Side shoulder planes

[David]

LV doesn't have one. Lie-Nielsen carries one for $185. Anyone here have one? If yes, please comment on it's usefulness. any other currently available side shoulder planes you know of?

Dave

[BillyBob]

I'm not sure what you are talking about. Do you mean a side rabbet plane?

Bob

[Andy]

Assuming you mean a side rabbet plane, there are a few currently available on ebay - search for Stanley 98 or 99. It looks like an interesting tool, but at the risk of exposing my ignorance, can you share what you intend to use it for? It seems like a shoulder plane or a chisel (cranked neck?) would accomplish the same thing if you're trying to clean up a rabbet - what am I missing? Thanks for enlightening me, Andy

[David]

doh! yes.

[David]

a tool for widening the rabbet, rather than cleaning out the bottom.

dave

[George]

So what exactly is unclear in your mind? The write-up says it all. The alternative is to adjust the thickness of the tenon which goes into the dado. You do shoulder as a matter of course for rack resistance, don't you? LV makes a nice shoulder plane.

[Andy Dingley]

I've got an old Preston, the double sided version.

It's very little use. Of the few times it would have been useful, it was too wide to fit into the tiny groove I was working of. For bigger grooves (anything drawer-bottom sized) it's just easier to make the grrove fit in the first place, by having a properly ground iron in the #43.

The single-sided ones are awkward to sharpen and hard to adjust. The double sided ones are a nightmare to adjust ! Many people reckon you can't ever adjust both sides to cut well simultaneously.

I think it might have some use for on-site fitting work, easing already-made pieces that have stopped working owing to damp weather or whatever. As a tool for building with, it's of very little use. I certainly wouldn't pay $180 for one.

[David]

I have both their shoulder planes.

What's unclear is the design. The pictures are piss poor.

dave

[David]

thanks, Andy, that's the sort of input I was looking for. It sounds like a PITA.

Dave

[brian_j_roth]

Are you talking about the side rabbett plane set, or the skew block plane with the removable side?

I have the latter and use it all the time for trimming tenons and such. I like it and would buy it again.

[David]

side rabbet plane, Brian. I gave the wrong description initially.

Dave

[BillyBob]

don't be pedantic. The post turned about to be about a requirement that a shoulder plane will not accomplish. That's why I asked.

Bob

[BillyBob]

Note that the $185 price is for two planes - a left hand and right hand. I think they used to sell these individually, but apparently do not anymore. You may be able to find them individually at retail dealers.

In my view, its better to cut the dado or groove right to start with. This is fairly straighforward to do if you using a router or dado blade and you make test cuts first. I noted the post from someone who actually owns this type of plane and they did not recommend it. The fact that they are not widely manufactured any more ought to say something. These seem like one of those purchase you make when you just can't figure out where to spend money on new tools - like the guy who bought every jig Tormek makes just because they were there.

Bob

[David]

You make an excellent point. I had no idea if the side rabbet plane is something every self respecting Neander would have. I just recently saw it in a catalog. I do NOT believe in owning every tool; just the ones that are practical for me.

Maybe the fact that the aren't too common explains why LV doesn't make one. :)

dave

[George]

Well, you're wrong, as you may have read. Not that it would bother someone who's so involved in himself as you.

Bray on....

[Jeff Gorman]

All too true!

I have a single sided Stanley (hardly ever used). The cutting edges are so angled so that they have quite sharp points. The principal problem is that when a blade is set to cut properly, the point protrudes beyond the sole and digs in.

As far as I can see, the way to set such gadgets is to run the sole along an oilstone just enough to blunt the point to stop it trying to dig in yet having just sufficient projection (as with a normal shoulder/rebate plane) to ensure that the corner is cleaned out.

The small amount of 'sole' is a distinct disadvantage when trying to align the plane at the start of a cut. Furthermore, habitual backward strokes can have unwanted effects!

Prevention better than cure?

Jeff G

[David]

Thanks for the input, Jeff. Your observations speak to my concerns about the efficacy of such a tool. I'm not going to pursue further thoughts of buying one.

Dave

[bridger]

last time I needed to widen a rebate I made a specialty base for my laminate trimmer.

a shoulder plane is on my list, however...

[David]

I use either my dado blade or straight bits on my router table. Having an Incra Fence allows me to make adjustments to .001 with a micro adjuster. I ALSO like using Neander tools too, which is why I'm buying more and more of them...

Dave

[Andy Dingley]

Over the mantelpiece though, not out on the bench.