Stanley #78 or Woodcraft wooden shoulder plane

[Zahid Naqvi]

In my quest for a shoulder plane I am pondering over the ever popular Stanley #78 and the Chinese rosewood shoulder plane being sold by woodcraft. One good thing I like about the woodcraft plane is the copper mouth plate. There are several 78s being sold on the ?bay, prices of both are in the same ball park. So the question from the ones further down in the slippery slope is which one is better if one could have only one shoulder plane.

[Mark Singer]

I use my 78 all the time....and I use my sholder plane all the time. They are different. The best Shoulder is the LV Med.

[Dennis McDonaugh]

As Mark said, different plane, different uses. The 78 has a fence and depth stop so you can make diffent size rabbets. Shoulder planes are usually for trimming rabbets, tennons and the like.

[Zahid Naqvi]

As Mark said, different plane, different uses. The 78 has a fence and depth stop so you can make diffent size rabbets. Shoulder planes are usually for trimming rabbets, tennons and the like.

So are you saying I can't use the 78 for trimming tennons and rabbets, after I remove the fence and depth stop. Because that is what my immediate need is, trimming tennons.

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Zahid, I guess you could use it to clean the cheeks, but the shoulders would be difficult because there is not a large bearing surface on the side of the 78. Even so, I think that would be awkward because It takes two hands to use the 78. Typically I use my left hand to hold the piece with the tenon in my bench hook and push the shoulder plane with my right hand. You'd have to clamp the work piece to the benchtop to trim the tenon.

[Tim Leo]

I have a 78 and I find that it is not very useful for trimming tenons. It really works great for cutting a rabbet.

If you are looking primarily for a plane to trim tenons, I'd look at the LV med shoulder plane.

tim