I have as of last acquired an interest in hand planes. I am kind of confused on something though. When I look at shoulder planes and rabbet planes, I see the two terms used interchangeably in some instances. For example I have seen a Stanley 92 referred to as both by different people. Also, in the catalogs, you might see two wildly different looking planes both called a rabbet plane. Some the iron appears to be flush with the sides of the body and on others it sticks out a good bit.
The way that I am looking at this is that a rabbet plane is one that I should be able to cut a rabbet with. That is, it might have a built-in fence that I could run down the length of a board, to cut the rabbet to depth. I’ve read that if it has a nicker blade added to it then you could also cut the rabbet across the grain. Is this correct?
What I really am looking for, I think, is a shoulder plane. I have been cutting rabbets in the endgrain of some planks with a backsaw. This goes pretty well, but I have a hard time cleaning up the joints. Granted, cutting technique may be my big problem, but I thought that having a plane that I could run right into the corner on both faces of the rabbet would be great.
I was wondering what y’all thought about it. If there is a clear distinction between rabbet and shoulder planes, or are they somewhat interchangeable. Would I be better off with the flush iron or the protruding, or would I just be better off cutting the rabbets with a rabbet plane instead of the saw?
Thanks everyone
Replies
Pete,
A shoulder plane will generally have a low bed angle, very tight or adjustable mouth. These wonderful planes are highly accurate, used primarily for joinery, and designed to trim end grain. A rabbet plane will usually have a bed angle of 45ยบ or greater angle, are designed for face grain, will often have spurs or nickers for cross-grain work and be capable of hogging material away when necessary.
Pete,
What Larry said.
A rabbet plane is used for (surprise!) cutting rabbets. A shoulder plane is a trimming plane which is used for trimming tenon cheeks and shoulders, for example.
IMHO what you're looking for (or ought to be looking for) is a rabbet plane--such as a Record 778 (I have one. It works easily, accurately, and surprisingly fast). You can cut rabbets with a saw; but it's sooooo much easier with the proper tool--a tool that's actually made for that job.
If you're really into hand planes you might want to consider a combination plane. A good combination plane can cut rabbets, among all the other things it can do--though not as handily as a rabbet plane. (An advertisement for the Stanley 55 called it "a milling shop in your hands," IIRC.)
DANGER! Hand planing, and acquiring hand planes, is highly addictive. You can't get by with just one, or two, or ten or twenty... You have been warned.
Alan
Thanks. That does help clear it up in my head some. I thinkI will tell my wife that each tool has a specialized purpose and that to try and use a plane in a multipurpose role would upset the delicate fabric of space as we know it. Therefore, I will just have to get one of each. ;)
If she doesn't go for that, I will just beg her to let me use some of the money that I would have spent on car maintenace or something like that, and use it to get one.
Thanks
Pete,
Wives, and I suppose husbands too, can be so unreasonable. They will fritter away tool money on idiotic things like rent, food for the children...
Alan
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