next hand plane?

[batk30msu]

so I have the basics: block, jack, smoothing. None are top of the line.

I am thinking about adding a shoulder plane.

Stanley sells this one:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/-92-Shoulder-Plane/T22297?gcsct=0ChMI0Kbj87eivQIVilfmCh0lSgAAEAE

It converts to a chisel plane as well.

two questions:

1. Does that seem like the proper next step? I am feeling it is as I like making MT joints.

2. Do you think the multipurpose part will make it not as good as a designated shoulder plane?

 

[Kicbak]

If you haven't been yet, I would hit the store above the Woodwright's school in Pittsboro. They are open when they are having classes. There is a huge selection of hand tools and it well worth the trip.

 

[Larry Rose]

Save your nickels and dimes and go for the L-N medium shoulder plane. It doesn't come apart to make a chisel plane but you don't need it in my opinion.

 

[madad1]

Brent,
I have no experience with this particular plane but I was, plane wise, in the same situation and I make M&Ts so I bought a shoulder plane for my next plane. Wish I had gotten it years ago. When you're able to shave 1 thou at a time your T's fit like they're supposed to. You probably already know this but all planes must have a flat sole. In addition a shoulder plane MUST have BOTH sides square to the sole. Do some Googling to see how this model rates. BTW, I've never needed (or didn't know I needed) a chisel plane so I didn't consider that feature.

 

[batk30msu]

Save your nickels and dimes and go for the L-N medium shoulder plane. It doesn't come apart to make a chisel plane but you don't need it in my opinion.

While I am sure I would not regret the purchase, that is more than double my budget.

 

[jlimey]

Shoulder planes are great for tuning M & T joints. Personally, I would get the Large Veritas shoulder plane unless you work often on very small tenons. The larger size is rarely prohibitive, but a smaller one may be. I love L-N tools, but find their shoulder planes difficult to grasp comfortably compared to the Veritas.

OK, still over budget. So go with the Stanley. The fact that it breaks down into a chisel plane doesn't really make it poorer at being a shoulder plane. Best to buy it locally where you can check that the sides are square to the sole before you take it home.

 

[Mike Davis]

I was wondering about the Veritas. But, with the new steel they are priced about the same as LN.

I read the new Stanley- not so much...

Find an old one and it's as good as the new top enders.

 

[batk30msu]

If you haven't been yet, I would hit the store above the Woodwright's school in Pittsboro. They are open when they are having classes. There is a huge selection of hand tools and it well worth the trip.

I was wondering about the Veritas. But, with the new steel they are priced about the same as LN.

I read the new Stanley- not so much...

Find an old one and it's as good as the new top enders.

Maybe I will take some time and try to find a used one.

 

[bluedawg76]

A router plane is much more useful for trimming tenon cheeks -and keeping the faces parallel -something a shoulder plane cannot do. Not to mention cleaning out dados and other grooves -a much more versatile tool imo. The tenon shoulder is easier to cut straight w/ a saw and pare as needed w/ a chisel -this is another task a shoulder plane does not excel at. To be honest, i would skip a shoulder plane. a more useful tool in that category is a skewed rabbet plane. I like the old woodie ones, but a metal version would be a great asset as well. We all work differently, so to each his own, but I have all 3 planes and that's my order of preference.

 

[jlimey]

Sam,

A router plane may well be more versatile. We may work differently, but in my work a shoulder plane excels at trimming shoulders. It may just be my lack of skill with a chisel!

 

[Kicbak]

Ideally you would use both. A Shoulder plane is for trimming the shoulder of a tenon and use a router plane is for trimming the cheeks.

 

[bluedawg76]

Ideally you would use both. A Shoulder plane is for trimming the shoulder of a tenon and use a router plane is for trimming the cheeks.

