Thread: Selecting a shoulder plane - what size?

If it helps I started with 3, thin 10mm, thick 20mm and 15 with a skew blade.

But I normally get them for under $2 at flea markets, so I've added a few extras, but i still mainly use the above 3.

I have 5, all different, all metal bodied.

the most useful for door scale work would be the large one, blade is 1-1/4" wide (30 mm), length is just over 200 mm and the weight is a bit under 2 kg

FineWoodworking gets asked this question often. They recommend getting the widest shoulder plane first as it’s greater mass helps to power through the end grain cuts.

They are taking about metal version but the same should hold true.

I have a medium Lie-Nielsen and never have had resistance to the cut issue but I am taking shavings in the thousands.

Originally Posted by Woodwork123

I'm interested in some cheap shoulder planes sold on ebay here and here. The sizes are listed as 245x63x24mm and 150x25mm.

Currently I'm planning to use one on a door I'm making but otherwise probably general use. I know these are cheap and you get what you pay for, but does anyone have thoughts on the size? The only obvious difference is that one is much shorter than the other.

What kind of door? Cabinet or entry?

Actually, you do not need a shoulder plane. I do not use one on the cheeks, and I only rarely use one on the shoulders. I use a shoulder plane more on rebates.

To clean up a tenon cheek, I would use a router plane, a rasp or a skew rabbet plane.

To clean up a shoulder, I would score the shoulder line with a knife, and then pare into this with a chisel.

Regards from Perth

Derek

p.s. of the two wooden planes linked, the first has a tighter mouth than the second. That is the one I would choose. I dunno about the steel, however.

I'm building an entry door - actually a screen door. The reason I was thinking of a shoulder plane is that I'm having trouble getting the tenon shoulders square. I've tried unsuccessfully to clean them up with a chisel. Would it be easier to square them with a plane?

Actually, the easiest way to ensure squared tenon shoulders is with a table saw ...



Not so long ago, I posted this pictorial: Making Mortice and Tenon Joints

Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by Woodwork123

I'm interested in some cheap shoulder planes sold on ebay here and here. The sizes are listed as 245x63x24mm and 150x25mm.

I don't think they are shoulder planes . Their rebate planes.
What makes a shoulder plane is the low angle which makes trimming the end grain shoulder of a tenon possible , or better than the higher bed angles.

You could probably use them for what you want, I used to use my Stanley 78 for shoulders a long time ago. Or just a chisel. You can get by doing that.

For Me, the day came when I had made enough coin from doing tenons that way that I could buy my first true shoulder plane . A Cox from Lincon in the fields. Dam rare fine rosewood infill dovetailed thing it is . The makers stamp so fine and the seller of an age he couldnt see it . He described it as a user made from some guy in the railways!! incredibly !! I thought the BRW was enough to say its not anything like that. And for a good price. I didn't see the makers stamp either until the angle of the sun coming in through the window and my magnifying glass all lined up together just right.

Any way, once you put a true shoulder plane to the job , not just tenons but all fine work where it suits . Compared to anything else, it wins.
And its the low angle that is the reason. I don't think you would see such a low angle shoulder in a wooden plane , much , it has been done in the past though . Maybe new ones are being done ? I wouldn't know. I only look at old .
Mitre planes is where Ive seen wooden low angles. Still Rare.

Rob

Originally Posted by Woodwork123

I'm building an entry door - actually a screen door. The reason I was thinking of a shoulder plane is that I'm having trouble getting the tenon shoulders square. I've tried unsuccessfully to clean them up with a chisel. Would it be easier to square them with a plane?

Yes fine tuning with a plane is easier than with chisels , specially if they are big .

Not that these are cheap . But there are good deals to be had if you hunt and do the cleaning up yourself. Some of the cast ones which work just the same as the dovetailed planes can be better buying. This is UK ebay.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Collectab...er+plane&rt=nc

Originally Posted by auscab

Some of the cast ones which work just the same as the dovetailed planes

What makes the dovetailed planes different?

Originally Posted by Woodwork123

I'm building an entry door - actually a screen door. The reason I was thinking of a shoulder plane is that I'm having trouble getting the tenon shoulders square. I've tried unsuccessfully to clean them up with a chisel. Would it be easier to square them with a plane?

in that case the plane you want is a router plane. https://vimeo.com/30486440 from about 1:30 onwards

I don't think they are shoulder planes . Their rebate planes.

Yes they are rebate planes. I did not comment before as I thought this was obvious - my apology. that was rather egocentric of me.

Rebate planes can be used for shoulders. They tend to have wider mouths, which is why I wrote that the first link was the preferred plane as it had a smaller mouth.

As to the higher angle, that still works - look how high the HNT Gordon shoulder planes are, and they work well - just be sure to keep the blade sharp.

An infill shoulder plane is nice (I have one), but they are pricy, and certainly out of the range of the OP's early range. My choice for a good and reasonably available older shoulder plane is a Stanley #93. But these are also fairly pricy.

Still, for an entry door, I would not be too concerned about a shoulder plane. I would concentrate on cutting shoulders square using a table saw using a depth stop. It is near fool proof. Alternately, if there is no table saw to use, ensure that the shoulder lines are marked accurately, then knife them in, and undercut with a chisel to create a fence for a backsaw.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by Woodwork123

What makes the dovetailed planes different?

A 19th century infill shoulder plane comes in dovetailed body or cast body .
Dovetailed body can be Iron or Gunmetal normally.
Cast body can be Cast Iron, or cast Gun metal
Maybe cast Brass or Bronze as well , I'm not sure that those last two were used by the common makers. Probably not would be my guess, some may have been done though.

The difference is the dovetailed versions cost more. They are more desirable and are more fine in their quality, specially the popular known makers.
They both work the same though. And do the exactly the same job.
The cast iron type break more easily if hit hard enough.
I have a few Spiers and a Norris shoulder planes and also this cheaper to buy cast iron plane I let the younger apprentices use that was known as "The workshop Shoulder plane" below.
Lending tools out isnt a good idea and it got broke . A hit from a hammer .
Which is why I took my good ones out of their reach years before this happened.
The tape is holding the loose bits until I fix it .
I just recently tried out this handle / wedge one piece. And had a job where I needed a camber to the blade so I changed that . All being possible because its a cheap shoulder plane really . Both changes are staying that way .
Its a great plane that now has some special uses. The camber allowed me to finish three drawer fronts that had a large bevel on the fronts finishing at a moulding . The tiny amount that it couldn't reach was finished with a scraper. The plane marks this left are still visible in the finished piece now delivered to its new home.

IMG_9575.JPGIMG_9576.JPG

Having a few good ones has proved handy because when you buy a second hand shoulder plane, some bought online , I ended up with some having a nice fine mouth , and some having a later adjusted more open mouth . At first I thought that my large wide Spiers with the open mouth was a disappointment ,arriving all opened up. But I found it has lots of great uses a fine mouthed plane cant do . So I reach for My shoulder planes depending on the mouth size I want and whether its fast removal or slower fine work.

Rob

Thanks all, lots of good advice.