how do shoulder planes work???

[engineer one]

ok so i confess i bought a shoulder plane from LV at tool show 2005, but i had also looked at the LN versions and in the catalogue, it mentions a nicker on a rebate plane.
so my question is what is the real use for a shoulder plane?

should you be able to cut a shoulder for say a tenon from the top down,
or is it only for use after you have cut to the length line.

the reason i ask is that i also have a clifton 420, which i have sharpened and honed, then tested. i found it cut a ragged edge at the vertical intersection with tear out. was i expecting too much or is this not the way
to use a shoulder plane. i must say i thought the fact that the blade was able to move to the side of the body meant it would cut that edge better.

again a piece of the learning curve, since i assume you might get the same problem using a rebate plane unless it has another cutting edge.

and finally does the nicker actually make any difference has anyone tried and do they know??
paul

 

[Jarviser]

I only use a shoulder plane to take a few thou off a tenon shoulder that has been sawn, to get a clean join edge.

Nicker blades are only used when cutting a rebate across the grain, but you should be able to cut a rebate from scratch with a rebate plane, like a stanley 78, on boards too wide to saw. A shoulder plane would be set too fine to cut a rebate or shoulder from scratch, unless you have several hours to spare.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Engineer

Good choice of plane, the LV shoulder.

I typicaly use mine to tidy the shoulders of tenons after hand cutting them. To take it back to the line and tidy up a bit. Also to fine tune the length during fitting.
If it is the large shoulder plane, then it will also fine tune the faces of tenons very nicely too.

I also use it to clean up rebates and trenches if they look a little untidy after the router has run along (particularly when they form part of a moulding or are visible on the finished piece)

 

[bugbear]

I typicaly use mine to tidy the shoulders of tenons after hand cutting them. To take it back to the line and tidy up a bit.

If you knife or gauge a deep enough shoulder mark, this work can be greatly reduced.

BugBear

 

[trevtheturner]

I agree, BugBear. The way I was taught, many, many years ago was firstly to ensure that the measuring and marking is accurate, then ensure a good knifed shoulder line. Then 'nick' out a small v-shaped channel with a chisel on the waste side of the line. This provides a nice trough for the saw to start in, eliminating the need for a shoulder plane in most cases. Works for me, anyway, but the shoulder plane does come in if I don't get it quite right.

Cheers,

Trev.

 

[Chris Knight]

Whatever a shoulder plane is called and why is not really of much consequence to the use of it. They are nice planes that come in a in a variety of sizes and which are very handy for all sorts of fine fitting operations on shoulders or anything else.

 

[bugbear]

...ensure a good knifed shoulder line. Then 'nick' out a small v-shaped channel with a chisel on the waste side of the line.

That fits with other sources:

http://nika.frontier.iarc.uaf.edu/~cswi ... 00#message

BugBear

 

[Alf]

Having cause to be cutting a housing with a router plane recently, I did the whole chisel-groove-to-guide-the-saw thing for the first time*, and it works brilliantly. Certainly not academic and worth the extra minute-or-less work involved. The wider the chisel the quicker it goes of course, so good reason to have wider chisels. Better and better, in fact. :lol:

Cheers, Alf

*Look, I have proper planes to do that sort of thing normally, okay? :roll:

 

[Mittlefehldt]

...ensure a good knifed shoulder line. Then 'nick' out a small v-shaped channel with a chisel on the waste side of the line.

That fits with other sources:

http://nika.frontier.iarc.uaf.edu/~cswi ... 00#message

BugBear

That article you quoted in the link regarding MAx Burroughs and his apprentiseship in the 20's was really interesting do any of the columns exist online somewhere he sounds fascinating?

I watch St Roy every time I can but it can be hit and miss sometimes as they seem to move his show around quite a bit.