A shoulder plane?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I defer to the knowledge in this forum for advice on a shoulder plane.

I am in the market for a shoulder plane to be used primarily to clean up tenons made with power tools. Sorry, I am not a purist.

My preference is to buy new. I don't have the patience or the desire to hunt at yard sales or pawn shops. The pawn shops locally have too much pride in their items IMO.

I am looking for one that is reasonably priced, works well and is meant to be a working tool rather than a museum show piece.

Your advice please.

Thanks in advance.

[Sean Hughto]

If you have the money, I don't think you can beat the LNs.
http://www.lie-nielsen.com/joinery-p...oulder-planes/

[Richard Kee]

A lot of us will not part with our LV medium shoulder plane. Order one now while free shipping is on.

Richard

[Tony Zaffuto]

I have a large LN, a small Preston and a medium LV. I use them in the order listed, and use the LN far, far more than I ever thought I would.

[Greg Ladd]

I have a medium LN that I like very well. It was purchased specifically for cleaning up tenon shoulders but I find more uses for it all the time.

Greg

[lowell holmes]

I have the LV medium shoulder plane. I would get the large one if ordering today. I use the router plane to dress tenons and such instead of shoulder planes.

[David Weaver]

Ken, the tenon shoulders or the tenon itself? (as in thickness?). The LV medium is a nice plane for cabinet sized tenons if you're going to use one, it's accurate, and it's got nice fixtures for a grip.

You're in luck in this case, there's not a lot of good used vintage shoulder plane type stuff out there - quite a lot of it is no match for what's made today. I think in most cases, though, cabinetmakers would've used chisels instead, thus the shortage of accurate vintage shoulder planes.

[paul cottingham]

I have a medium and a large LV shoulder plane. I honestly prefer the large one, and can't imagine woodworking without it. I find the handle on the LN shoulder planes hard to use. Bear in mind, I have bad hands, YMMV.

[Jim Koepke]

In my opinion it comes down to either the LV or the LN. The size depends on you.

In your location it may be difficult to get either in your hands before purchasing.

The LV has some adjustments/features the LN doesn't. I am not sure they are all that important or just more stuff getting in the way of doing the work.

jtk

[Jerome Hanby]

I looked at several before buying. I don't think any of the vintage models hold a candle to LV or LN. I got a deal on the LV, but I'm sure I would have been just as satisfied with the LN.

[Bill Rhodus]

I have the LV large shoulder plane and like it a lot, however, as I get older I find myself considering the purchase of a medium LV or LN to reduce weight

[Steve Southwood]

For cleaning up tenons i prefer this. http://www.lie-nielsen.com/block-planes/rabbet-block-plane-w/nicker/ Set at light pass and usually get the whole length at one time.

[Jim R Edwards]

Clifton also makes very nice shoulder planes.

[Chris Griggs]

If your main goal here is to trim tenon cheeks I agree that the LN Rabbet block is the cats meow. If you want something that will a large variety of rabbeting work and also tenon cheeks than an LN or LV large shoulder is probably the way to go.

I like using shoulder planes one handed but I find to that be a little awkward with the modern large shoulder planes (though certainly doable). I have an LV medium that use for most stuff and really like a lot, and I was about to pick up the LN rabbet block for wide stuff (e.g. cheekc), but ran across a good deal on 1 1/2 infill shoulder plane so got that instead. My and a lot of infills are wider and lower than the modern large shoulder planes and easier to use one-handed...sorta like a shoulder plane/rabbet block hybrid. Anyway long story short, if I hadn't found that infill I would have ordered the rabbet block for wider rabbeting stuff/cheeks and continued to use my medium for all other rabbet tweeking...I don't use any of them on tenon shoulders and prefer a chisel for that task...if your of a similar mindset when it comes to shoulders than I think that makes an even stronger case that a rabbeting block may meet your needs best.

[David Weaver]

but ran across a good deal on 1 1/2 infill shoulder plane so got that instead.

A disease that spread quickly.