Which Shoulder Plane

[bugbear]

Sorry; I thought the faking SOB (*) was well known.

http://www.re-quest.net/entertainment/m ... hn-edward/

BugBear

(*) No, I don't like people preying on the bereaved

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Hi Andrew

While you are requesting information about a suitable shoulder plane, I wonder what you have in mind when using it. While this may sound strange at first, there are two cuts that are required in tuning tenons. The first is the shoulder, the second is the tenon face. You do not need a wide shoulder plane for shoulders (3/4" should surfice). Most users use it for trimming tenon faces as well, so then prefer a wide (1"+ wide blade). Some prefer a heavy shoulder plane (such as the large LV or LN) but I like lighter planes that cut with a sharp blade. The correct plane for the tenon face is a screw cut block plane, such as the Stanley or LN #140. Since the Stanley is hard to get hold of, the LN is the obvious candidate, These come in LH and RH versions (while the Stanley only comes in a LH).

If you are unfamiliar with the #140, it has a removable side, which allows it to plane against the shoulder wall.

Here is my (tuned) Stanley #140:

http://www.wdynamic.com/galoots/4images/details.php?image_id=1151

Incidentally, my personal range of shoulder planes includes vintage Stanley #92 and #93, and a HNT Gordon 3/4".

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Rob Lee]

(snip)

I am hoping to spend a couple of days in Atlanta and get to visit Highland Hardware, a place that seems to get plenty of mentions on the rec although they don’t seem to sell the Lee Valley / Veritas range. However I am also going to be in New Orleans so might find something there.

What would you do?

Andrew

Hi Andrew -

Definitely visit HH while in the Atlanta area - it's well worth it. Unfortunately - Lee Valley is the only place you can buy Veritas planes in North America... in the UK, they're also available through numerous stockists - Brimarc can advise you about that better than I....

Something to think about if you're staying in the same place for a few days - is that you can place a mail-order for delivery to a hotel...as long as you do it far enough in advance. I've done it before... just have the shipper mark "hold for delivery to guest XXXXXXXX arriving MM/DD/YY" - and it shouldn't be a problem!

Enjoy your trip (snowed 1/2" in Atlanta yesterday...)

Cheers -

Rob

 

[Alf]

The correct plane for the tenon face is a screw cut block plane, such as the Stanley or LN #140.

Is there such a thing as a correct plane for tenon cheeks (faces)? I thought I was supposed to be aiming for cheeks spot on from the saw? (Aiming, not necessarily hitting) :wink: As to the whole wider plane to do tenon cheeks thing. We don't use a smoothing plane as wide as the panel we're cleaning up, so why do we need a plane as wide as the tenon cheek? Even I'm capable of moving a shoulder plane sideways and getting an acceptably level cheek. Not to say an extra plane is a Bad Thing (heaven forbid), but it seems to be a recent phenomenon. Sorry, Derek, not to get at you, just something that's been bothering me for a while now so I thought I'd share the botheration around a bit.

Cheers, Alf

 

[Chris Knight]

Alf,

There is a correct plane for everything, why else do we need so many? :lol:

 

[Rob Lee]

The correct plane for the tenon face is a screw cut block plane, such as the Stanley or LN #140.

Is there such a thing as a correct plane for tenon cheeks (faces)? I thought I was supposed to be aiming for cheeks spot on from the saw? (Aiming, not necessarily hitting) :wink: As to the whole wider plane to do tenon cheeks thing. We don't use a smoothing plane as wide as the panel we're cleaning up, so why do we need a plane as wide as the tenon cheek? Even I'm capable of moving a shoulder plane sideways and getting an acceptably level cheek. Not to say an extra plane is a Bad Thing (heaven forbid), but it seems to be a recent phenomenon. Sorry, Derek, not to get at you, just something that's been bothering me for a while now so I thought I'd share the botheration around a bit.

Cheers, Alf

Ah ... but I agree with him about the "skew" part though...an across-the-long-grain cut can roll fibres....it is a more desirable blade configuration.

Cheers -

Rob

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Hi Alf

Your terminology - tenon cheek - is the correct one (not tenon face - it's too late at night ... morning ... to think straight :? ). Still, you know what I meant.

There is no one way to trim cheeks. In addition to using a wide shoulder plane, as you say, many just prefer a wide chisel. But the best plane to use across the grain is a skew blade plane. Take another look at the picture of my #140. What you will notice is the smoothness of the cheek is so similar to the finish on the board face (on which I used a smoothing plane). If I used one of my shoulder planes for this cut, the timber would tear out (you would see the same thing when planing raised panels going across the grain).

The intent of my earlier post was simply to highlight this option, and to raise Andrew's awareness that he had the opportunity to justify buying two planes and not just one!

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Alf]

Dammit, chaps, you're all pushing me down The Slope! Talk about the biter bit... :shock:

Okay, yes, I will admit even el presidente's shouldery offerings don't make the neatest fist of the job. But in the great joint gluing scheme of things, does it really matter? I mean honestly? Obviously you need one of every plane ever made, goes without saying, but the #140 is pretty spendy for a block plane with pretentions... :wink:

Cheers, Alf

I will resist, I will resist, I will resist...

 

[Midnight]

but the #140 is pretty spendy for a block plane with pretentions...

it's worth it though one real cool aspect about it is... ye dinna need to limit its use to just tennon cheeks..

 

[Rob Lee]

(snip) ...

but the #140 is pretty spendy for a block plane with pretentions...

(snip)

.... at least until a cheek plane comes along.... :roll:

Ta -

Rob

 

[Frank D.]

.... at least until a cheek plane comes along.... :roll:

Rob, are you teasing us again? When is it due to come out? :wink:
FWIW, I use a 60.5R for cheeks and don't mind a little rolling now and then. After all, you don't see the tenons, most of the time :wink: . Plus those little splinters make a wonderful path for squeeze out. LV sells floating tenons which I sometimes use, and they have little grooves all the way along. With my 60.5 I get the grooves for free.
Frank D.

 

[Rob Lee]

.... at least until a cheek plane comes along.... :roll:

Rob, are you teasing us again? When is it due to come out? :wink:
FWIW, I use a 60.5R for cheeks and don't mind a little rolling now and then. After all, you don't see the tenons, most of the time :wink: . Plus those little splinters make a wonderful path for squeeze out. LV sells floating tenons which I sometimes use, and they have little grooves all the way along. With my 60.5 I get the grooves for free.
Frank D.

Hi Frank -

That was a real long term tease 8) ... we have several others to do first. As you point out - there's no pressing need for it right away. Let just say it's a twinkle in a designer's eye ....

Cheers -

Rob

 

[Neil]

That was a real long term tease 8) ... we have several others to do first

I'm dreaming that a compass plane is higher up the list - drooling at the thought of what the Veritas engineers could come up with for this

Cheers,
Neil

 

[Scott]

I'll second that Neil!

 

[andrewm]

Well, I've gone and ordered a Lee Valley medium sholder plane. It was a close run thing between the large and the medium but I can always go back for the large next year. Hopefully it will arrive before I get there. But that will leave me with ten days owning a new tool and not being able to use it. Oh, the anticipation.

Thanks for all your input all.

Andrew

 

[Alf]

but I can always go back for the large next year.

Muttleyesque snigger :wink:

Cheers, Alf

 

[Chris Knight]

You mean this snigger

 

[Alf]

That's the one. :twisted: