buying a shoulder plane. Which size?

[Bob Glenn]

I am going to order a Veritas shoulder plane from Lee Valley. I will probably use it mostly to pare tenon shoulders and faces. I'm in a struggling with which size to order, the large with an inch and a quarter iron, or the medium with an eleven sixteens iron. The only advantage I can see in the medium plane is its ability to plane the bottom of a 3/4 inch dado. I usually clean up dados with my routor plane. Any advice from those out there that use these? Bob

[Nick Stokes]

I use a router to pare the tenons. Have you tried that? Works pretty good.

I don't have a shoulder plane, I cant find a good reason for one.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I have the large and find it a bit too large. It is coming in handy for the massive tenons on the Roubo, but for most other stuff I find it big for tenon shoulders. I am getting a medium if it shows up tonight on cyber Monday.

[Rob Luter]

I have the medium. It works great. No issues at all with the size.

[Larry Frank]

I have the Veritas Medium Shoulder Plane and really like it. I especially like the little knob on the top that fits between thumb and index finger. It is as nice solid great performing plane.

[Jim Koepke]

My money would also be on the medium. Over the years there have been many who have said the big one is too large. Not many complaints of the medium being too medium, or small.

jtk

[glenn bradley]

I love my LV large shoulder plane BUT, the medium gets much more use. If I could only have one, it would be the medium.

[Mike Henderson]

I only have the medium but like it. Never felt the need for larger.

Mike

[Patrick Chase]

I am going to order a Veritas shoulder plane from Lee Valley. I will probably use it mostly to pare tenon shoulders and faces. I'm in a struggling with which size to order, the large with an inch and a quarter iron, or the medium with an eleven sixteens iron. The only advantage I can see in the medium plane is its ability to plane the bottom of a 3/4 inch dado. I usually clean up dados with my routor plane. Any advice from those out there that use these? Bob

The answer seems obvious to me: All of them.

[Derek Cohen]

I am going to order a Veritas shoulder plane from Lee Valley. I will probably use it mostly to pare tenon shoulders and faces.

Hi Bob

You are describing two different tasks. Trying to use one tool for both is doable, but I find it impractical. Consider ...

Tenon shoulders are easiest done with a chisel: score the line, undercut it slightly for a knife wall, and the place a wide-ish chisel in the knife wall, and pare away the waste.

If you require a shoulder plane - and sometimes one needs to remove a fine shaving - then I prefer the Veritas Small (1/2") as it is rare to need to remove wider waste, and this plane offer the best visibility and control.

A 1/2" wide shoulder plane is also the most controllable when squaring rebates or details on mouldings. If you are uncomfortable with going this small, get the next size up (the Medium, 3/4").

These shoulder planes are poor on tenon cheeks. I also have the Large shoulder plane (1 1/4"), but find it clumsy and uncomfortable to use on cheeks. It can be used - some like doing so - but I do do not recommend it (Hell, I have the Large Veritas and an infill 1 1/4", and both rarely get used).

My preference for cheek tuning is a rasp or float if there is a smidgeon to remove, or a wide chisel if there is a slight deformation to level, or a router plane if there is doubt whether the sides of the cheeks are parallel to the stretcher. Never a plane, since they are difficult to control and more likely to cause problems.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[paul cottingham]

I use my LV large shoulder plane for most tenon trimming chores. I like its mass. That being said, I wouldn't be without my medium shoulder plane if I could help it either.

[Skip Helms]

I'd go medium too. I don't have those specific units but a homemade 1/2" gets more use than the 073. For the cheeks I'll usually turn to a 10 1/2. For shoulders I like something that rests more on the the surface than hangs over the edge. Even then, I'll more often use a chisel and come from the outside in both directions so I don't tear-out the exit side.

I cheat too. For most tenons I set a stop on the radial saw and cut the shoulders identically. You could do the same on a tablesaw too. Not as Neanderthal as some but dead square. Cheers, sh

[Ken Shepard]

I have both large and medium Veritas shoulder planes, but rarely use either one. I trim tenon shoulders with a chisel and cheeks with a router plane. The Veritas skew rabbet plane get used a lot more in my shop than any shoulder plane.

Ken

[Don Slaughter]

I have the LN medium shoulder plane.....it has served me well for many years. I also have an HNT Gordon small shoulder plane that gets lots use, too. Some folks swear by the Large Shoulder Plane but I just don't see how I would/could fid it more useful than my medium.

good luck,

Don

[Bob Glenn]

Wow, glad I asked! So the large is out, however, after Ken Shepard's post, maybe I don't need a shoulder plane at all. Decisions, decisions. I won the December Popular Woodworking best tip of the month and that 250 dollar gift certificate is burning a hole in my pocket! Bob Glenn

[David Eisenhauer]

IMO, I believe that shoulder planes are not used very often to work over typical furniture-sized tenon shoulders (e.g. 3/4" mat'l with 1/4" tenons, 1/4" shoulders). I believe they are more useful in larger dimensioned material projects, however I am very sure that they are used on shoulders by some users. As others have said, chisels-floats-router planes work well for most of furniture-sized tenons and again, IMO, certainly a large sized shoulder plane would tend to be unwieldy on typical furniture sized tenons. The medium-large sizes can be used as rabbet planes and I do use a medium size shoulder plane when I am having problems making my #7? (something) rabbet plane work well against the grain. I would try a small-sized shoulder plane if I wanted to try it on tenons created in 3/4" mat'l.

[Skip Helms]

For a budget idea, look about 4 1/2 minutes into this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiTwEeFgAIg

I've hacked several of the 110 planes for myself or beginning woodworkers. sh

[Kevin Hampshire]

I guess I'm odd man out here. Have a LV medium and it was okay for furniture work on shoulders. Got a LV large last year and I really like the mass for trimming end grain on shoulders.

I recently ordered a LV small shoulder plane. I liked the large so much, maybe there's something to the small as well.

[Brett Luna]

For what it's worth, my vote is to get the medium first​, then get the large. I have found both to be handy.

[Patrick Chase]

For what it's worth, my vote is to get the medium first​, then get the large. I have found both to be handy.

..and then get the small. And maybe the bullnose, too. And then the detail rabbets.

FWIW chalk me up as another person who doesn't think that shoulder planes are ideal for cheek-trimming, Gochnour's old FWW article notwithstanding. If I use a plane at all for that I'll go with a skew block, but as others have said chisels usually make more sense.

[Kevin Hampshire]

Patrick, I do use the large shoulder plane for shoulders and sometimes the cheeks. I could use the skew block but the height of the large shoulder plane telegraphs any lean to either side. Also, the wider blade (versus the smaller shoulder planes) does a pretty good job across the entire tenon for typical furniture work.

Ultimately for me, it makes some sense to use the tool I have in my hand already versus grabbing an additional tool. Of course, the exact same argument could be made for just using a chisel.

I'd be curious if those recommending the medium shoulder have spent much time with the large? I don't remember who recommended it to me but the mass of the large does suit me. No doubt that a sharp chisel can do the job too.

[Bob Glenn]

For what it's worth, my vote is to get the medium first​, then get the large. I have found both to be handy.
Brett, FWIW, looking at your avatar, it looks like you know your way around a glass of brew too, or two or three!

[Patrick Chase]

Patrick, I do use the large shoulder plane for shoulders and sometimes the cheeks. I could use the skew block but the height of the large shoulder plane telegraphs any lean to either side. Also, the wider blade (versus the smaller shoulder planes) does a pretty good job across the entire tenon for typical furniture work.

Ultimately for me, it makes some sense to use the tool I have in my hand already versus grabbing an additional tool. Of course, the exact same argument could be made for just using a chisel.

I'd be curious if those recommending the medium shoulder have spent much time with the large? I don't remember who recommended it to me but the mass of the large does suit me. No doubt that a sharp chisel can do the job too.

I have the large and the medium. And the small, and the bullnose, etc.

A lot comes down to subjective preference, which is why I said "FWIW chalk me up as another person who doesn't think that shoulder planes are ideal for edge-trimming" instead of "they aren't ideal for edge-trimming". I completely understand where you're coming from, but simply have different preferences :-).

[Prashun Patel]

i like the large vs the medium. I like the mass of it. I have even used it as a shooting plane on occasion for trimming a narrow panel. The adjustable handles made that ergonomic.

I do reach for it less and less as my chisel and saw skills improve. how are your chisels and saws? Could you spend some $$ on those?

[Bill Houghton]

I have a Record 073 (1-1/4" iron) and a Lee Valley medium (11/16" iron), and I almost never use the Record. I'm not sure, though, whether that's because the Lee Valley is so much friendlier in use, or because of the size. I should buy the big LV plane to check...