Side Rabbet Planes?

[Stew Denton]

Hi All,

I occasionally see side rabbet planes on that auction site. I have wondered how useful they are.

Do any of you use a side rabbet plane, and which one? Are they an important plane in your arsenal? Finally, how important is the depth stop?

Thanks and regards,

Stew

[Andrew Seemann]

I have a #79 side rabbet plane. I'm not sure where I bought it originally. I use it occasionally. It is handy when you need it. For me the depth stop helps, but it probably isn't critical.

I find though that I tend to mess up the depth of dados and rabbets much more often than the width, so I end up using my #71 more frequently.

[Jim Koepke]

For me the #98 & 99 side rabbet planes are very handy. They help to clean up rough sides on grooves and dados.

In my opinion having the depth stop is important. The blade can extend a bit below the skate. Without a depth stop, it could tear up the bottom of the work.

The early side rabbets didn't have depth stops. Someone must have felt they were needed.

jtk

[Frederick Skelly]

I have a side rabbet I bought online from Woodcraft. I very seldom use it. But I when I need it, I'm glad to have it.

[Nicholas Lawrence]

I have a 79. It does not get used a lot, but when you need it you need it.

[Derek Cohen]

I find them very useful for fitting dados. The side rebate plane is more precise than a chisels when tuning (widening) a dado to fit a panel ...




This was the fit ...



The Veritas, above, is excellent. Here is is being used for a stopped dado. I use it interchangeably with the LN #98/99 pair.

I also have a Stanley #79. This has been modified to plane sliding dovetails ...







Regards from Perth

Derek

[Phil Gaudio]

Adding a wedge to the depth stop turns your ordinary SRP into a sliding dovetail plane: I added a wedge made of Corian to the depth stops of my LN SRPs and I wouldn't be without them for sliding dovetails.

fullsizeoutput_87.jpeg

[Robert Engel]

For me its one of those dedicated use tools we all have and probably rarely use it.

In those cases where the dado needs some tuning, I find it much easier, to lightly plane a board edge to fit the dado.

[Stephen Rosenthal]

Got a minty used LN 98/99 in a package deal with a few other LN/Veritas planes and have used them occasionally. Recently I scored an unused, in original box Stanley #79 at an estate sale for $10. Didn't need it but for that price I couldn't leave without it. I've used it and like it. Different feel than the 98/99 and, as Derek noted, great when modified for sliding dovetails. IMO, the depth stop is essential to these planes.

[Tom M King]

I use a 79 that I bought new. That was probably in the mid '70's, and it's a great thing to have when it's needed. I have never used it enough to wear out the irons though. It's still all original. I wouldn't want to be without one, or a matched pair of some fancier type. I've used it for anything from old sash window parting stops, to rabbeted cabinet door edges to get a little more clearance.