Veritas small or medium router plane?

[Joe Kasier]

I am getting an early start on making Christmas gifts. This year I have 6 keep sake boxes to make and maybe a small jewelry box. Also, a comically large spoon. I’ll have to post pictures of that one when I am done.

Anyway, the design I have come up with for the keepsake boxes requires the bottom to be inset in a groove. I am going to be dovetailing the side together so I can’t just run a plough plane across the length or it will show. I think I am just going to use a stopped groove. After a bit of research I know I can just do it like a stopped dado using a chisel/router.

I have a full size router with a 3/8 in cutter. I need a 1/4 inch one for the bottom so I have been looking at getting a small router plane. (I have the lie-nielson which doesn’t have smaller cutters)

To get to the point, I am looking at the veritas small and medium router plane. The small comes with a 1/8 cutter. The medium is twice as much, but it has a variety of cutters that can be bought later.

Any suggestions? I’m not worried about quality, but I don’t want to spend 50$ on the small only to find the medium would be better in the long run. Has anyone had experience needed specialized size cutters and what they would be use for? On the flip side, I don't want to spend 100+ on the medium router and never need to buy the other cutters.

[lowell holmes]

Lie Nielsen has 3/32" and 1/4" cutters for their small router plane. I have them and they are listed on line.

[Bill Houghton]

I have the small and wish they'd offered the medium when I bought it. As delivered, the shank of the cutter has a tendency to twist in the clamp if you take anything but delicate cuts. There are fixes, ranging from the simple but only somewhat effective (rough-sanding the shank) to the more complicated but permanent (grinding flats on the back side of the shank to make with the body); but it would have been nice not to have to think about these.

[Richard Line]

Another option is to buy the cutter(s) that you want from LV and then make a simple body to hold them. That was my approach, and I've been pretty happy with them.

[James Pallas]

Lie Nielsen makes an adapter that enables you to use the small cutters in the large router. I have the adapter and have used it. It is a bit fiddlely to use but not bad. To do what you propose it may be just as easy to chisel the groove. Cut both sides with a mortise gauge and chisel it out. I use a mortise chisel bevel down. The mortise chisel having a longer bevel gives you more to ride on. Once your work is put together it should not be seen again. You will need some space there anyway if using solid wood bottoms.
Jim

[Doug Hepler]

Joe,

I chose the Veritas Medium. It is my preferred tool for inlay work and I have done some dado/groove work with it as well. Excellent tool. I bought the various sizes of cutters and that has saved me delay when I did not plan ahead or changed my mind.

Doug

[Patrick Chase]

I have the medium and use it for that sort of work. The footprint isn't very different between the two, but the medium is taller and has much bulkier mechanics.

IMO the biggest advantage of the medium router plane is that it uses the same cutters as the full-sized one. That gives it a lot more versatility than the small, and may also save you a little money.

[glenn bradley]

Another option is to buy the cutter(s) that you want from LV and then make a simple body to hold them. That was my approach, and I've been pretty happy with them.

If you're not needing the large, I would do this. The medium was fussy to set up and even fussier to make fine adjustments on. I really, really, really wanted it to be better but, bought the full size LV and have been very happy with it. The medium, I just couldn't get happy with it.

[Derek Cohen]

I do not have the Medium, but likely would have purchased one had I not already built a medium-sized router plane based around the Large Veritas blades. (I have the Large and the Small). The range of blades is a big factor for me. I use the router for grooves of varying widths. The Small is rarely used because it have just one blade. The Large is used most of the time.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Joe Kasier]

Sorry, I have a large LN. I'm looking for a 1/4 inch cutter. I could get the adapter/cutter for my LN but that adds up fast. Im just debating if I should spend the 50 on the small veritas and use the 1/8 cutter (which would work) or spend the extra money on the medium. My concern is spending money on something I won't need (i.e. the ability to have all those cutters which I can't see a use for at the moment. That doesn't mean I won't next year )

[Shawn Pixley]

I have and use the Veritas Medium Router plane. I like it for its adjustment and the selection of blades. Used for inlay, grooves, dados and tenon alignment / tuning.

[Frederick Skelly]

I have the small and the large. I like the small A LOT for its size. I use it for box work, as you describe. It comes standard with a 1/4" blade, which is perfect for my needs - I've never needed a different blade. If you worry about the twisting blade that folks mention, Derek has a simple fix that locks the blade to eliminate that, on his website.

With all that said, if the medium had been available, I'd have bought it instead of buying both the large and small. If you can spare the extra $50, I'd buy the medium for its flexibility. But the small is a perfectly good tool that will work for what you described.

Fred

[Bruce Haugen]

The medium is only 1/4" wider than the small, so you're not saving much there. Based on Bill H's experience and recommendation, I got the LV medium router plane with the optional smaller blade and love it.

[Joe Kasier]

Medium it is then :) thanks everyone!

[Reinis Kanders]

BTW medium plane adjusts nicely enough with hammer taps.

[Derek Cohen]

Keep in mind that it is not difficult to grind the blades for the Small to whatever size you want (as long as these are smaller that the existing 1/4" blade).

Regards from Perth

Derek

[glenn bradley]

Sorry, I have a large LN. I'm looking for a 1/4 inch cutter.

My bad Joe. I misunderstood.

[Matt Lau]

Our own Derek Cohen is too classy to mention this, but he did an excellent write up on making wooden router planes.
If I didn't buy a beautiful (and cheap) mahogany router plane, I'd have gone down that route (I even got the wood and hardware parts for it, but no time or energy!).
I honestly like his design better than the LV large router plane that I have sitting unused in my bedroom.

His write up is here. http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/OldWoman'sTooth.html

Cheers mate!

[Derek Cohen]

Thanks for the kind words Matt. Since you have outed me, I must point out that router you linked to was an early design - still OK, but it has been superseded by the design in the link below. A little more to do, but a whole lot better router plane. This one is built around the LV blades and the article includes a template ...

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/BuildingaWoodenRouterPlane.html

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/BuildingaWoodenRouterPlane_html_m5cad628e.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Frederick Skelly]

Derek, even your simplest tools are beautiful. I wish I had (or could learn) your sense of design, Sir.
Fred