best planes for trimming tenons

[ryan sikes]

i just started woodworking about a year ago. at first i had a huge wish list of power tools but now i have figured out that i will use mostly hand tools ;). i do have a router mounted under a benchtop table and a dp with a mortising attachment. for now that will do for power tools. i have made a small bench top table for my laptop, a bigger version as a coffee table that i gave away as a wedding present and i just finished making a full sized bed for my 3yr old daughter. all are craftsmen style-pegged mortise and tenons. i only have a block plane, #4 and #6, a harry disston as well as a set of blue chips. i am having some difficulty gettting the shoulders of the tenons just the right height. so i am think about getting a shoulder plane and maybe a #140 for the cheeks but i am looking for some recommendations.

this is my first post but i have been enjoying this site for some time now.

[Alan Turner]

Welcome, esp. to the dark side. For shoulder planes, I think that the med. LV shoulder plane is hard to beat. For the cheeks, a router plane is pretty effective, although not the only possibility.

[Mark Singer]

I agree with Alan...I have several shoulder planes and the LV Med is a great one!

[Michael Gabbay]

Ok call me a snob... ;) I love my LN Large shoulder plane. They also have a medium as well.

Mike

[ryan sikes]

i have been eyeing the lv medium shoulder plane. for the cheeks i have been using an old timber framing 2" firmer chisel. what other tools work well for that?

[Pam Niedermayer]

I'm not snobbish at all, but I do love my LN large shoulder. I bought it before LV versions existed, suspect they're fine, too.

As for the tenons, the 140 works great, but you'd probably need two of them, right and left handed, to avoid splitting out the edge. Instead, I got the LN 60-1/2 rebate block plane to plane both from the right and left sides of the tenon. It's pretty cool, does the job. I normally clamp the tenon so it faces me and work from left and right.

Pam

[Tim Sproul]

A file is better for fine fitting of tenons when you're sawing is wee bit less than perfect.

I'm still trying to figure out what a shoulder plane is good for.....:)

[Ernie Hobbs]

Another option is a Stanley 93. You can usually find these for $75-$95 on ebay. Other ones are the Stanley 92 or 90. For undercutting cheeks, any good wide flat sharp chisel should do. If you choose to use a file, be very careful not to round the corners, as that will show a gap in your joint. Good luck.

[Jerry Palmer]

I already had a router plane for cleaning out narrower dados and grooves, so go the Large LV Shoulder rather than the medium. It works great.

[tod evans]

ryan, welcome to the creek! a stanley 93 will do the job for probably the least amount of money. if you`re lucky enough to find one made in usa it will hold its value. .02 tod

[Hank Knight]

I have a LN #140 I use for tenon cheeks. It works great. Used it this weekend, in fact, and once again appreciated what a fine tool it is. As others have mentioned, a broad, sharp chisel also works well.

[Bob Smalser]

http://www.leevalley.com/images/item/woodworking/planes/05p4101s8.jpg

http://www.lie-nielsen.com/images/042_sm.jpg

I've used the smaller L/V, and it has enuf clumsy bells and whistles hanging on it that if you ever put it in a pocket, you'd might be three days getting it out. ;) And like their chisels, L/N is out there copying English designs chosen more for pretty than function....lotsa handle there sticking out, isn't there?

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/5536778/70922238.jpg

For starters, I like a 60-dollar US-made #93 above for you. A simple, compact, comfortable one-handed plane used just as well forwards, backwards and on its side.

Lots of them out there that ain't pretty enuf for the collectors but remain great planes. Make sure yours isn't cracked anywhere, although the cracked ones are dirt cheap and also usually work fine with cleaning and sharpening. I have all three sizes now and recommend the #93 to start.

You can have both a #93 and a #92 (as they all also convert to chisel planes for corner work, the utility of the #90 is questionable.) for less than the price of a L/V or L/N.

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Ryan

Here is a link to a review I did on the LV Medium Shoulder plane. I contrasted it with the Stanley #92 and the HNT Gordon 3/4". This review also contains a little tutorial of tuning tenons, and in particular the use of a Stanley #140.

http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com/reviews/veritasshoulderplane.htm

Of the three shoulder planes my vote went to the LV Medium. I note that Bob does not like the "Bells and Whistles". These are removable and, if so done, the LV is still the stand out plane. Second choice would be the HNT Gordon.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[ryan sikes]

thank you all for the great response. i have been looking on the auction site but it seems that the end price with shipping ends up being close to the new cost for the stanley 90-93 family. i will keep looking and saving money. i have a couple of veritas products and have been quite impressed and am anxious to try out one of their planes.