Medium or large shoulder plane

[David]

Hi

I'm partway through a project with more mortise and tenons than I've had to make before, and was thinking this might be an excuse to get the shoulder plane I thought I always wanted. After reviewing some magazines and the wreck archives, it seem hard to go wrong with a Veritas plane.

My question is medium or large. Prices aren't too far apart. For this project, most of the tenons are 3/4" long and about an inch wide, but who knows what the next project will be. Is there a downside or upside to the larger plane? Can these planes be put into occasional service as a low angle block plane (I have a standard angle one)? Unfortunately, I have no way to see them up close or try one out before buying.

As always, thanks in advance for your advice.

David

[charlieb]

I've got the Veritas Medium shoulder plane and the Clifton 311 which is more of a full size shoulder plane. If I didn't have the Clifton I'd probably get the Veritas full size. The medium sp has a 1/2" iron, the full size

3/4". If you're doing tenons, which are typically 3/4" or longer, that extra 1/4" is real handy. The Veritas full sized sp has two variable position knobs so you can use it on its side with a shooting board. Kind of nice to fine tune a mitered corner - without plonking out BIG BUCKS for the LN plane made specifically for that purpose.

If it were me, I'd go with the full sized Veritas.

charlie b

[George]

Why not get the LN rabbet block and LV medium shoulder combination I have? the shoulder is used mostly to shoulder, the rabbet block to face the tenon. It's also a block plane with a hefty iron.

Only downside to the large is that most of your dadoes are going to be crowded with that 3/4" blade, while the 1/2" will bottom.

[Andy]

I have the medium, which is about 3/4" wide (website says 11/16"). I've been very happy with it! Only thing it's not perfect for is trimming the cheeks of longer tenons - I've managed just fine with a chisel, but the rabbet block plane idea from another poster sounds like a good one. I haven't had any instances yet where the medium has been too small and where the large would have been OK (i.e. if the tenon cheek is too long for the medium, it was too long for the large also). The medium is quite a bit lighter too, though it still feels very solid, I imagine it'd be more comfortable to use.

If you're really not sure, order both, and return the one that isn't quite as perfect for you. (I was going to say return the one you don't like, but I think that's unlikely...) Anyway, you'd pay the same shipping for your order, and you'd only lose the cost of return shipping (

[Mark & Juanita]

One consideration might be how big your hands are. I have the medium (LN, but brand is really not the issue) and it seems plenty big enough. I can hold and use it with one hand while holding the workpiece on a bench-hook with the other. Would probably not be able to do that with a large shoulder plane.

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

[David]

Just a note to thank you for the advice. The diversity of opinion makes me feel that a truly poor choice will be hard to make. I don't have particularly large hands, and may prefer something that works one-handed (at the same time, leaving room on the shelf for that rabbet block plane!) Then again, ordering both doesn't sound like a bad idea. . .

David

David wrote: