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Thread: Opinions on Veritas Side Rabbet plane in a shared shop space

  1. #1
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    Opinions on Veritas Side Rabbet plane in a shared shop space

    Short story long, at the KCWG we had a Stanly #99 side rabbet that recently suffered damage. It simply isn't reparable (and it wasn't me).

    Personally I have LN 98 and 99 pair and prior to that a vintage Stanley #79 and really enjoy using them. Not planning to give them up and they don't appear to be on the production short list these days. The vintage #99s are OK but does anybody here have experience with the Veritas Side Rabbet?

    Likes?

    Dislikes?

    It is ductile iron body which is a plus for a shared shop like the KCWG space. We get a lot of inexperienced users trying to do things with tools they aren't familiar with. I spend a fair amount of time fixing up issues with planes and saws after people (usually unknowingly) abuse them. Wondering if the LV side rabbet will survive.
    Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.

  2. #2
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    An old expression, "anyone who thinks something can be fool proof has failed to take into consideration the creativity of fools."

    Having worked with engineers who felt their university degree gave them every right to use any tool the felt like for a hammer when they don't see the hammer hanging on the wall in front of them, my faith in working in a shop where tools are shared has waned considerably.

    If there isn't a supervisor or regular training to make sure people know what a tool is made to do and how it is used, eventually someone is likely to use it to open a can of paint or as a door stop.

    Then they will likely lament about how it should have been made stronger or kept out of their hands.

    How was the previous side rabbet damaged?

    If it is the body I may have an old one with a small crack near the mouth. It may be a couple of days before there is an opportunity for me to look.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post

    How was the previous side rabbet damaged?

    If it is the body I may have an old one with a small crack near the mouth. It may be a couple of days before there is an opportunity for me to look.

    jtk
    I was told it was dropped. The shop floors are 12" linoleum tiles over concrete in most places and just concrete in others. Either one is hard on cast iron that isn't ductile. We've come to assume things are going to be treated like a Jr. High woodshop and just accept there is going to be some level of damage. Most people are careful, but a few are careless and a very few are just jerks and try to hide things they break.

    I have not examined it yet (will have a chance on Sunday). As described to me the cap broke and it may also have some damage (cracked casting) around the threaded hole for the thumb screw that holds the blade cap in place.

    If it is just the cap, that can be fabricated from a little mild steel easy enough. Early ones were cast, later ones were bent steel as I understand the type studies. If the casting has been cracked it should just be retired and maybe find a home for the other parts.

    It's not so much that the KCWG can't budget for a new plane but we like to have a mix of old and new tools. Especially with the old ones we try and get people gathered around the bench while the old tool is restored. That way they can build up their own collection if they wish and have the confidence to be able to do the work themselves. We are getting more and more 20-30 year olds that just don't have the background and need coaching.
    Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.

  4. #4
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    I may have a spare cap.

    Let me know what you need and if it is in my spare parts I will let you have them.

    You might have to become a contributor (good use of $6) to send me a Private Message with an address.

    Otherwise the parts do have value. The knob is the same size as the knob on the #1 plane. If my memory is correct the threading on the bolt for the knob is also the same as the #1 plane's knob bolt.

    jtk
    Last edited by Jim Koepke; 09-30-2022 at 8:10 PM.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  5. #5
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    I own a RH Veritas skew Rabbet Plane and simply cannot recommend it for the situation described. With a PMV-11 iron (highly highly endorsed), the new plane is $284 plus shipping (currently free).

    I have never owned a Stanley 99. I did used to have a Record 778.

    With the Record, once it was set up, I could sharpen and re-sharpen and re-re-sharpen and it was still setup correctly other than depth.

    With the Veritas RH skew, the iron MUST be sharpened exactly on the existing bevel location, or the fussy little screws in the side of the plane body will have to be adjusted to bring the new bevel back into square with the bottom of the body - or I can accept a rabbet floor that isn't flat.

    I am currently using the Veritas Short Blade Honing Guide (LV item number 05M09.30), another $68. It gets the job done. I am in whatever $300. The least frustrating way for me to make an occasional rabbet (I don't make many) is to knife the lines all around, chisel to the knife lines, saw out the lion's share of the waste and then use the plane to just clean up the rabbet behind the saw. I like the PMV-11 in this application for the better edge retention and less frequent readjust after sharpening nightmare.

    The Veritas is an excellent tool. If I was cutting a lot of rabbets I would want to have both a Record 778 and the Veritas in my shop, and I would probably pick up the Stanley 99 to possibly add to the rotation.

    For a shared space I suspect an iron with no skew would be the least trouble to keep in adjustment. I notice the Stanley 99 has a skew iron in it, never held one in my hand.

    Good luck and best wishes.

