Wanting to get a router plane

[Zach England]

I think me next tool purchase will be a full-size router plane. Can anyone recommend one? I have never handled, much less used one of these before.

I see that the old Stanley 71 go pretty inexpensively on Ebay, but they look to me like they have a lot of fiddly little parts and I am thinking I'd be better off to buy a new Veritas model. Please advise.

[Richard Niemiec]

FWIW, I sold off my Stanley 71 and bought the LV Large with the fence; don't even think about getting it without the fence. I thought about the LN for a long time, but I found the LV is a bit more to my liking. I've never looked back.

[Josh Bowman]

I've got 2 of them. They actually do a very good job. If for instance you are going to route a dado, you have to cut the sides with a saw, but the 71 router will do the rest....and as fast as an electric one. They really are no more than a fixed chisel. But you'll besurprised how well they do and real quite.
BTW...what's that long black rope for on an electric router? I keep pulling it but the thing won't start!

[harry strasil]

make one, http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...router+tutoral

[Zach England]

Black rope is for hanging yourself after your router skips out of whatever jig you conjured up and makes a mess of your workpiece. Hence the desire for a router plane.

[harry strasil]

actually its a cobination stop switch, and leach for when it gets away from you, and a finder for when it gets away and hides under something. It also works as a tether when you swing it around and let it go when its on a path for the scrap box.

[Zach England]

Thanks for the replies. I tried to search but did not come up with much. Probably EEBCAK. I think I will buy the Veritas.

For the record, I have nothing against routers. I just think a router plane would be a lot easier to use for some tasks.

[Mike Henderson]

Whichever one you buy, get one with a depth adjusting wheel. I find it really difficult to adjust the depth by hand.

I bought the Lie Nielsen small router plane but don't use it that much because I find it hard to adjust.

Mike

[Andy Hsieh]

I have one veritas on the way - bought specifically for helping with dados on the project I am about to start.

derek cohen and alice frampton have done nice write ups/ reviews on it

I also have no issues w/ tailed tools if it makes the job easier but I want to master my handtool skills before I choose which tailed tools will be most valuable to me.

hope the veritas works for you!

[James Taglienti]

I just use a 71 1/2. Router planes are one trick ponies. The large number of home made examples that cam be found show that it is pretty specialized, i would think, and also quite simple. Mine is a bronze patternmakers copy. I have used it 3 times in 3 years. Plowing grooves goes to the plow plane, dadoes go to a handsaw with a guide, and for cleanup, a couple of chisels and a rabbet plane. Maybe the router plane if it gets really gnarly. I dont like them very much, every stroke you have to readjust the depth. i am sure it is an operator issue. the vast quantity of user made ones may also be testimony to the router planes versatility and value.

[Don Dorn]

Whichever one you buy, get one with a depth adjusting wheel. I find it really difficult to adjust the depth by hand.

I bought the Lie Nielsen small router plane but don't use it that much because I find it hard to adjust.

Mike

Yep - I found the same thing with my Veritas small router plane. Frustrating, huh? After two years of messing with it, I have a LV Large one on the way.

For the OP: Had some difficulty deciding between the LN and LV, but ultimately chose the LV because it comes with three blades, a better fence system (even though it's optional) a jig to sharpen the 1/2" blades, and like the Stanley 71 1/2, it doesn't have the hump. Oh yea, took advantage of it during the free shipping days too.

[Kent A Bathurst]

.....get one with a depth adjusting wheel......

I got the LN 71 a few months ago, and the adjustment mechanism was what drove the decision. All I can say is......I wish I had gotten this sucker many years ago - I think back to all the struggles with stopped dadoes and tenon fitting/tuning that would have been avoided. Absolutely love this tool. Know nothing about the LV version.

[Zach England]

Just curious--why do people prefer the router plane for trimming tenons? It seems much easier with a shoulder plane rabbet block plane.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Just curious--why do people prefer the router plane for trimming tenons? It seems much easier with a shoulder plane rabbet block plane.

Shoulder and rabbet block are in the tool kit as well - I use them both. The router plane lets you set and lock in the depth - dead-nuts flat across the entire tenon face (you need a second part or milled scrap to support the outboard end of the plane, of course).

Easy to duplicate cut on both sides of tenon (assuming your design was centered), and for both ends of the stretcher/rail, and mulitple parts with same dimensions. The 71 has the rock-solid depth adjuster, but also has a depth locking ring/sleeve, so if you need to make muptile passes, you will end up in the same place when done.

I haven't done any hinges since I got the 71 - as described by Derek - but I am SO looking forward to using it on those as well - again, dead flat and depth stop means I know a lot of words that I won't have to use quite so often next time.

I saw a desctiption/explanation by Derek on router plane + tenons a few months ago. Ordered my LN 71 that same day. Watch out - Derek can help you empty your wallet faster than you thought possible.

One possible advantage of the LV over my LN is that it directly accepts other blades. With the LN, you need to buy an adapter to accompdate the smaller blades from the small router plane. Don't know how big a deal this is - I haven't needed the smaller blades so far.

[James Owen]

I think me next tool purchase will be a full-size router plane. Can anyone recommend one? I have never handled, much less used one of these before.

I see that the old Stanley 71 go pretty inexpensively on Ebay, but they look to me like they have a lot of fiddly little parts and I am thinking I'd be better off to buy a new Veritas model. Please advise.

I have and have used both the Stanley 71-1/2 and the LN full-sized router planes. Both will do the job well, but the LN is a much nicer functioning plane.

No experience with the LV router, although it looks very nice, and given LV's reputation, and my experience with other LV tools, I'm sure that you would be very satisfied with it, as well.