wasn't helping much.

I think I will continue to use it with Walnut, and Poplar, but for Maple and Cherry, I will be picking up a 4 or 5.

[Smoothjazz077]

I have never used a 4 1/2, but I have heard that it is a bit heavier than the #4. I agree with you, that I find myself reaching for my smaller smoother more often than the #4. I guess it is all personal preference.

[RLMillard]

Smoothjazz077,

I made a wooden smoother with a high angle frog and a 3/16" A-2 iron. It worked very well, but I found I prefer a heavier smoother. I thought about a vintage Bailey/Stanley but opted for a LN with the then highest angle frog (50 degrees). I use it every day. If you work mostly in hardwoods, I recommend the 50 degree frog (York pitch) I tried the 55 degree frog (Middle pitch) but found it indistinguishable from the York. The higher angle frogs do not seem well suited for soft woods. It works okay, but leaves a less polished surface than the standard 45 degree frog.
A fellow woodworkers has a WoodRiver 4 1/2, and while it lacks the higher pitch frog options, it is a nice plane at an attractive price. If I didn't already have the LN, I'd consider the WoodRiver and just put a back bevel on the iron for working in reversing grain.

Rob Millard
www.americanfederalperiod.com

[Bibliophile 13]

I have a vintage Stanley 4 1/2, and I really prefer it to a 4. For one, I like the extra mass when smoothing. I don't get fatigued because I really don't use it for long periods of time (as I do with a jack and a jointer). Just a few passes and a board is smoothed.

Because I camber my iron slightly, I never use the full width of the smoothing plane's iron. If I do that on a 4, I don't get a very wide shaving. With the wider 4 1/2, I get a wider shaving, and I have to take fewer passes to smooth a board.

But it really is a personal preference. The question to ask yourself, I think, is whether you tend to prefer your tools on the larger side or the smaller side. If you like other bigger tools, then the 4 1/2 is probably for you. I like a 20 oz. claw hammer, an 8-lb. sledge, and a 4 1/2 smoother. (Not usually on the same project.) But if, like many woodworkers, you prefer tools on the smaller side, then stick with a 4 or even a 3 as a smoother.

[Timberwolf]

Mathieson....

[amtc]

I have a LN 4 1/2 with a 45 degree frog. The plane never leaves the top of my bench. Its like a 57 chevy, a true classic!

I had a LN bronze #4. Beautiful tool but I sold it as I just didn't use it that much. If my 4 1/2 was bronze I would be very happy!

[Handplanesandmore]

If you already have the #4, there is no NEED for a #4 1/2. But if you want to have it to complement your#4, there is no short-term harm getting it.

From a functional point for 99% of woodworkers, a #4 1/2 doesn't offer anything that your #4 doesn't.

Simon