Medium or Large LV Shoulder Plane?

I was given a medium one for my BD one year....

John in New Mexico

>And I really like it. But I find the big ones too heavy for my typical mode of use - one handed. For that size I've got a nice old infill the same size that I kinda got taken on... but I do really like it!

So I say go for the medium!

Re: Medium or Large LV Shoulder Plane?

wilbur

>Hi Dominic,

Two things to consider:

1. You mention that you want the medium shoulder plane to adjust the depth of a 3/4" dado. Although you can do that with this type of plane, a router plane might be better suited for this task, as you never know when the board that is supposed to fit into the dado is not really 3/4", and the router plane will ensure a consistent depth of the dado, whereas the shoulder plane might make the bottom of the dado smooth, but may leave a little bit of an incline in one direction or another. DAMHIKT.

2. Your current train of thought is going to lead you to having only one plane, when you should be gearing your thought process to lead you to the conclusion that you need three (medium shoulder plane, large shoulder plane, and router plane). Only going for one plane is, of course, a big no-no. :@)

Seriously, my 2 cents is to get the large shoulder plane and a router plane, for the purposes you describe. The large shoulder plane can do everything that the medium one can, but not necessarily vice versa -- unless you just like the feel of the medium shoulder plane that much more.

Or you could get both. Or all three.

I like you line of thinking!

Dominic Greco in Richboro PA

>John,

You wrote:

"Or you could get both. Or all three.

Damn! I couldn't have put it better myself! :>)

I'll be honest with you. You're remark about using it on dados really struck a chord with me. Lately I have been thinking that a router plane would be damn useful.

Thanks for the advice!

Dominic

Sorry Wilbur!

Dominic Greco in Richboro PA

>Wilbur,

I was reading your response and I used John's name on my reply.

Sorry 'bout that!

Dominic

Thanks John

Dominic Greco in Richboro PA

>

OK, I've never used a LV one but...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond, CA

>I have a few shoulder planes. If you can only get one, I'd go the large one first. It can do anything the med. one can and more. With a bit of pratic you can use a large plane 1 handed. That said a router plane would be a nice addition to it;^)

Dom.

HC Sakman

>Just get the LV medium shoulder plane. End of the story.

Chico...

Re: Medium or Large LV Shoulder Plane?

Garrett in Victoria

>I bought the medium last year, and am surprised how much I use it. I thought about the large, but I'm glad I didn't go that route. The medium is a great fit in the hand and easy to control.

Cheers, Garrett

Re: OK, I've never used a LV one but...

Frank D. in Montreal

>I agree with Scott; I'd get the large if I had to start again. That was the first one I got (I got the LN version, but the LV is amazing), and although I do use my medium, the large still gets the most use. I find it's the most precise because of the size (easier registration, both visual as well as feel), and the weight is also an advantage. This said, if you have a particular use for the medium (i.e. 3/4" dadoes), get that first. Both work.

Re: Medium or Large LV Shoulder Plane?

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>Dom

I mentioned the following to you elsewhere, but perhaps others can now have the chance to agree or disagree.

Consider a large shoulder plane as the allrounder, a bit like a jack of all trades. It can trim a wide range of shoulder widths and it can trim a tenon face. The wider the shoulder plane (say 1 1/4" - 1 1/2"), the better it is on tenon faces, but the more cumbersome on shoulders (although the extra heft can translate into more momentum for hardwoods, which is a Good Thing). Vice versa is that the narrower the shoulder plane, the less easy it will be on a tenon face.

A 1 1/4" infill I restored ...

The other good allrounder is the 1" wide Stanley #93 because it is a low plane.

What is the ideal setup? In my opinion it is a combination of tools.

There are so many ways to trim tenon faces that this area could be dealt with separately - and this then means that you can look more carefully at the idea way of trimming shoulders.

You can trim tenon faces with a skew block plane, such as the LN #140. I must say I am in love with one that LN and I restored ..

... or you could use a rasp, or the new LN joinery float (I reviewed these recently) ..

... or the LN rabbet block plane of which I have heard good things but not used.

Now this opens the door to a narrower shoulder plane - which would otherwise be too vertical and have too little registration for comfortable use on a tenon face.

I have three 3/4" shoulder planes, the LV Medium, an HNT Gordon, and the Stanley #92. I would avoid the Stanley - it is small and has limited registration even on shoulders, and is harder to set up (compared to the others). The one nice thing about it is that it is definitely a one-hand plane.

The HNT Gordon is a beautiful looking and comfortable plane. It is easy to use and works excellently (in spite of the 60 degree bed, which would have you believe otherwise). I tend to bring it out for very hardwoods.

Mostly I will grab for the LV Medium. I still am not mad about its looks (give me the infill any day), but this is a superb plane and with provide a high level of control and comfort.

With all these choices, what do I do? Well, as you know, I am a plane slut - I have fun trying them all out and using them as the whim dictates. If I was to have just one plane it would be the wide infill. If it were to be two, then it would be the LN Medium and the LN #140.

Hope this helps.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: I like you line of thinking!

Mike Schwing from Md.

>Me, too Dom. I asked for the LV router plane for Christmas. Never occurred to me about the depth of the dado issue that was addressed above when using the medium shoulder plane.

Just recently I was using my medium LV shoulder plane and wished I had the large one.

Went with the Large

Dominic Greco in Richboro PA

>Hi gang,

I just wanted to get back and report that I decided to ask for the large LV shoulder plane. If after using it for a time I find that I need the medium, I can always pick it up later.

later,

Dominic

Good choice Dom...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>Now all you need are the rest of the set and the router planes too!

Slip sliding way...