Looking for advice on a shoulder plane

[Anchul Axelrod]

So I am thinking that I would like to add a shoulder plane to the till. I am pretty much decided on a Lee Valley, I love the idea of the movable handles.

What I am not decided on is a medium or a large. It seems to me, in my thinking, that a large would be more versatile. It would handle most furniture tenons, as well as the tenon clean up work on the future Roubo, although it would be too large for standard 3/4" dado a groove work. What are your thoughts in regards to size for the first shoulder plane? And thanks for the input in advance.

[Peter Pedisich]

Anchul,

Just last night I ordered a Lee Valley medium shoulder plane - it had the features I wanted like chamfered edges and movable handle and great reviews on forums, and a big thing like you mentioned, its 11/16" wide for 3/4 dados. But you've got me thinking I should of got the large one already!


Pete

[glenn bradley]

Love the medium, If I could only have one it would be the medium. You can take 2 strokes on wider surfaces but, it is hard to take a half a stroke on a narrow one ;-)

[Anchul Axelrod]

Thanks guys! Glenn, THAT'S my thought exactly, but just the other way around. Perhaps I'm not thinking right. Since the blade is 1 1/4" wide, I'm on their site now, I figure I could work on narrow tenons pretty easily, until they get too narrow. Not sure what too narrow is though. And I could work on wider ones. Is my thought process skewed, no pun intended :) I would also think the extra weight would be beneficial in cross grain planing.

[Andrew Gibson]

I have been tossing around the same thoughts myself. I don't have any shoulder planes currently. I also have some fair winnings coming in soon and... I made a sale!!! so I have some tool budget coming into play. My next commission is most likely going to be a big table and chair set and the table will be out of 8/4 cherry with breadboard ends. I am going to have use for a shoulder plane. I was set on the medium, then I got to handling the LN shoulder planes at one of their events and now I am thinking about the large as it felt fairly good. I am still leaning toward the LV for its ergonomics.

I think it will come down to the fact that the breadboard table will be best suited to be done with the medium.