Skewed Rabbet Plane vs. Shoulder Plane

[Chuck Hart]

I have been looking at getting a shoulder plane but I really want a skewed rabbet plane at LV. I think the rabbet plane would find more uses in my shop but am I giving up some of the things a shoulder plane would give me? Another thing is the rabbet plane is almost $50 more than the shoulder plane. Should I just grin and bear it or am I missing something here? What do you guys think?

[Kent A Bathurst]

IMO - two different critters. Shoulder plane is exactly that - a plane for shoulders on tenons. The skewed rabbet can do a various tasks - but cannot, from my way of thinking , do the job of a shoulder plane on shoulders - that is the perfect tool for that task.

THe only solution: one of each.

[Jim Koepke]

Most of the time my shoulder plane is used for fine tuning after my rabbet plane.

I have started to do more mortice and tenon joints but the shoulder plane isn't used there as much as a sharp chisel.

Today my work included four cross grain rabbets. Only one of them needed about four shavings removed with the shoulder plane. There were other wasy it could have been done, the shoulder plane was the easiest and most convenient.

My vote would be to get the skew rabbet plane first. If possible, both the left and right hand version with a set of the long rods.

Of course if you do more mortise and tenon work and do not cut many rabbets then you may have a situation the opposite of mine.

jtk

[Kent A Bathurst]

Ah-HAAAA! I beat Jim to the punch. My typing must be getting faster!!

[Don Slaughter]

Once you have and use the shoulder plane you will be glad you bought it. It brings a degree of confidence to making mortise & tenon joints tight. You'll also find other uses for it as well. BUT.....I bought the LN skewed rabbet plane and....it is a fantastic little tool IMHO. I made boxes for all my special tools with it the first few days I owned it. Even so, the shoulder plane can't be beat for truing shoulders and tenon cheeks.
good luck.

Don

[Tony Zaffuto]

I have and use both types of planes, however, I use my shoulder plane far more (of the shoulder planes I have, I use the LN large more). I have several rabbet planes and the LV skewed is the nicest to use, however, my Stanley 78 can work almost just as well, and they're dirt cheap.

[Warren Mickley]

Back around 1980 a shoulder rabbet plane was around fourth on my list of tools to buy. Somehow it never made it to the top of the list and then was forgotten. I do have a wooden rabbet plane, a more traditional plane which is more comfortable to use, especially when removing any significant amount. I use a tenon saw for cutting tenon shoulders.

A fenced rabbet (moving fillister) is much more helpful in expanding your capabilities because you can set the tool to make a specific rabbet and start the rabbet without a lot of rigmarole. The moving fillister can be used as a regular rabet plane if the fence and depth stop are removed, much more versatils and capable.

[Frederick Skelly]

IMO - two different critters. Shoulder plane is exactly that - a plane for shoulders on tenons. The skewed rabbet can do a various tasks - but cannot, from my way of thinking , do the job of a shoulder plane on shoulders - that is the perfect tool for that task.

THe only solution: one of each.

+1. I have both, from LV. Nice tools, used regularly.

[Jim Matthews]

The chief advantage of the skew it to keep the blade tight against the workpiece
when the leading edge of the plane touches the surface first.

That may not be possible when cutting end grain.


In my opinion (as an admitted hack amateur) you can get as good or better results
with a properly set up shoulder plane and sharp marking knife.

Remember that for a shoulder plane to work properly, the edge being cut
must have part of the blade in contact with it. If the blade doesn't protrude
enough to cut the side of the shoulder, it will form a step and progressively
push the cut away from the desired line.

That can easily be corrected on a rabbet, tenon or other exposed part.

The blade must have enough width to clear both sides of the body
(as do the excellent LV and LN offerings when new) to cut a clean dado.

Search Matt Bickford and Larry Williams on how to sharpen this blade.
It isn't as simple as it appears.

[Derek Cohen]

A shoulder plane sets up with a fine mouth and capable of fine shavings. It may also be used with a wide mouth for thick shavings. This is a plane to be used on tenon shoulders, where very fine corrections need to be made (on more coarse corrections I use a chisel into a knifed line). Much of the time one gets it right or close to right off a saw, but the shoulder plane is useful when you do not. It is also useful when cleaning up/squaring a rebate. A coarser setting can be made if much waste is to be removed. And then it will take wispy shavings when doing detail work.

The rebate plane is for coarse shavings only. It has a wide mouth and removes a lot of waste rapidly. It is designed for working face grain and not easy to use on end grain, such as tenon shoulders.

A shoulder plane can do the work of a rebate plane, but a rebate plane will make heavy work of a shoulder.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Greg Berlin]

I had a should plane once. Sold it as I never used it. I find that I tune tenons with my router plane, and sometimes my skewed rabetting block plane from lee valley. The shoulder plane just never got much use. Shoulders get trimmed to the knife wall with a sharp chisel. The rabbet plane however gets used quite often because its a set it up, run it until it stops, tool. When it stops cutting, you're done. Sometimes it requires some tuning after, but generally theyre good to go. In a hand tool workshop, I wouldn't be without one. Shoulder plane, I can live without.

[Patrick Harper]

I've found that I just don't use my shoulder plane very much. It's a nice to have for rabbet and dado cleanup, but I never use it on shoulders. I prefer to use a chisel and slightly undercut the shoulders.

[Mike Henderson]

I've found that I just don't use my shoulder plane very much. It's a nice to have for rabbet and dado cleanup, but I never use it on shoulders. I prefer to use a chisel and slightly undercut the shoulders.

I have the LV medium shoulder plane but I rarely use it for shoulders - I usually use a chisel like Patrick. But I do use it for many other things.

One suggestion - for cost reasons, why not consider a Stanley 78 plane. They're a heck of a lot less expensive. If you find that you're using it a lot and want a better rabbet plane, then buy the LV and sell the Stanley. If you buy the Stanley used, you probably will be able to sell it for about what you paid for it. That LV is a lot of money.

Mike

[lowell holmes]

I have the medium shoulder plane, buy I never use it. Shoulders get trimmed with a chisel. The tenon sides are trimmed with a router plane.

I have a 78 that never gets used. Maybe I will post it in the classifieds.

[Chuck Hart]

Hi Mike,
I have a Record 78 that is almost identical to the Stanley. I spent some time getting the nicker to work on it but I just can not get the blade aligned to cut a straight line in the path of the nicker. I can get it straight to the mouth and adjusted depth wise but I can't get a consistent cut. This is what prompted the search for a shoulder/rabbet plane. As far as tuning up a tenon I would rather use a router plane because I have great control over the cut. I have a bookcase project coming up for my wife and wanted to use rabbet's for the top and the back. I am going to use a router plane/chisel for the shelf dado's since they are going into 3/4 sides I don't want them to be deeper than 1/4 or 3/8 at the most. The shoulder plane works for the rabbet's I just thought I would try to get two tools in one purchase with the skewed rabbet plane...

Chuck