Side Rabbet Planes

[Lewis Moon]

I just completed a frame for a small Japanese woodblock print and when trying to set the pre-cut glass into it, realized that, in the process of cleaning, evening and gluing all of the miters, I had made the frame a scosh small. Just the thing for a side rabbet plane! But NOooo! I had to go at it with a chisel. Good if you have a steady hand, but mine is less so.
What are your suggestions for side rabbet planes besides the (expensive) #98 and #99? Is the #79 an OK substitute? What about the Record #2056 or the (scarcer than hen's teeth) Sargent equivelent?

[Steve Wargo]

Wooden molding style ones can be had pretty cheap. I just purchased another set of side rebates from Tony Murland in the UK and only paid $45 for a matched pair delivered. They work very well. Good luck. But you still have to get into the corners... A chisel plane may be more of what you're looking for.

[Lewis Moon]

Wooden molding style ones can be had pretty cheap. I just purchased another set of side rebates from Tony Murland in the UK and only paid $45 for a matched pair delivered. They work very well. Good luck. But you still have to get into the corners... A chisel plane may be more of what you're looking for.

Most of the iron side rabbet planes are at least nominally bullnosed. Cleaning up corners I can do, it's the long stretches where the chisel wanders where it may.

[Mike K Wenzloff]

Hi Lewis,

While I prefer my wooden side rebates, there are times that only my Record 2506 will do--like after assembly. The 98/99 pair can be used bullnose as well as my Record. Works best to go as far as possible before popping off the toe-piece.

The 2506 doesn't have a depth stop if that is important to you. The 'S' version does as well as the 98/99 pair. I sharpen my irons to be level at the bottom edge so it's not an issue. But that also makes there be only one optimum shaving thickness. Never been an issue and is like I am use to on the wooden side rebates.

I've not had a 79 for a long time. I didn't overly like it for some reason I can no longer remember. I did have the 98/99 pair from LN and those worked extremely well.

Take care, Mike

[Richard Niemiec]

The 79 can be a bit pricey in the used market, and it has the limitations inherent in going both ways; sometimes the blade pointing in the opposite direction has to be recessed to get the proper cut, and then when you go the other way, you have to fiddle with it again. I sold mine for $85 or so, and bought the LN 98 and 99 for about $100 more and I'll tell you, I'd do it again in a minute - best upgrade I've made, well, its up there with selling my Stanley #94 and buying the LV medium sholder plane, that was another upgrade I'd do in a minute. The 98 and 99 also allow for bullnose use in the corners.

On the other hand, Steve's suggestion of wooden planes has a lot of merit, but while you still have to deal with the corners, its not all that big of a deal to chisel out. You can't beat single purpose planes for this task.

[Pam Niedermayer]

How large is the small woodblock print? It could be too small for any plane to be effective. The 79 works fine as long as you don't try to use it back and forth, forth only or back only works.

Pam

[Lewis Moon]

The frame for the print is large enough to fit one of the side rabbets in....but your suggestion that the #79 is limited by it's length is a good one. The Record 2506 http://www.antiquetools.com/perm-col/west-wing/record.html is looking better and better. Time to put on my tool hunter hat.

[Pam Niedermayer]

Remember that the frame has to be at least twice as long as the side rebate plane. I don't think the 2506 is appreciable shorter than the 79. The shortest, AFAIK, are the 98/99.

Pam

[Mark Stutz]

I don't have a side rebate, but the 98/99 work exactly as advertised. Find I use them more than I thought I would. Not even sure I would recognize a side rebate, though, if I saw one. (Hint, hint:D)

Mark

[Lewis Moon]

Remember that the frame has to be at least twice as long as the side rebate plane. I don't think the 2506 is appreciable shorter than the 79. The shortest, AFAIK, are the 98/99.

Pam

The #2506 is 3" long with the nose attached, the #79 is 5 1/2 " and the #98/99 are 4" long.

[andy brown]

Hi,
I have and use a 79.
It fact they must be wanted as I had one stolen from my toolbox years ago!!
A great and cheap(er) alternative to some others which might look prettier; but they all do (roughly) the same job, and for me, a job that's not too rough is a start.
I've been on this course 30 years now and I'm not sure I'm ever going to graduate.

Andy.

[Pam Niedermayer]

The #2506 is 3" long with the nose attached, the #79 is 5 1/2 " and the #98/99 are 4" long.

Thanks, Lewis, shows how deceptive photos are. I was comparing the 2506 with the whoopido Preston gizmo I had for a short while; and I've never owned the 98/99. I do like the 79.

Pam