Lie-Nielsen Toolworks

Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, Inc. is a family-owned business, established in 1981 and based in Warren, Maine. It manufactures a range of high quality hand tools, primarily for woodworking, based on traditional designs.[1] It is best known for its hand planes. Thomas Lie-Nielsen is the founder and CEO of Lie-Nielsen Toolworks.

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Construction
* 3 References
* 4 External links

## History[edit]

In the late 1970s, Thomas Lie-Nielsen (pronounced "Lee-Neelsen"[2]) worked for Garry Chinn's company, Garrett Wade. In 1981, Garrett Wade's supplier of an adapted Stanley #95 edge trimming block plane, Ken Wisner, was ready to leave the business, so Lie-Nielsen acquired the tooling, plans and components necessary for producing the #95.[3]

Lie-Nielsen moved from New York to a farm in West Rockport, Maine, and began production of the plane in a tiny back-yard shed. The first of the new planes was delivered to Chinn in the autumn of 1981.[3]

A few years later, Lie-Nielsen moved into a 384-square-foot (35.7 m2) workshop on the farm, and started production on his second plane, the skew-angle block plane. In 1988, as business grew, Lie-Nielsen bought an 8,000-square-foot (740 m2) building in the town of Warren, Maine, which the company still occupies. In the mid-1990s, Lie-Nielsen moved the entire production to a 13,000-square-foot (1,200 m2) facility.[3]

Today, the Lie-Nielsen Toolworks products compete with mass-produced tools from companies such as Stanley and Record, with sales in the order of 20,000 tools a year.[3] The acquisition of the Independence Tool Co. in 1998 added hand saws to the product line, which has further expanded over the years to include over 50 different models of planes, in addition to spokeshaves, socket chisels, screwdrivers, marking and measuring devices and workbench hardware.

## Construction[edit]

Lie-Nielsen uses manganese bronze and ductile iron castings, and cryogenically treated A-2 steel.

Manganese bronze, a very hard, strong alloy, is the material of choice for Lie-Nielsen tools because it is heavier than iron, doesn't rust, and won't crack if dropped. Where the use of bronze would result in excessive weight in a tool, ductile iron is used instead.

Lie-Nielsen products are expensive when compared to the mass-produced items from the likes of Stanley and Record, but these higher prices are often defended by comparing them with the prices paid 100 years ago for such tools as Norris infill planes, which could cost up to "a couple of weeks' wages".[4]

## References[edit]

1. ^ Garrett Hack and John S. Sheldon. The Handplane Book. Taunton Press: Newtown, CT. 2003. 236-239 ISBN 1561587125
2. ^ Lie-Nielsen's FAQ page
3. ^ a b c d Furniture & Cabinetmaking issue 63, Lie-Nielsen Feature.
4. ^ Quote from Gerry Chinn in the F&C feature

## External links[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Hand tool manufacturers

Current|

* Apex Tool Group
* Allen
* Armstrong Tools
* Crescent
* Diamond
* K-D Tools
* Lufkin
* Nicholson
* Plumb
* SATA Tools
* Wiss
* Xcelite
* Beta Utensili
* Bondhus
* Buck Bros.
* Channellock
* Cornwell Tools
* DASCO PRO, INC.
* Digitool Solutions
* Disston Saw Works
* EGA Master
* Eklind
* Emerson
* Ridgid
* Empire Level
* Estwing
* Felo
* FEW
* Fiskars
* Gerber
* Footprint Tools
* Gardner Bender
* Gedore
* Gray Tools
* Dynamic Tools
* Great Neck Saw
* Hazet
* Hans tools
* Heyco
* Ideal Industries
* Pratt-Read
* SK Hand Tools
* iFixit
* IMPERIAL-Newton Corp
* King Tony Tools
* Klein Tools
* Knipex
* KUKKO
* Leatherman
* Lie-Nielsen Toolworks
* Lisle Corporation
* Lowell Corporation
* M7 Mighty-Seven
* Matco Tools
* Martin Tool & Forge
* Maun Industries
* Mondial
* Mountz Inc
* Norbar Torque
* OTC
* Park Tool
* PB Swiss Tools
* Saltus
* Sandvik
* Senco
* Snap-on
* Bahco
* CDI Torque Products
* Williams
* Stahlwille
* SOG
* Stanley Black & Decker
* Blackhawk
* Bostitch
* Craftsman
* DeWalt
* Irwin
* Lenox
* Mac Tools
* Proto
* Sidchrome
* Stanley Hand Tools
* Stubai
* Textron
* Greenlee
* Klauke
* Paladin Tools
* Techtronic Industries
* Milwaukee
* Thorsen Manufacturing
* Tomé Fèteira
* Toptul
* Torque-Tech
* Unior
* Vaughan
* Victorinox
* Wenger
* Wera Tools
* Wescott
* Westward Tools
* Wiha Tools
* Witte Tools
* Wright Tool

Historic|

* Coes Wrench Company
* Easco Hand Tools
* Forest City Screwdriver and Drill Company
* Goodell-Pratt
* Hinsdale
* Holtzapffel
* Indestro
* Mathieson
* McKaig-Hatch
* Millers Falls
* New Britain Machine Company
* Norris
* North Brothers Manufacturing Company
* Preston
* H. D. Smith & Co.
* Stewart Spiers
* Utica Tools
* Bonney Forge
* Herbrand
* Vlchek
* Western Forge

