Shoulder plane

[Elijah A.]

Does anybody know on average what a decent user shoulder plane should cost and maybe which ones to look out for?

[Mr Eddie]

Does anybody know on average what a decent user shoulder plane should cost and maybe which ones to look out for?

Veritas (Lee Valley) shoulder planes are well regarded.  I bought a used and in very good shape Veritas medium shoulder plane for $150.  Current list price is about $200.  The medium size is perfect for cleaning up dado cuts and tenon work.  Unfortunately, they don't seem to come up for sale very often -or- the used price is too high and not much of a discount from a new one.  All of my planes are Veritas but Stanley also makes good planes and there are many used ones on the market.  I'm sure there are others on the forum who can give you good advice about Stanley planes.  Lie Nielsen is another excellent plane maker but their prices tend to be at the high end.  Good luck and happy hunting!

Lonnie

[bandit571]

Keep an eye out for the larger Stanley ones....#92 to #94.....they can also be used for  bullnose work....the #90 is a bit too small, though.

[Elijah A.]

Cool, thanks. How much should I expect to pay for the old Stanley shoulder planes?

[tshiker]

50 - 100 for the 92, too much for the 94! There is also a 93 wich is someone affordable.

[Handplanesandmore]

The answer depends on two factors- a) do you have enough money? b) can you wait?

If yes to a) and no to b), get a new Veritas shoulder plane large or med.

As an amateur woodworker, I can't wait till I come across a good deal in the second market and so I don't wait. I don't care how much I would save if I wait, as I would rather use the waiting time for productive work in my shop. Simple as that.

Simon

[bandit571]

Or just buy a Preston....unless someone is being a salesman for a certain brand name

Been using an Auburn Tool Co. 1.25" wood bodied, skewed iron shoulder plane....works for me.

[Handplanesandmore]

Or just buy a Preston....unless someone is being a salesman for a certain brand name

Been using an Auburn Tool Co. 1.25" wood bodied, skewed iron shoulder plane....works for me.

Haha. You being you again. Surprised you didn't attach an info-mercial lable this time. Would be quite an honor...


A correction is called for however: I am a salesman for all brand names, not just for any particular one, as long as they are good and I have had good experiences with them.

Brand names like Stanley or, for that matter, Preston are not my favor as I have not had enough experience of any...but then you are a loyal salesman of them, so all is good, isn't it?


Simon

[Derek Cohen]

Elijah, the question needs to be asked why you want a shoulder plane?

I rarely use a shoulder plane for tenon shoulders. I prefer a chisel for these. I also rarely use a shoulder plane for cheeks, and if I did it would need to be a wide shoulder plane (at least 1" wide), otherwise it will have too little registration. I may use a wide chisel or the cheek, or even more often use a router plane.

What I use a shoulder plane mostly for is tuning rebates, or cutting rebates. For this, a 1/2" - 3/4" wide shoulder plane is more useful. In these sizes, the Veritas shoulder planes are the ones I like. However they are likely not to be what you are wanting to spend.

As an all rounder, a vintage Stanley 93 (1") is a nice shoulder plane. Although wide, it is very low, and this gives it more one-handed control than tall shoulder planes. The only down side to this plane is the steel, which tends to wear quickly (I have had several over the years, from #90 to #92 to #93, and they were all the same).

I have also restored old infill shoulder planes, and these not only work well, but are satisfying to use, and may be found quite cheaply. They lack the adjustability of modern shoulder planes with adjusters. Then, again, after reading this you may decide to just use a chisel


Regards from Perth

Derek

[Handplanesandmore]

Elijah, the question needs to be asked why you want a shoulder plane?

I rarely use a shoulder plane for tenon shoulders. I prefer a chisel for these. I also rarely use a shoulder plane for cheeks, and if I did it would need to be a wide shoulder plane (at least 1" wide), otherwise it will have too little registration. I may use a wide chisel or the cheek, or even more often use a router plane.

 Then, again, after reading this you may decide to just use a chisel


Regards from Perth

Derek

Paul Sellers uses a router plane to finetune a lot of things including tenons.

True that a shoulder plane requires skills to use effectively, especially if you use a smaller one to finetune winder cheeks. That's why I recommended a large or med. but not a small shoulder plane in my previous post. Regardless of the size, you don't just pick it up and use it to expect good results. You must learn how to use it via books, videos or perferably personal tutorials. Not much different from using any other planes.

Using a chisel to finetune a tenon is the same: you need to know the chisel technique to do it. Either Philip Lowe or Jeff Miller or both have demonstrated the proper chisel technique for fixing tenons, and most users or owners of chisels do not possess such skill.

At the risk of being called a sales director this time (a good salesman gets a promotion!), I must say the Veritas shoulder plane design is so good that I use it for all kinds of joinery work including removing waste before moulding. I use it even more than my...er... Veritas router plane.

Simon