Thread: Rabbet or Shoulder plane

This is just my personal opinion I would go shoulder plane first.

I should also add a disclaimer I do not have a rabbet plane.

Keith, to me, shoulder planes & rebate planes are very different animals. Certainly one can do some of what the other does, but they each shine at quite different tasks.

If precision trimming of tenon shoulders and other fine cross-grain trimming is something you need regularly, then the shoulder plane, with its fine shaving ability & heft is the tool that will serve you best. This is a pretty specialised tool (though you will likely find quite a few uses for it), and something of a luxury, but a luxury I very much like to have. I made my own version about 30 years ago, it's not perfect & I mean to make another "sumday", but in the meantime, this one serves me well enough.

If you want to do more 'heavy' work such as cutting rebates and trimming the cheeks of large tenons, a rebate plane is the go. If you are well-heeled and want 'the best', the Veritas skewed version is well worth a look. The jobs I do with my rebate plane don't require much finesse, and are very adequately done by the likes of the Stanley 78 (or Record 078). These can often be picked up for very little at garage sales or wherever such things gravitate, usually minus their fence & fence rod (or rods, if an 078), but these can be bought, if you need them. I do have a fence for my 78, but have probably only used it once in 20 years - there are too many far more efficient ways of making rebates for me to bother doing it the hard way. But it does do a terrific job of trimming tenon cheeks for piston-fits, or cleaning up raised panels, etc. (where the deployable nickers come in handy). Once in a blue moon I use the blade in the bullnose position, but the places I most need a bullnose or chisel plane are usually too tight for the 78 to fit into. (I've been meaning to make myself a small bullnose rebate for more years than I can remember!).

Frankly, there's a good case to be made for having both. Splurge on a decent shoulder plane, and look out for a bargain 78 for those other jobs. Why settle for one plane when two will do?

Cheers,

Thank you Ian, exactly the answers I was looking for.

Cheers,
Keith

You can print off Ian's reply, and use it to apply to the missus for funding

Originally Posted by Colin62

You can print off Ian's reply, and use it to apply to the missus for funding

It would be ironic if I could convince someone else's other half of the necessity of a new toy tool! But you're welcome to quote me, as long as you withhold my address.......

I did score a few Brownie points with the cot I finished last week, & used my old 78 a lot on that job, trimming all those tenons for the sides & ends. (but shhhh, I didn't need the shoulder plane at all; I cut all the shoulders on the tablesaw with a fresh blade, & the S.O. cut so cleanly, and with each one identical, no trimming was required.....)

Cheers,