Block Rabbet VS 140

[Joel Goodman]

What do all the experts think about the LN Rabbet Block vs the LN Skew Block 140 (iron). I would use it for adjusting tenon checks among other things. Which is more useful? What are the pros and cons of each?

[Tony Zaffuto]

I have both and use the 140 much more because I have never got used to nicking my fingers with the blade corners on the 60-1/2R! For trimming tenons, which I never find to take more than a couple of swipes, the 140, for me, is fine.

Tony Z.

[Pedro Reyes]

Two things.

1.- I am not very experienced, not in relation to many here anyway.
2.- I like tools (again not as much as many here :) )

You can accomplish a lot of things with just a few tools (I'm told), I don't think either of these would be part of a "basic" set. Even so, I have both :rolleyes:.

So to me it is not a matter of which one is better, but of following the silly philosophy of "specialized tools" rather than the more sensible and practical one of "multi-purpose tool", a luxury really.
So if the 140 is within reach and the 60R is not, then I use the 140 to trim a tenon, but normally I prefer the 60R for that and just save my 140 for when I need to rabbet something or for endgrain work.

A last attempt at actually providing some useful info: If I could get just one it would be the 140.

my 2 c

/p

Edit:

Pros 140.

Has a nicker for crossgrain work
Skew blade seems to help on endgrain as well as puling plane in on rabbets

Cons 140
fixed mouth
I have my doubts about sole being coplanar when I remove the side.

Pros 60R

true rabbet (blade extends on both sides)

Cons 60R
fixed mouth
no nicker

[David Tiell]

Cons 60R

no nicker

Actually, I believe that for an additional charge, you can order it with the nickers. I got mine that way. While I haven't had the need to use them yet, I like the ability when I eventually will.

[Mike Henderson]

Actually, I believe that for an additional charge, you can order it with the nickers. I got mine that way. While I haven't had the need to use them yet, I like the ability when I eventually will.
You certainly can get it with the nickers (see pix). If I remember, the upcharge was $25.

Mike

[As Tony Z. commented earlier, I don't use mine more because I'm always catching my hand or fingers on the blade since it sticks out the side a bit. I also have a 140 and like it very much. But for trimming a tenon, if you have the LV medium shoulder plane, you can use the shoulder plane to get the corner by the shoulder then use any block plane to trim the cheeks. If you don't have a shoulder plane you can use a chisel to trim by the shoulders, then use your block plane.]

[Pedro Reyes]

Actually, I believe that for an additional charge, you can order it with the nickers. I got mine that way. While I haven't had the need to use them yet, I like the ability when I eventually will.

Pleasant surprise, I stand corrected. Do they (LN) retrofit both sides?

Also a note, when I said trim tenons I meant cheeks, not shoulders, for shoulders I use a LV medium shoulder plane which is superb, to the point where we should just refer to it as MSP form now on ;). Again silly justification for having 3 tools when a more talented woodworker would use a single chisel for all that.

/p

[Mike Henderson]

Pleasant surprise, I stand corrected. Do they (LN) retrofit both sides?

/p
Yes. I bought mine from somewhere other than LN direct and sent it back to LN to have the nickers added. I don't think they charged postage to return it to me - the $25 covered everything except my shipping to them.

Mike