Combination Plane or Skew Rabbet Plane

[Geoff Brooks]

I'm looking to purchase some new hand tools, would like to reduce the amount of work i do on my router table. Considering purchasing the RH & LH skew rabbet, combination plane, jack rabbet and shooting plane all from veritas. The jack rabbet would replace the LA Jack that Im going to sell. My question is, is there too much redundancy in the skew rabbet, jack rabbet and combination plane? Would like to use the combination plane for mouldings but can it replace the skew rabbet? I work on small to medium sized furniture projects and the odd large table / bench.

[Hilton Ralphs]

The Jack Rabbet plane is for work on a larger scale. Perhaps consider keeping the LA Jack and just use the Skew Rabbet for all your rebate work.

[Chet R Parks]

The combo plane is great, but for doing rebate work it's vary difficult to beat the Skew Rabbet especially going cross grain.

[Jim Koepke]

I'm looking to purchase some new hand tools, would like to reduce the amount of work i do on my router table. Considering purchasing the RH & LH skew rabbet, combination plane, jack rabbet and shooting plane all from veritas. The jack rabbet would replace the LA Jack that Im going to sell. My question is, is there too much redundancy in the skew rabbet, jack rabbet and combination plane? Would like to use the combination plane for mouldings but can it replace the skew rabbet? I work on small to medium sized furniture projects and the odd large table / bench.

Howdy Geoff and a long awaited welcome to the Creek.

A jack rabbet will not actually replace the LA Jack. An LA Jack can be used for shooting, from both sides if need be. The shooting plane, from what folks say, does a bet better job than the jack at shooting, even if from only one side.

What work do you do or anticipate a jack rabbet would be useful? For most rabbet work the smaller planes would be adequate. They can cut a rabbet over 1-1/2" which is usually plenty. (big enough for 2X lumber)

The skew rabbets would be handy as they can work well across grain. Also in situations when the grain is running the wrong way it is handy to have a plane that is made to go the wrong way.

The combination plane can do rabbet work, but it won't be as well suited for the job as the skew rabbets. The combination plane will do great at cutting grooves for drawer and box bottoms. There are also ways to cut slots when making a box to use a plow blade for a slot on the inside and then with the box all glued up around the outside to not only separate the bottom and top but to make the lid a fitted lid so the inside slot fits over the one cut on the outside.

A combination plane will also be able to create decorative features on your work and can create some molding profiles. You will possibly find making molding is fascinating and end up purchasing a bunch of wooden molding planes to expand the possibilities.

jtk

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Geoff

As others here have implied, get speciality planes, not Swiss Army Knives. The two that stand out that I would get first are a plough (either the Small Plow or the Combo) and a moving fillister (Skew Rabbet). These are exceptional planes and will see you through a lifetime.

Personally, owing to the interlocked wood I use, mouldings are better made with beading planes. My favourite is the Stanley/LN #66 and simple scratch stocks.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jim Koepke]

owing to the interlocked wood I use

A very good and an important point. The wood one has available can make a big difference in what works or doesn't work well.

jtk

[Kevin Hampshire]

Geoff, I have all of those Veritas planes (small plough instead of combination) and they work well. Definitely take the skew rabbet over the jack rabbet. The skew can do so much more and the straight blade jack rabbet really doesn't seem to add anything over the skew rabbets.

Likewise, the combination won't do as nice of rabbet work as the skew rabbets.

I'm extremely curious why you would get rid of the LAJ?

Jack rabbet is not a replacement for the LAJ.

[Geoff Brooks]

I ended up selling the LAJ for what I paid for it, and bought the LV LA Jointer, Shooting Plane and Combo Plane. This now rounds out my collection nicely since I now have the BU Smoother, No. 6, LA Jointer, router, lg shoulder, shooter and combo. Decided to hold off on the skew rabbet planes as I had already dropped enough cash for one day and I can do most of what it does with the combo for now, however maybe not quite as efficiently. Maybe I'll find a used set somewhere. The reason I sold the LA Jack was to help pay for the planes above, I recently sold my power jointer so I needed the jointer plane to flatten boards.

Thanks for the advice, the Jack rabbet seems to be a nice plane but one I won't likely need. I also bought some beading cutters to try out.

[Jim Koepke]

bought the LV LA Jointer, Shooting Plane and Combo Plane.

Sounds like a fun bunch of hardware. Looking forward to seeing what you end up making with these.

jtk