Router Plane is Just Right

I think a router plane is a must-have for a furniture maker, and the Veritas medium router plane is a smart choice. It comes with a 1/4-in. cutter, but can use the same cutters as the Veritas large router plane. That means there are 12 other blades (imperial and metric) available for it, adding to its versatility. The plane also comes with an adjustable depth stop.

Out of the box the sole was 0.003 in. out of flat. You could easily use the plane like that without trouble, but I chose to flatten the sole. After a few minutes on a flattening plate covered with 80-grit sandpaper, the sole was true. I then honed the blade and put the plane to use. It performed very well.

Traditionally, router planes have come in two sizes. Large ones are used for heavier carcase work and small ones for hardware installation and inlay. Although the Veritas medium router plane is not a replacement for these two sizes, it certainly does some of the “in-between” jobs quite well. With the supplied 1⁄4-in. blade, it easily handles mortising for half-mortise locks and larger butt hinges, and is nice for cleaning up smaller dadoes and other joinery.

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