  6. #6
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    Hi Rob

    I reviewed the Veritas Side Rabbet Plane in 2008, with comparisons with the LN #98/99 and Stanley #79.

    http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolRev...bbetPlane.html

    I think that you would be well-served by any of these three. Over the years I have increasingly turned to the Veritas. In part, because it is so easy to switch from RH to LH and back again, and because it is the most comfortable in the hand. I have extra depth stops for the Stanley #79, as I use it also for planing sliding dovetails.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

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    Quote Originally Posted by Scott Winners View Post
    I own a RH Veritas skew Rabbet Plane and simply cannot recommend it for the situation described. With a PMV-11 iron (highly highly endorsed), the new plane is $284 plus shipping (currently free).

    I have never owned a Stanley 99. I did used to have a Record 778.



    For a shared space I suspect an iron with no skew would be the least trouble to keep in adjustment. I notice the Stanley 99 has a skew iron in it, never held one in my hand.

    Good luck and best wishes.
    Scott, the Stanley #99 is a totally different kind of rabbet plane. Though it can cut a traditional rabbet, up to ~1/2", that is not its normal purpose.

    A better name might be, "Cleaning up the Sides of rabbets, slots & dados plane:

    Stanley #98 & #99, early.jpg

    Their typical cut is on the vertical plane.

    Interesting enough, the blade is skewed, but the cut and the edge is not skewed. This plane also has a very low clearance angle of 8º. Very useful when one has a tight dado or slot in to which they want to fit another piece.

    jtk
    Last edited by Jim Koepke; 10-01-2022 at 3:18 PM.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  8. #8
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    Checked my bins and parts drawers. There is a clamp for the #99 blade.

    The body in one of the bins has had the screw hole for the toe piece drilled out. One common problem for these is the screw holding the toe piece in place seizes and no form of persuasion seems to be able to convince it to budge.

    If this is the part needed it may be possible to use an insert or retap the hole for a larger size screw.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    I may have a spare cap.

    Let me know what you need and if it is in my spare parts I will let you have them.

    You might have to become a contributor (good use of $6) to send me a Private Message with an address.

    Otherwise the parts do have value. The knob is the same size as the knob on the #1 plane. If my memory is correct the threading on the bolt for the knob is also the same as the #1 plane's knob bolt.

    jtk
    I let the $6 until I need to post a photo so usually it expires for about 6mo.

    Anywho, we've found some replacement parts locally. Thanks for the offer!

    And still contemplating acquiring the LV side rabbet. Always want to have multiples of a tool (type) in a shared shop space anyway.
    Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Derek Cohen View Post
    Hi Rob

    I reviewed the Veritas Side Rabbet Plane in 2008, with comparisons with the LN #98/99 and Stanley #79.

    http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolRev...bbetPlane.html

    I think that you would be well-served by any of these three. Over the years I have increasingly turned to the Veritas. In part, because it is so easy to switch from RH to LH and back again, and because it is the most comfortable in the hand. I have extra depth stops for the Stanley #79, as I use it also for planing sliding dovetails.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    Read that.

    I've got the LN versions of the #98 and #99 and do like them. I had vintage #79 before that and was annoyed by the push-me-pull-you configuration.

    Because this is a shared shop space and most of the users of the space are not experienced (you have to learn sometime, right?) things get abused so my key questions about the LV side rabbet are about its ability to handle the sort of abuse you'd expect from people learning. Not expecting it to get bashed with a hammer but the occasional bump and falling off a bench is pretty common. Maybe twice a year I pull out all the other planes (mostly LN because we acted as a host site for their road show for about 10 years but still a fair number of tuned-up vintage tools) and take apart bodies, file down dings, repair handles & totes, scrub off rust from handling & sweat (really wish people would wipe them down when done -- we do provide Camilla oil for that) and generally clean them up. And a bit more frequently we will go back and re-grind the edges to remove the 18 micro-bevels that tend to show up.

    Always amazes me how much minor damage they accumulate compared to my personal tools.

    I'm also amazed at the relatively low level of hand tool "evaporation" that has occurred over the years too.
    Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.

  11. #11
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    I own the Veritas Side Rabbet Plane and I feel confident it can handle multi users. I think it is a great plane and comes in handy when needed.

  12. #12
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    I just received my Veritas Side Rabbet last month after a year wait, so factor lead time into your decision. Its a great tool and was worth waiting for. Maybe mix in some cheap foam tiles on your floor around the bench space?

  13. #13
    I had the LN 98 and 99, but I prefer the Stanley 79. I sold the LNs - just didn't use them.

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Henderson View Post
    I had the LN 98 and 99, but I prefer the Stanley 79. I sold the LNs - just didn't use them.

    Mike
    That is kind of funny and shows different approaches for different people. My first Stanley #79 was sold after acquiring a #98 & 99. Since, another #79 was acquired to use for a future project with sliding dovetails.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thomas Crawford View Post
    I just received my Veritas Side Rabbet last month after a year wait, so factor lead time into your decision. Its a great tool and was worth waiting for. Maybe mix in some cheap foam tiles on your floor around the bench space?
    Not practical for the size of the space (12,000 sq ft). They would migrate and never be where needed if only a few placed near benches, even if all 18 benches were supplied.

    Certainly viable for a home shop though.
    Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.

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