question? shoulder or rebate infill plane

[tobytools]

evening gents,

ive noticed that infill shoulder planes and rebate planes look very similar.
the only differences i can see is obviously the sizes in mouth openings. and that the shoulder planes have a straight heel and the rebate has a rounded 'hump' heel,
also ive seen some with a bridge (steel) in front of the wedge and some without? is this just a different design or a makers signature or a dating factor.
is there much more to what im saying or is that it?
any help would be appreciated cheers

TT

 

[AndyT]

I think it's one of those areas where the terms have been used so loosely for so long that you can't really claim any example as more or less correct than any other.
Picking up a catalogue for evidence - Preston 1909 - they listed all their all-steel designs and their infill designs as "Shoulder Rabbet Planes" - ie the same tool sold for both purposes. However, the Astragal Press reprint includes an advert for their model 1368 (precursor to the Record design) which just called it an "Adjustable Iron Rabbet Plane."

I think we could pile up more examples, showing a mixture of usages.

 

[tobytools]

I think it's one of those areas where the terms have been used so loosely for so long that you can't really claim any example as more or less correct than any other.
Picking up a catalogue for evidence - Preston 1909 - they listed all their all-steel designs and their infill designs as "Shoulder Rabbet Planes" - ie the same tool sold for both purposes. However, the Astragal Press reprint includes an advert for their model 1368 (precursor to the Record design) which just called it an "Adjustable Iron Rabbet Plane."

I think we could pile up more examples, showing a mixture of usages.

cheers andy,
i thought as much, strange tho as it should either be or not be if you know what i mean. most tools have mulit purposes but you wouldn't confuse their name with what they could be used for.
many thanks andy

TT

 

[Jason]

As far as I know you can happily rabbet with a shoulder plane, but you can't shoulder so well with a rabbet plane.

Infill rabbet planes fell out of fashion as shoulder/rabbet planes became available. At least, that's what I read on the Internet.

The bodies might look similar, but the cutting irons do not. A shoulder plane iron is sharpened on three sides, a rabbet plane iron is sharpened on just one.

 

[bugbear]

A shoulder plane iron is sharpened on three sides

I've never seen that, or read of, or heard of it. I don't see why a shoulder plane would need to cut "sideways", indeed, it would seem a positive disadvantage.

Could you expand a little please?

BugBear

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

In a shoulder the irons sides are not 'sharpened' but rather beveled, much like a bevel edged chisel. It relieves the sides to prevent too much blade contact with the tenon cheek etc. since the iron on a shoulder plane should protrude the sides of the plane, by a couple of thou's. The business end is, obviously, very sharp.

Mike.