Ideally you would use neither. Shoulders should be straight and square right off the saw. a knife wall slightly chiseled in on the waste side makes this very straightforward. i find trimming shoulders w/ a plane to be inexact and finicky. better to cut it correctly than waste time trying to fix it. BTDT. Paul Sellars has a nice video(s) cutting tenons demonstrating such a method. I'd give it a google as I find this method faster and more accurate than the shoulder plane and it's very easy to master. Sawing cheeks or splitting them w/ a chisel while maintaining the cheek parallel to the face can be more challenging, that's why I'd suggest the router plane as being a better tool of the 2 to get. JMTCW

 

[KenOfCary]

I would say that a shoulder plane would be a natural next purchase given what you currently have and the fact you're doing Mortise and Tenon joinery. I don't know how I would do M&T without one. I have the Lee Valley Medium shoulder plane and couldn't be happier with it. I haven't heard much good about the new Stanley's but they may be improving - I wouldn't count on it without being able to try it first. I have an older 1" shoulder plane that I picked up at Ed's store in Pittsboro which I think will work out well but haven't had a chance to use it yet.

I would get a Lee Valley or older Stanley or Record if I could find it before risking money on a new Sweetheart plane - just my personal opinion based on reviews and personal experience. BTW, Lee Valley has free shipping going on right now.

Bottom line - If you're doing M&T, get some shoulder plane - how else would you get oversized tenons to fit into mortises. You do cut your tenons oversized and then finesse them with a shoulder plane or rasp/sandpaper - correct? Shoulder plane is much easier.

 

[Warren]

I have the Stanley purchased new in the early 1990's. No issues with the shoulder plane, but the conversion to chisel plane does not work well for me. Must be the operator. As advised earlier, try to find an older one. Same with the Stanley router plane. Mine is from the early 1970. Not used often but well worth having.

 

[SubGuy]

I have never used a plane to aid in M&T. I have thought to use a shoulder plane but I revert back to a chisel. I use a chisel anywhere I can. And I use cheap Stanley plastic yellows with a metal button (and I ain't talking about the nicer clear yellow ones). I find a sharp chisel is all one really needs in almost any joint situation. A good understanding of grain and how tear-out occurs is essential, but that applies to planes as well. I have actually cut a set of M&T's entirely with a chisel and marking gauge and it fit great. I will tell you this though, I do not recommend doing it as it was more to prove I could do it not so much I want to do it every time. It was very time consuming and patience is definitely a virtue while doing that. I didn't use a mallet most of the time either to prevent tear-out by taking too aggressive of a cut. So to sum it all up, it's really like everything we do in woodworking, you can have a specialized tool or machine for any operation you can think of, or you can take much more time and do it by hand. Both requires skill and practice, one is faster and cost more money. All in all, if you want another plane, get what you want to learn. And remember Hand Tools are just like Power Tools, old used ones can be cheaper and as good or better than brand new top of the line or you get what you pay for when buying new. Just some food for thought.

 

[Jeremy Scuteri]

+1 to the router plane. I have the veritas router plane and I like it a lot.

 

[Gofor]

I have the Stanley 92 as well as a Lee Valley router plane. The router plane gets more use, as i use it for cleaning up and flattening the bottoms of both hand and machine cut dadoes and rabbets, as well as trimming tenon cheeks on occasion. The Stanley is for me too small to do what I intended using it for. It is too short to comfortably do tenon shoulders if the tenon is more than 1/2" long, altho 3/4 is doable. At 3/4" wide, it is too narrow for many tenons, breadboard ends, etc and too wide for a common "3/4" plywood dado of 23/32. Even though I have short fingers and not an overly large hand (I do wear a large glove), it is too small to solidly grip and control the "squareness" of the cut when using it. If I had it to do over, I would go with a full size shoulder plane from either LN or LV. Not gonna give up my router plane.

So, my recommendation would be router plane or full size shoulder plane.

If you plan on using rough cut (saw mill) lumber, I would recommend getting another jack plane you could set up with a radiused iron for scrub work. I also have a LV scrub plane, but have found that I prefer the wider cut of an old #5 with the iron dressed to about an 8" radius curve, and the throat wide open.

JMTCW

Go

 

[Jeremy Scuteri]

One thing that I like about the Veritas/LN shoulder plane over the Stanley is the adjustable mouth.

 

[jlimey]

I believe that the Stanley's mouth can be adjusted by sliding the two sections past each other to close or open the mouth. At least that is the way the #92,93, 94 work.

 

[batk30msu]

Thanks for all he help and ideas everyone! This is why I love this site.

I am having trouble visualizing how a router plane would fit in making MT joints. I can totally see the advantage for cleaning out dados and rabbets.

I am not saying it wouldn't as I am the novice in this regard and have been using chisels and files to snug fit my tenons after cutting on the table saw.