buying a shoulder plane. Which size?

[Bob Glenn]

I am going to order a Veritas shoulder plane from Lee Valley. I will probably use it mostly to pare tenon shoulders and faces. I'm in a struggling with which size to order, the large with an inch and a quarter iron, or the medium with an eleven sixteens iron. The only advantage I can see in the medium plane is its ability to plane the bottom of a 3/4 inch dado. I usually clean up dados with my routor plane. Any advice from those out there that use these? Bob

[Nick Stokes]

I use a router to pare the tenons. Have you tried that? Works pretty good.

I don't have a shoulder plane, I cant find a good reason for one.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I have the large and find it a bit too large. It is coming in handy for the massive tenons on the Roubo, but for most other stuff I find it big for tenon shoulders. I am getting a medium if it shows up tonight on cyber Monday.

[Rob Luter]

I have the medium. It works great. No issues at all with the size.

[Larry Frank]

I have the Veritas Medium Shoulder Plane and really like it. I especially like the little knob on the top that fits between thumb and index finger. It is as nice solid great performing plane.

[Jim Koepke]

My money would also be on the medium. Over the years there have been many who have said the big one is too large. Not many complaints of the medium being too medium, or small.

jtk

[glenn bradley]

I love my LV large shoulder plane BUT, the medium gets much more use. If I could only have one, it would be the medium.

[Mike Henderson]

I only have the medium but like it. Never felt the need for larger.

Mike

[Patrick Chase]

I am going to order a Veritas shoulder plane from Lee Valley. I will probably use it mostly to pare tenon shoulders and faces. I'm in a struggling with which size to order, the large with an inch and a quarter iron, or the medium with an eleven sixteens iron. The only advantage I can see in the medium plane is its ability to plane the bottom of a 3/4 inch dado. I usually clean up dados with my routor plane. Any advice from those out there that use these? Bob

The answer seems obvious to me: All of them.

[Derek Cohen]

I am going to order a Veritas shoulder plane from Lee Valley. I will probably use it mostly to pare tenon shoulders and faces.

Hi Bob

You are describing two different tasks. Trying to use one tool for both is doable, but I find it impractical. Consider ...

Tenon shoulders are easiest done with a chisel: score the line, undercut it slightly for a knife wall, and the place a wide-ish chisel in the knife wall, and pare away the waste.

If you require a shoulder plane - and sometimes one needs to remove a fine shaving - then I prefer the Veritas Small (1/2") as it is rare to need to remove wider waste, and this plane offer the best visibility and control.

A 1/2" wide shoulder plane is also the most controllable when squaring rebates or details on mouldings. If you are uncomfortable with going this small, get the next size up (the Medium, 3/4").

These shoulder planes are poor on tenon cheeks. I also have the Large shoulder plane (1 1/4"), but find it clumsy and uncomfortable to use on cheeks. It can be used - some like doing so - but I do do not recommend it (Hell, I have the Large Veritas and an infill 1 1/4", and both rarely get used).

My preference for cheek tuning is a rasp or float if there is a smidgeon to remove, or a wide chisel if there is a slight deformation to level, or a router plane if there is doubt whether the sides of the cheeks are parallel to the stretcher. Never a plane, since they are difficult to control and more likely to cause problems.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[paul cottingham]

I use my LV large shoulder plane for most tenon trimming chores. I like its mass. That being said, I wouldn't be without my medium shoulder plane if I could help it either.

[Skip Helms]

I'd go medium too. I don't have those specific units but a homemade 1/2" gets more use than the 073. For the cheeks I'll usually turn to a 10 1/2. For shoulders I like something that rests more on the the surface than hangs over the edge. Even then, I'll more often use a chisel and come from the outside in both directions so I don't tear-out the exit side.

I cheat too. For most tenons I set a stop on the radial saw and cut the shoulders identically. You could do the same on a tablesaw too. Not as Neanderthal as some but dead square. Cheers, sh

[Ken Shepard]

I have both large and medium Veritas shoulder planes, but rarely use either one. I trim tenon shoulders with a chisel and cheeks with a router plane. The Veritas skew rabbet plane get used a lot more in my shop than any shoulder plane.

Ken

[Don Slaughter]

I have the LN medium shoulder plane.....it has served me well for many years. I also have an HNT Gordon small shoulder plane that gets lots use, too. Some folks swear by the Large Shoulder Plane but I just don't see how I would/could fid it more useful than my medium.

good luck,

Don

[Bob Glenn]

Wow, glad I asked! So the large is out, however, after Ken Shepard's post, maybe I don't need a shoulder plane at all. Decisions, decisions. I won the December Popular Woodworking best tip of the month and that 250 dollar gift certificate is burning a hole in my pocket! Bob Glenn