# Shoulder planes & your picks



## Crusader (Jan 14, 2013)

So far I've had fairly good results using my table saw for tenon work, but it is tedious work making sure I'm dead nuts on.
I recently read an article on the virtues of using a shoulder plane to fine fit a tenon. This is appealing to me in several ways. One, I don't have to be so anal in my saw setup, thus speeding up that process and two finally a way to properly deal with a misaligned shoulder.
I have been looking at several planes, the medium Veritas and the Stanley. The Veritas has a 11/16 blade is that adequate for most tenons? 
The Stanley plane is a take apart that turns into a chisel plane, is that worthy or gimmick? I don't mind spending the money if I spend it once.
I'd appreciate your thoughts on the subject.
Eric


----------



## tc65 (Jan 9, 2012)

I've got the Stanley 92 and to be honest, I use it more for rabbets than for shoulders (I don't have a rabbet plane). 

You can use it as a chisel plane, and every once in a while it is handy to do a little trimming with it that way. However, if you use it for very long as a chisel plane you better have some really thick callus on your hands or wrap a rag over it. It is very uncomfortable.

I've been happy with the Stanley and would buy it again (Amazon ~$70) if I somehow lost it.

It's nowhere near the quality of the Veritas, but for me it does the job.


----------



## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

I have a small Lie-Nielsen and it's a fantastic little plane.


----------



## Crusader (Jan 14, 2013)

sawdustfactory said:


> I have a small Lie-Nielsen and it's a fantastic little plane.


Do you feel it's sized right for most tenon cheeks?


----------



## Gilgaron (Mar 16, 2012)

The 92 is too narrow for cheeks... I have used my 78 for cheeks, but I think I'd rather have a LN float. They look pretty neat.


----------



## Fred Hargis (Apr 28, 2012)

I have the large and small LN, and the medium Veritas shoulder planes. The small LN seems to get used the most, but maybe that's because I do a lot of stub tenons. I generally favor the shape of the LN over the Veritas, thye just seem a little more comfortable to me and my smallish hands. The LN planes also have the blade stick out from the side of the plane by a few thousandths, I think Veritas skipped doing that. That said, the Veritas is an excellent plane, and does a very nice job. If I only had one, I would want it to be the medium size, and the 11/16 is also handy if you clean out the bottom of a 3/4" dado. Rest assured, between to two, you cannot pick a loser. I've not handled the Stanley, no opinion on that one....but I did see a recent deal on Amazon where you got it for somewhere in the $60 range (I think) with some kind of rebate deal. OK, I had to go look, it's $77 with a $10 rebate.


----------



## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

I have the Veritas Medium Shoulder Plane.

Always a pleasure to use. One of my favourite planes.


----------



## mike1950 (Aug 29, 2010)

I have a Med Veritas and a large LN. Both are great planes. The Large is almost too big for my large hands. Nice for large work though. The med fits perfect. I would buy both again. I have a LN chisel plane but I would not use it myself for tenons. If I were to have to settle on just one- it would be the medium in either LN or Veritas. Worth the extra bucks.


----------



## Crusader (Jan 14, 2013)

*Thanks fellas!*

Alrighty then, the big dogs have spoken :thumbsup: Thanks for the insight, and your time. I will be ordering a Medium but what? a LN or Veritas
Hmmm. decisions decisions.


----------



## mike1950 (Aug 29, 2010)

Crusader said:


> Alrighty then, the big dogs have spoken :thumbsup: Thanks for the insight, and your time. I will be ordering a Medium but what? a LN or Veritas
> Hmmm. decisions decisions.


You will not regret either- they are magnificent tools. I have an LN block plane also that is kind of my right hand....... I just traded some wood for a LN dovetail saw that is almost to pretty to use. I am glad it does not realize what a hard life it will have- I will use it!!!


----------



## Crusader (Jan 14, 2013)

Ok guys it was a tough call but I went with the Veritas medium with the PM-V11 blade for $11 more. Can't wait!


----------



## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Crusader said:


> Ok guys it was a tough call but I went with the Veritas medium with the PM-V11 blade for $11 more. Can't wait!


I recently purchased a PM-V11 blade for a vintage Stanley #5, mostly just to check this steel out for myself. I am liking this blade.


----------



## Tom King (Nov 22, 2013)

That would have been my choice too. I've been using the large and small Record since I bought them new before there was a LN or LV. Those were the only new ones that I knew anything about then.

Being super sharp is probably more important on a shoulder plane than any other.


----------



## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

Pretty easy to use a sharp chisel, you can pare the cheeks on small cabinet tenons with great control. Not so easy to register a plane, work across the grain and get fine, consistent results. Shoulder planes come in handy for other work. I use a 3 in one quite a bit, not for forming rabbets but for tweaking a fit. I wouldn't use a plane to fit small tenons.


----------



## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

It ties back to the name of the plane, shoulder plane. They're designed to register against a flat cheek to true up the shoulder if the tenon.


----------



## EastexToolJunky (Mar 25, 2013)

Anyone use the wood river shoulder plane yet?


----------



## Crusader (Jan 14, 2013)

This is probably old news for some of you, but I found this on FW
http://www.finewoodworking.com/tool-guide/video/how-to-use-a-shoulder-plane.aspx

This is what got me interested in using my soon to be mine shoulder plane!


----------

