Shoulder Plane Advice

[bob blakeborough]

So I think I am going to bite the bullet and buy a couple shoulder planes. I was set on buying a medium and a small Veritas models, but there is a Bull Nose plane that caught my eye. I may be wrong in my limited experience, but it seems to me like it might be a more versatile tool as it can not only act as a normal shoulder plane, but it can get into blind corners as well. Would replacing the medium shoulder plane with this, and still getting the small shoulder plane make sense? Is there any real drawback to this type of plane vs the medium shoulder plane?

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=49709&cat=1,41182,41192&ap=1

http://www.leevalley.com/en/images/item/woodworking/planes/05p4201insetd.jpg
http://www.leevalley.com/en/images/item/woodworking/planes/05p4201inset3.jpg

[David Weaver]

you will appreciate the longer nose on a medium shoulder plane when you use it to trim a tenon shoulder.

[Bill Houghton]

Actually, a bullnose is a specialized plane that you can live without for a long time. There are times that you need to do what a bullnose will do - but a sharp chisel, handled well, will usually do the same thing, at less cost. I say this as someone with (blush) two of them - but they spend most of their time in the small planes drawer, waiting for their chance to shine and mostly frustrated by inactivity.

I question whether you need two shoulder planes - get the medium first, and see how far it carries you.

[Tony Shea]

I agree with David in that the small nose on the bullnose plane makes the plane akward in use on typical shoulder plane applications. I have a bullnose and like Bill, most its' time is spent inside a drawer. The longer nose on a typical shoulder plane is how you are able to plane surfaces flat, same theory as a bench plane.

[bob blakeborough]

I guess my thought was that for now I would be using it to recess (terminology?) the bottoms on small(ish) boxes etc... What you have all said makes sense though. Steep learning curve going on! haha

[Jim Matthews]

The router plane is quite useful for dimensioning tenons, among other things.

[Jim Koepke]

+1 on forget the bullnose camp. Mine gets very little use compared to my medium shoulder plane.

jtk

[Chris Griggs]

Just out of curiosity, why 2 shoulder planes right away? Why not one shoulder and then another specialty plane... Router plane, skew rabbet, skew block, or plow? Or if you're going to get two why not a bigger spread as in getting the small and the large, seems like that would cover a bigger range of tasks? Once again, just curious.

[bob blakeborough]

Just out of curiosity, why 2 shoulder planes right away? Why not one shoulder and then another specialty plane... Router plane, skew rabbet, skew block, or plow? Or if you're going to get two why not a bigger spread as in getting the small and the large, seems like that would cover a bigger range of tasks? Once again, just curious.

I considered that also... I guess my rational was that since I have been trying to develop skills by making boxes, it might have been easier for making dados that don't run clear through edge to edge, and since you can remove the nose on the Veritas bullnose, it will leave the blade able to work right into the corner. I just thought it would be easier than chiseling. Maybe my ideas on how to build the bottom into a dovetailed box are not the best way, or I am just approaching this all wrong. I do like the idea of having something that will not only help with this task, but have a much wider range of uses as my abilities improve, and my projects with them.

I try and find instructions on the net for how to do box bottoms and I am starting to think I am quite the techno-peasant... I end up being left to my own devices and so far it is proving challenging! lol! Maybe I should just start a thread on attaching box bottoms instead. Thank heavens the internet is mostly anonymous or I would be too embarrassed by my newbie ideas and questions to ask for help. Everyones patience here is muchly appreciated...

[James Taglienti]

I got a verities medium in December and I love it. Fwiw the nose comes off that one too.

I've had a simple bullnose plane for a long time and use it a lot. The nose is fixed. It comes in handy making boxes... But for a first shoulder rabbet plane I'd get the medium.

[Steve Stack]

Bob, if you're main objective is to cut stopped dadoes, I would get a router plane, I have the LV with the fence. Works great after watching Derek Cohen's tutorial on his site, check it out.
Steve

[Chris Griggs]

Bob, if you're main objective is to cut stopped dadoes, I would get a router plane, I have the LV with the fence. Works great after watching Derek Cohen's tutorial on his site, check it out.
Steve

I agree, stopped dados are the bread and butter of a router plane. I second the LV large router plane. Love mine. It also does a respectable job with grooves if you don't have a plow plane.

It sounds like you want planes to help you cut joinery. I don't have a shoulder plane but I think of them as more of a plane for tuning joints, not cutting them.

From you've described you're probably better off purchasing a router plane and then either a plow plane or a fenced rabbet/fillester (e.g. LV skew rabbet).

[bob blakeborough]

Bob, if you're main objective is to cut stopped dadoes, I would get a router plane, I have the LV with the fence. Works great after watching Derek Cohen's tutorial on his site, check it out.
SteveI had found that not long after posting last night! I think that will be the way I might go. Router plane and a Medium shoulder...

[Terry Beadle]

Don't forget Stanley 92 and 93 style shoulder planes. They have the bull nose feature but are a bit stouter than the shoulder plane pictured above.

My brother Steve has the medium LV and let me test drive it. Really nice. The Stanley is about $50 cheaper and will need some fettling unless some kind previous owner had done the deed already.

I paid a little less than a $100 back in the 90s for mine at Highland Hardware. Very good plane. I like the 93 over the 92 because of the width.
I also have the large LN shoulder plane. Really nice and a go to for any medium or large tennon situations.

[Ryan Baker]

I agree with the majority here. I have a bullnose plane that I never use and frankly wish I never bought. With the nose being only about 1/4" long, it is useless for guiding the plane into the work. The nose can come off to make a chisel plane, but that is again something that I don't think I have ever used.

Go for the LV medium shoulder plane. The LV router is nice too, if it fits your needs.

[Ray Sheley]

There is another option, you could watch for a Record 311 plane which converts from Shoulder, to Bull Nose to chisel plane by removing different Nose sections. Not easy to find, and I suppose that you will need to look it over carefully to be sure of fits and alignments, but it might be a way to get all functions cheaper.

[glenn bradley]

I was also fascinated by the bull nose for quite awhile before making my decision. Waht is it about that thing!?! Thanks to all the wise folks here for steering me toward the medium shoulder plane. I love that thing.

[bob blakeborough]

Well in the end, I have ordered a small and large Veritas Shoulder planes for pick up at the store tomorrow. I also ordered a router plane but the are not currently in stock in the local store. I ended up buying a few books as well as a bunch of new measuring and marking tools and a good mitre box... Man, living in a city with a Lee Valley store gets expensive!!! Hahaha! Hey Rob... I just helped pay for your beach vacation! Again... lol!