# Rabbeting plane(or..?)



## Camden (Oct 22, 2013)

Last night I realized for the first time that there is a gaping hole in my hand tool collection... While I may not use rabbets terribly often, I'm still baffled at my total lack of anything even remotely suited for cutting nice, neat, straight rabbets, dados or laps. Nothing. So, what are you all using? New? Old? Fancy? Dirty user? Let me know, show me pics, send me something in the mail(kidding)... I've got to solve this problem, and fast. Thanks!

WCT


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## Gilgaron (Mar 16, 2012)

I've done rabbets with my Stanley 78, and I think you can also use a plow and maybe even a router plane if it has a fence. My rabbets have not been perfect, but since they've been for picture frames and so forth it hasn't mattered. If you get one on eBay just be sure it already has all the parts, it'll be cheaper than getting any old one and trying to get the rest of the pieces afterward.

They still sell new Stanley 78s made in England on Amazon et al, but I found a made in USA on eBay instead.


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## JQMack (Sep 24, 2011)

I have a Stanley 45 and just invested in an old router plane. Those and my 4, 5 and 7 are usually the ones I reach for.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

There are quite a few ways to cut a rabbet depending in the tools at hand. A 78 rabbet / fillister plane works great and as alao already mentioned a router plane will do as well. 

A No 10 will do as well.

Less common alternates:

Saw the line and chisel the waste.

Plow a groove / dado up to the intended shoulder and to the complete depth. Then use a bench plane. The material removed by the plow will provide room for the sides of the mouth on a bench plane allowing the bench plane to remove the rest.

As for me, well not to be that guy but, I have pretty much everything I could want so I generally use a sliding fillister - that's the quickest.


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## Wrangler02 (Apr 15, 2011)

firemedic said:


> There are quite a few ways to cut a rabbet depending in the tools at hand. A 78 rabbet / fillister plane works great and as alao already mentioned a router plane will do as well. A No 10 will do as well. Less common alternates: Saw the line and chisel the waste. Plow a groove / dado up to the intended shoulder and to the complete depth. Then use a bench plane. The material removed by the plow will provide room for the sides of the mouth on a bench plane allowing the bench plane to remove the rest. As for me, well not to be that guy but, I have pretty much everything I could want so I generally use a sliding fillister - that's the quickest.


I have uses all of these methods and can attest to the fact that they all work. That being said, I recently bought a pair of Veritas Skew rabbit planes in order to make raised panels. They have been a bit of a time saver over the other methods.


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## Camden (Oct 22, 2013)

JQ, I went to my local old tool "honey hole" with the intention if buying a #45 that they had there, but I walked out with what I thought was a run-of-the-mill 190. I got home and got it out, and I'll be darned if it isn't a 190W. What are the odds? Very little info on these oddities. Hans' site has the most information, but it's still very, very little. Some time back in the late 90's, they were valued around 4-5 hundred, I believe, but obviously, that was a very different time. I suppose I'll go back tomorrow and pick up the 45(original box, all cutters in original roll), and while I'm there, I should probably get that 78 that firemedic recommended. 

I appreciate all the help fellas, and I an in starting a new thread in regards to the 190W, if anyone is interested. For now, I've got some rabbets to cut.

WCT


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Wrangler said:


> I have uses all of these methods and can attest to the fact that they all work. That being said, I recently bought a pair of Veritas Skew rabbit planes in order to make raised panels. They have been a bit of a time saver over the other methods.


I'm sure they do! Not much better than a skewed Rabbet or Fillister plane is badger! 

Man badgers are sweet too if you have to cut a rabbet cross grain and quite capable for raised panels as well. I need to build some skewed panel raisers at some point and they will definitely be based on my badger.


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## Wrangler02 (Apr 15, 2011)

firemedic said:


> I'm sure they do! Not much better than a skewed Rabbet or Fillister plane is badger! Man badgers are sweet too if you have to cut a rabbet cross grain and quite capable for raised panels as well. I need to build some skewed panel raisers at some point and they will definitely be based on my badger.


I'm not familiar with Badger. I don't raise enough panels to require a panel raiser, but the rabbit planes worked so much better than raising with chisels that I am happy.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

It's a quite large sliding fillister with a skewed iron and a nicker...


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## Billy De (Jul 19, 2009)

The 78 is an excellent plane for rabbeting as others have said just on new ones buyer beware.

About two years ago I had to buy a new one because someone needed my old one more than me,at least that's what they thought.

Straight out of the box it took me about 1/2 an hour on a band sander to square every thing up, but it is definitely the man for the job.

If money comes into it the wooden planes can definitely be picked up cheap and work just as good,there is no depth stop or fence with them but with a little effort they can be made to work.

I was first taught to cut a rabbet with a wooden plane its pretty simple,fist mark the depth and width with a marking gauge, say its 1" wide by 1/2 deep, place the plane on the stock at about half the width I place the thumb of my left hand on top of the plane and my fingers on the sole against the stock my fingers become the fence, run the plane through the stock about 3 times and you have a shoulder to work off.

Take the rabbet about half way down turn the plane on its side in the rabbet and plane the rest of the width to your gauge line.
Turn the plane back up and plane the rest down to the depth gauge line, finished easy peasy. Billy.


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## BigBadBuford (Jan 13, 2012)

I do them with either my Stanley 45 or a 78. I like doing them better with the 45, but the 78 does a decent job. My 78 is a new one and I haven't totally tuned it up, so that may be part of the problem - I just honed the blade and went to town. The machining on the sides and sole is a bit rough so I think it would work better with a little work. I also have to sharpen up the nicker, those things are dull as can be from the factory. But for $50 brand new I figured it wasn't a bad deal - I've tried to find a decent used one but they all seemed to be missing parts.


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## Camden (Oct 22, 2013)

I just picked up a 45 type 1 today, with all 18 cutters in original box. Haven't brought myself to use it yet, but I did use a 190W to cut some rabbets this evening. It was pretty nice, although th previous owner had a little more chamfer on the blade than I feel is necessary. Had to clean up a bit with a chisel, but overall, not bad for a $25 plane. Looking forward to trying out the 45 tomorrow. Still need to get a 78, though I think I'll go with an old one. Haven't heard great things about the newer, English made model.

WCT


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

I use three different methods depending on the size of the rabbet.

1) For most things, I use a Stanley 78. With a sharp nicker, it does just about anything.

2) For really big rabbets, I use an old skew-bladed wooden rabbet. It's big (I think about 2" across?) and has a heavy, heavy iron. I generally score a line for the shoulder, then start the plane off at an angle with just the corner of the iron in the scored line. After a few passes I start tipping it down. It takes some practice, but I like it better than the 78 for big rabbets along the grain.

3) For really small rabbets, I use the same technique as with the skew but with a modern weirdo wooden rabbet/shoulder plane I bought for $25 brand new. It's only 3/4" wide, and it's light enough to be easy to handle and control if I'm trying to cut a rabbet less than 1/2" wide, like the 1/8" rabbet I had to cut on the pencil box I made a while ago. For cross-grain I need to saw or score with a knife first.


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