Shooting Plane Advice, Please

[Doug Hepler]

Hello All,

I am trying to decide between the LV/Veritas shooting plane and the LV/Veritas miter plane. If you use either, please share your impressions with me. I'd also like links to reviews of these two. The shooting plane is about 6" longer and about 2 lb heavier than the miter plane, and has a skewed bed. Both are low angle bevel up planes. I like the skewed bed on the shooting plane but 16" seems a bit long.

I make furniture, mostly. I work in domestic hardwoods and occasionally softwood. I have no table saw. I use a hand saw and a good miter box. Initial cuts are done with a carpenter's (circular) saw with a cutting guide or a band saw. I find that I often need a couple of passes with a plane on my homemade shooting board to square up drawer parts, mitered edge banding, etc. A 12" deep drawer is about as large as I ever make.

Until now I have used a modified a Stanley #4 with a hot dog and low-angle block planes. I want a new plane because I am convinced that a plane that combines low bed angle and mass will be easier to use. At five pounds the miter plane seems heavy enough for my work, but I won't know until I get one.

Mid-$300 is a lot of money to me. I'd like to get just one plane, and I'd like it to be the "right" one.

All suggestions welcome.

(I also posted this on Woodnet so if you see it there, it's me!)

Doug

[Cody Colston]

You will get more, and better advice posting this in the handtool forum.

[Tom M King]

shootingplanesmall.jpgI own the shooting plane. I haven't had the miter plane in my hands. The shooting plane works like a dream. Having one that runs in a track makes it foolproof, and easy. You don't need to buy their track. Set the iron to take a thou or half. Hold piece against sole of plane in front of blade, and push the plane forward. Foolproof every time. I own some hundreds of planes, and this is the only new plane I own. I'm looking forward to having a job that also needs the left handed one to give me an excuse to buy it. I made the board in the picture out of some scrap Corian I had, but later wondered why I bothered. That was on a job where we inlaid hundreds of pieces in a floor. It made getting perfect fits easy. You might notice there is a thumb smudge right in front of the hump. After a while the spine became the most natural place for me to put my hand to push the plane. The tote just gets used for toting the plane.

This will be night and day difference over your no. 4 rig.

[David Dalzell]

I own the LV shooting plane. I have had it for about one year now. It is everything I hoped for in a shooting plane. I got it with the PM-V11 iron. This blade lasts a long time between sharpening. I use it both for squaring up cuts and for edge jointing of boards. The weight provides a lot of momentum. However for edge jointing I get better results when I move the plane somewhat slowly down the board edge. I have never regretted the purchase. Actually it wasn't my purchase; it was a Strongly Hinted for Xmas gift last year.

[Patrick Chase]

I have the Veritas shooting plane. I don't have the miter plane, but its size and cutting geometry are very similar to a #9 (though obviously the ergonomics are very different). I see two big differences:

1. Size. The shooting plane is 16" long with a 2-1/4" blade, the miter is 10.5" long with a 2" blade. Generally size/mass is good in a shooting plane as it helps to "power through" the entrance of end-grain cuts.

2. Skew. The shooting plane is designed to cut in only one direction (though it's available in RH and LH versions) and therefore has a skewed blade. The miter (like the #9) is designed to cut both ways and has a straight blade. This makes a BIG difference in tough end-grain cuts etc - I've shot with both straight- and skewed-blade planes, and the the skewed planes are much less prone to being jerked around - they just sail through the work unless you take a completely rank cut.

In case you can't tell, I'd stick with the dedicated shooter.

The other plane you might want to consider is the L-N #51. That one is about the same size as the Veritas shooter and also a skewed-blade shooter, but with bevel-down mechanics.

[Paul Sidener]

I have used both. I prefer the shooting plane, with a O1 steel iron. The steel is my preference, because it is easier to sharpen. The tote is more comfortable to use. The weight and skewed iron, make it easier to use. There is not much difference in price. It seams to give you more tool for the money. That being said, both tools will do a good job.

[Curt Putnam]

I think Patrick nailed the differences. Note that the larger plane takes the same blade as the other Veritas BU bench planes so there is the potential for synergy there. Given my understanding of your work and the two planes, I do not think you can go wrong with the big shooter. I see the smaller one as being very useful for smaller scale work.

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Doug

I've not used the new Mitre Plane, but have the Shooting Plane and can offer the following observations.

On one level these planes may be used for the same task - shooting end grain, such as sizing/squaring drawer fronts. The Mitre Plane will appear to be a little more versatile, insofar as it can be used on the left and right sides. The Shooting Plane is probably the more powerful of the two, but the main feature is that it is a dedicated shooter with a skewed blade, and this will add up to a smoother, less effortful action.

What is seemingly missed is that the Mitre Plane is more than for use on a shooting board. It is as versatile on a Mitre Jack, where the Shooting Plane would be unbalanced.

In the end a choice will come down to whether you want the best dedicated shooting plane, or whether you want something more versatile.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Patrick Chase]

[snip]

What is seemingly missed is that the Mitre Plane is more than for use on a shooting board. It is as versatile on a Mitre Jack, where the Shooting Plane would be unbalanced.

In the end a choice will come down to whether you want the best dedicated shooting plane, or whether you want something more versatile.

The OP's question appeared to suggest he wanted a dedicated shooter, and that's how a number of us answered, but obviously the tradeoffs are different if you're looking for a more general purpose plane.

I do have a question, though: Why would the miter plane be particularly suited to use with a mitre jack? It seems to me that basically any bevel-up plane would be equally useful for that, since the plane registers to its base rather than its side. The movable side handle wouldn't buy you anything there, and having a second knob in place of the tote doesn't appear to be advantageous either.

[David Bassett]

I recall a long discussion about the relative merits of these planes when the Miter plane first came out. You should be able to search for Veritas Miter plane and find it (in the Neanderthal forum.)

As I recall, the consensus(*) was: Shooting plane for just shooting, Miter plane for shooting plus other stuff, and other bench plane for other stuff with occasional shooting were the best choices.

(* for as much consensus as ever happens on a discussion forum.)

[Patrick Chase]

I recall a long discussion about the relative merits of these planes when the Miter plane first came out. You should be able to search for Veritas Miter plane and find it (in the Neanderthal forum.)

As I recall, the consensus(*) was: Shooting plane for just shooting, Miter plane for shooting plus other stuff, and other bench plane for other stuff with occasional shooting were the best choices.

(* for as much consensus as ever happens on a discussion forum.)

Or shooting plane plus jack to cover everything very nicely :-). I can't imagine that somebody would be looking at something as specialized as either the Miter plane or the Shooter if they didn't already have some bench planes. That's why I asked Derek about his mitre jack comment - I was checking to see if I was missing a reason why you'd want something in between, say, a 62 or 62-1/2 and the shooter.

[Derek Cohen]

The OP's question appeared to suggest he wanted a dedicated shooter, and that's how a number of us answered, but obviously the tradeoffs are different if you're looking for a more general purpose plane.

I do have a question, though: Why would the miter plane be particularly suited to use with a mitre jack? It seems to me that basically any bevel-up plane would be equally useful for that, since the plane registers to its base rather than its side. The movable side handle wouldn't buy you anything there, and having a second knob in place of the tote doesn't appear to be advantageous either.

Hi Patrick

I think that we are mostly in agreement. There is no need for the Mitre Plane if you already have a shooting plane and also a LA plane, or any other plane you prefer on end grain. For example, I would use a LA Jack, or even a block plane at a pinch, on a mitre jack, with the Shooting Plane dedicated to a shooting board. I do not mind an extra plane for special tasks. For someone that plans a single purchase for shooting, the Mitre Plane is a serious contender.

Regards from London

Derek

[Doug Hepler]

Sincere thanks to each of you -- it looks like the shooter will suit me best. The length is a bit much for me but I value the skewed blade bed. You have to fly with the plane that is available..

Just for the record, I have an adequate set of hand planes including bench, block, & specialty; BU & BD, LA, etc. Since I mostly work with hand tools, the little things begin to matter after a while. It's not that the price of this plane will break the bank. But I am frugal in my marrow bones and $300 will buy a lot of other cool stuff. I have thought about this for months. Time to act. WW is still cheaper (and more satisfying) than drinking or golf -- and I get to keep/sell the results. So, no worries.

Happy New Year to all

Doug

[Tom M King]

Good choice!

[Mark Kornell]

... WW is still cheaper (and more satisfying) than drinking or golf...

Amen!!!

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