Recommend a plane for trimming tenons?

[Pete Bradley]

I'm looking to improve on my current methods for truing/cleaning up tenons. Right now I'm using a combination of chisels and a Stanley #75. Seems to me a decent shoulder plane might do a better job, but there are a lot of models to choose from. Can someone recommend some models that do a decent job, are reasonably common used or new, and won't break the bank?

Pete

[Mark Berenbrok]

The Lee Valley medium shoulder plane is outstanding and reasonably priced. You cannot go wrong with this one.

[harry strasil]

I use a shop made tenon router for most of my tenons.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=36807&highlight=tenon+router

[Ian Gillis]

Jr, there's no end to your ingenuity. I think you ought to be talking to a publisher. When you consider that a lot of the woodworking books that come out are just a rehash of the same old stuff, you're a guy who has some very original ideas to pass along. And you've got the proof of your ideas all over your shop. Honestly, Jr, you're in the Roy Underhill, Alex Bealer category.

Is there anyone who can help Harry pitch a book to a publisher?

I wish you lived closer so I could pick your brains and root around your workshop.

Cheers
IG

[Hank Knight]

Pete,

I agree with Mark. I think a shoulder plane is the way to go. I have used wide chisels, a shoulder plane and, most recently, a LN 140 skew block plane for trimming tenon cheeks. The 140 is supposed to be just the ticket for the job. It works fine, but I like the shoulder plane better. I have the LN large shoulder plane and it's a fine tool, but a little on the heavy side. LN has recently started making a medium shoulder plane, which, as the name implies, is smaller than the "large" one. Look at it and also at the Lee Valley medium shoulder plane. I have never used one, but I have the LV bullnose shoulder plane. It's well designed and built tool, and I'm sure the medium shoulder plane is as well. And it's less expensive than the LN.

[Henry Cavanaugh]

I have the The Lee Valley medium shoulder plane since it came out and would buy it again. The larger LV shoulder plane came out after and I have no experience. The bullnose plane or chisel plane advantage is getting into dead end corners and could still be used for a tenon trim.

[Daniel Fisher]

To the above good suggestions I would add a large router plane. LV's new one is good.

Just like Harry's solution, you would get the advantage of easily triming the tenon exactly parallel to the exterior side of the piece. Depending on the sizes involved, it might be necessary to provide a support for the outer side of the router plane.

[Frank Desaulniers]

I tried a router plane but sometimes my mortises are a little crooked or off-center so it didn't really work for me. I have several shoulder planes but my favorite plane for tenon cheeks is a 60 1/2 R (rabetting block plane). I even usually use it for shoulders since I already have it in my hand...