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+-- Thread: Help me pick a router plane. (/showthread.php?tid=7202683)
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Help me pick a router plane. - ruffcutt - 01-25-2016
I'm thinking of getting a router plane. I don't know which brand and if I want an open throat or a closed throat plane.
My main use would be to clean up the bottoms of table saw made dadoes in plywood to insure a consistent depth. Secondary use would be for cleaning up the bottoms of hinge mortises.
As far as brands go I like good tools so I'll pay for a good one.
Re: Help me pick a router plane. - joespehar - 01-25-2016
Check the Veritas ones at Lee Valley.
Re: Help me pick a router plane. - Rob Young - 01-25-2016
ruffcutt said:
I'm thinking of getting a router plane. I don't know which brand and if I want an open throat or a closed throat plane.
My main use would be to clean up the bottoms of table saw made dadoes in plywood to insure a consistent depth. Secondary use would be for cleaning up the bottoms of hinge mortises.
As far as brands go I like good tools so I'll pay for a good one.
Small hinges, say less than 2" leaf, consider a #271. Vintage Stanley (hard to find), or modern interpretation from Lee Valley or Lie-Nielsen.
Otherwise a Stanley 71-1/2 vintage closed throat w/ 1/4" or 1/2" blade (99.9% of the time mine has the 1/2" straight blade installed). Or go with the new versions from Lee Valley or Lie-Nielsen.
If you find a vintage Stanley 71 or 71-1/2 with no blades or want a different shape blade, the full size blades from Lee Valley will fit if you flip the Stanley adjuster nut over so the engagement ridge is on the top.
The best thing about the modern designs is that they have real, functioning depth stops which make setting them up much easier for repeat cuts.
Finally, consider making a wooden sub-base if you are going to be sliding it across plywood. Even the slightest little burr in the metal base could scratch the outer ply beyond repair. DAMHIKT.
Re: Help me pick a router plane. - bobs64ford352 - 01-25-2016
I love my Veritas large and mini router planes. I wouldn't hesitate to buy them again.
Bob
Re: Help me pick a router plane. - Steve N - 01-25-2016
I had accumulated a pile of 71's, and 71 1/2's. Not to say they are junk, just that they slip a lot, and getting a depth to stick around is not so easy. I sold off all but the NOS. I got the LV and a bunch of extra cutters, and do dads They are so worth the money
Re: Help me pick a router plane. - Ray Newman - 01-25-2016
Agree with what SteveN posted about the Stanley'. One of these days I think I will spring for a Lee Valley/VERITAS. It is not that I use a router plane often, but the fact that the ol' Stanley does not hold its setting and needs constant attention makes me not utilize it.
Re: Help me pick a router plane. - Admiral - 01-25-2016
They work very well for consistent sizing of tenon cheeks as well. I have vintage and a LV, the latter has a more consistent depth adjuster, but the vintage works well too, depends on your budget.
Re: Help me pick a router plane. - Phil S. - 01-25-2016
Let me add to the confusion. Like most of the guys here I have LV router planes. One thing they offer unique to their line is medium sized plane.
I find it useful for tasks on smaller work like inletting hinges on the edge of a door where a big router is more difficult to juggle and a small router doesn't seem to have enough oomph. The big plane would let you use a little more gusto flattening the bottom of your dados in sheet stock though. Blades for the big and medium are interchangeable and range in width from 1/16" to 3/4" and metric sizes as well.
One gripe against the small LV router is the round shaft on the blades. They like to turn when your pushing them. The Lie Nielsen small router and the Stanley 271 have square shafts that prevent them from turning in their bases. You can grind flats on the shaft of the LV blade to resolve the problem, but you don't need to on the Stanley or LN.
On all of the LV planes you can turn the blade 180° and go from a closed throat to an open/bullnose setup giving you the best of both worlds. You can see pics of this on the LV website. I'm not familiar with the LN plane so I don't know if that may be an option there or not.
Re: Help me pick a router plane. - oakey - 01-25-2016
I have the lee valley one as well I like it I usually do not like things that require a lot of fussing to work
the L/V one don't it just works I use it for inlay work
Re: Help me pick a router plane. - Fisherman - 01-26-2016
I found the Veritas large and medium used. Like them both. The pricing on the Stanley's is pretty high, I would lean toward the Veritas, works out of the box.