House brands|

* Ace Hardware
* Ace Tools
* AutoZone
* Duralast
* Blain's Farm and Fleet
* Duracraft
* Canadian Tire
* Mastercraft
* Grainger
* Westward
* Harbor Freight Tools
* Pittsburgh and others
* The Home Depot
* Husky
* Lee Valley
* Veritas
* Lowe's
* Kobalt
* Menards
* Masterforce
* Montgomery Ward
* PowrKraft

* v
* t
* e

Woodworking

Overviews|

* History
* Glossary
* Wood (lumber)

Occupations|

* Boat building
* Bow and arrow
* Bush carpentry
* Cabinetry
* Caning
* Carpentry
* Certosina
* Chainsaw carving
* Chip carving
* Clogs
* Ébéniste
* Fretwork
* Intarsia
* Japanese carpentry
* Khatam
* Kohlrosing
* Log building
* Marquetry
* Millwork
* Parquetry
* Pyrography
* Relief carving
* Root carving
* Sawdust
* Segmented turning
* Shingle weaving
* Shipbuilding
* Spindle turning
* Timber framing
* Treen
* Whittling
* Wood carving
* Woodturning
* Wood flour

Woods|

| Soft|

* Cedar (Calocedrus, Cedrus)
* Cypress
* Douglas-fir
* Fir
* Juniper
* Larch
* Kauri
* Pine
* Rimu
* Spruce
* Yew

|

Hard|

* Afromosia
* Alder
* Andiroba
* Anigre
* Ash
* Apple
* Aspen
* Avodire
* Balsa
* Beech
* Bilinga
* Birch
* African Blackwood
* Australian Blackwood
* Boxwood
* Bubinga
* Camphor
* Cedrela
* Cherry
* Chestnut
* Cocobolo
* Cumaru
* Ebony
* Elm
* Eucalyptus
* Hazel
* Hickory
* Hornbeam
* Idigbo
* Imbuia
* Ipê
* Iroko
* Jarrah
* Jelutong
* Lignum vitae
* Linden (lime, basswood)
* Lovoa
* Merbau
* Mahogany (American, African)
* Maple
* Meranti
* Oak
* Padauk
* Pear
* Plum
* Poplar
* Purpleheart
* Ovankol
* Ramin
* Red Quebracho
* Rosewood
* Rubberwood
* Sapele
* Teak
* Totara
* Utile
* Walnut
* Wenge
* Willow
* Zebrano

Engineered|

* Cross-laminated
* Glue laminated
* Hardboard
* MDF
* OSB
* Particle board
* Plywood
* Wood-plastic composite

Tools|

* Abrasives
* Axe
* Adze
* Burnisher
* Chisel
* Drawknife
* Drill
* Fence
* Float
* Gimlet
* Gauge
* Impact driver
* Janka hardness test
* Jointer
* Mallet
* Milling machine
* Mitre box
* Rasp
* Router
* Shaper
* Sandpaper
* Square (Carpenters, Combination, Miter, Speed, Try)
* Thickness planer
* Timber-framing
* Veneer hammer
* Vise
* Warrington hammer
* Winding sticks
* Wood scribe
* Workbench

Clamps|

* Band clamp
* C-clamp
* F-clamp
* Flooring clamp
* Gripe
* Holdfast
* Mitre clamp
* Pipe clamp

Saws|

* Backsaw
* Bandsaw
* Bow
* Bucksaw
* Chainsaw
* Circular
* Compass
* Coping
* Crosscut
* Frame
* Fretsaw
* Hand saw
* Jigsaw
* Keyhole
* Miter
* Ripsaw
* Scroll
* Table
* Veneer
* Whipsaw

Planes|

* Bedrock plane
* Block plane
* Chamfer plane
* Compass plane
* Finger plane
* Fore plane
* Grooving plane
* Jack plane
* Japanese plane
* Jointer plane
* Moulding plane
* Razee plane
* Rebate plane
* Router plane
* Scrub plane
* Shoulder plane
* Smoothing plane
* Spokeshave
* Surform

Geometry|

| Joints|

* Birdsmouth
* Biscuit
* Box
* Bridle
* Butt
* Butterfly
* Coping
* Crown of thorns
* Dado
* Dovetail
* Finger
* Groove
* Halved
* Hammer-headed tenon
* Knee
* Lap
* Mason's mitre
* Miter
* Mortise and tenon
* Rabbet/Rebate
* Scarf
* Splice
* Tongue and groove

|

Profiles|

* Bead
* Bevel
* Chamfer
* Ogee
* Ogive
* Ovolo

Surface piecing|

* Binding
* Edge banding
* Intarsia
* Marquetry
* Oystering
* Parquetry
* Purfling

Treatments|

* Adhesive
* French polish
* Heat bending
* Lacquer
* Oil
* Paint
* Paint stripper
* Steam bending
* Thermal
* Varnish
* Wax
* Wood drying
* Wood preservation
* Wood stain
* Wood finishing

Organizations|

* American Association of Woodturners
* Architectural Woodwork Institute
* British Woodworking Federation
* Building and Wood Workers' International
* Caricature Carvers of America
* International Federation of Building and Wood Workers
* National Wood Carvers Association
* Society of Wood Engravers
* Timber Framers Guild

Conversion|

* Chainsaw mill
* Hewing
* Sawmill
* Whipsaw
* Wood splitting
* Flat sawing
* Quarter sawing
* Rift sawing

Techniques|

* Frame and panel
* Frameless construction

* Category
* WikiProject
* Commons

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template