What is the primary use of a chisel plane? Is it in any way better than an actual chisel for e.g. cleaning up in corners? Any other good uses for this tool?
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Replies
If I understand you right, you're talking about a tiny metal plane body with a narrow chisel in it? Stanley made one in the past and Lee Valley still makes one. Basically they're used for blind nailing. You plane away a shaving of wood without fully removing it from the piece. Then, you take a nail and nail it through the middle of where the piece was just shaven. Apply glue to the shaving and press it back into place covering the nail and let it dry. Bingo! You just blind nailed something without having nail holes showing.
Another variation of a chisel plane is a poor man's rabbet plane. Just of block of wood where you stick a chisel into it and turn it into a rabbet plane. Popular Mechanics type of project. Never tried so I have no idea how useful or effective they are.
You mentioned cleaning up into corners. Are you referring to a Bullnose plane?
mike
What I had in mind is e.g. Lie Nielsen 97-1/2. I was thinking of possibly getting one for cleanup work, but am thinking that the money may be better spent on something else.
W.T.: I bought one last year or so and have not found much use for it; certainly not enough to justify the price of the L.N. It will get glue drops off of the bench but tends to, in my experience, dig in at the slightest opportunity.
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Oh okay. Stanley called them edge planes. I've never used one. Not sure how useful they would be. Seems to me that a chisel with a steady hand or a card scraper would work just fine.
I got a lot of planes, and a chisel plane is on one of my lists of lusts. And God and my wife knows I don't need much of a rationalization to get a new or "new to me" tool, particularly a plane.
Rest assured that if I actually couldn't do without one, I'd have it, but I ain't really encountered that level of unsurmountable need.
A good flat chisel, and for enclosed corners a set of skew chisels would do exactly the same
If you really need the chisel type cutter on a plane, the 90 series stanley planes do ok, but for the real inventive, a 78 with a busted off nose piece will also do the same thing at 1/4 the price.
Just my perspective
Eric
Wood,
Carefully prepare your project for assembly by planing or sanding to your finish ready state. Now, dry assemble and use blue painters tape around all joints to be glued. Disassemble, glue (judiciously, you should not have a lot of squeeze out), clamp. When the glue has started to set up, but is still flexible, you can remove the tape and any glue squeeze out with it. I often pre finish, this makes the job even easier.
Good luck.
Bob, Tupper Lake, NY
Thanks all,
What you all say makes total sense. I will continue to rely on my trusty old chisels. No chisel plane this time.
I think not. A wide chisel used bevel down is more versatile, same for cleaning inside corners etc but used bevel up.
If you are thinking of that one for lifting a shaving in order to hide a screw- well that is of some use.
Or you can compromise by getting a Stanley number 90 type where the front is removeable, or the Record version.
Woodentrain,
I bought a LN chisel plane last year and have used it primarily for cleaning upglue squeeze out in drawers and chests where it works (for me) a little better than a chisel...I agree with previous comment that it tends to dig in easily but I chalked that up to my inexperience (none of my tools seem to work as well as those used by more experienced woodworkers)...so I would have to say, on a list of "must have" planes the chisel plane should be further down the list...not a waste of money but if money is tight I'd look elsewhere.
Neil
I received the LN small chisel plane as a gift a few years ago.I too found that it tended to dig in when cleaning up glue. I then cambered the iron (rounding the corners). It now works very well for cleaning up glue, cutting plugs flush, and, on a skew, even handles endgrain.I am not sure I would put it on my list of must haves, but after being cambered, it works quite well.Glaucon
If you don't think too good, then don't think too much...
I have the large LN chisel plane and it has not been very useful. Very fussy to use.
Troy
Hello Woodentrain,
All the above comments are relevant but there is a use that has not been mentioned and that is to use it as a "bull-nosed scraper plane". To do this put a 90 degree bevel on the blade - this can be used for scraping into awkward places. I have read somewhere where Brian Boggs uses a blade thus prepared in his low angle jack plane to convert it to a "scraper plane". The other thing is that usually the blade on the chisel plane shouldn't protrude below the "plane" of the base of the plane. Struth, I hope that doesn't confuse you. You could take a hint from Derek Cohen and use a piece of plate glass attached to MDF upon which to set up your chisel plane - place the plane on the glass and then fit your blade. This should ensure that the blade doesn't "protrude". With a blade prepared for scraping you can allow it to protrude slightly - a thin strip of paper under the front of the plane body whilst setting it up should be sufficient. In both set up situations you need to apply firm downward pressure to the body whilst setting up. Hope this gives you food for thought.
PS I just checked and there is an article on how Brian Boggs does this in FineWoodworking.com (Low-cost scraper plane)- he actually puts a bevel of 75degrees on the blade and then turns/rolls a small burr.
Edited 5/21/2007 4:17 am ET by geoff7325
Edited 5/21/2007 4:17 am ET by geoff7325
I have the small LN chisel plane, and I use it all the time for cleaning up glue squeeze out, and other odd jobs in tight corners. In my opinion, it excels at removing squeeze out on table top glue-ups. It's much faster (for me) than a scraper. One pass along the glue line with the grain removes the dried glue in no time at all. Ocassionally, it will dig in against the grain, or on a squirrelly burl or crotch piece, but I go slow to limit the damage. I would never get rid of mine.
It is also great for removing glue drops on my assembly bench.
Jeff
I am a restoration carpenter and I have gotten a great deal of use out of my chisel plane. I primarily use it on door or casement window jambs when I need to remove material from the stop. Often, I have to scribe the old stop (which is a machined rabbet on the side of the jamb) to the new door for a good fit. I will use the chisel plane to rough back the rabbet close to my scribe line and then I clean up the surface with a rabbet block plane. The chisel plane works very well for this application. I can use it right up into the corners of the jamb and it will remove a lot more material per pass than a rabbet plane will. In my opinion, the chisel plane is a great site carpentry tool but not much of a cabinetmaking tool. I am a bit surprised that none of the toolmakers or dealers market it for this application. I use the small Lie-Nielsen plane and I have been very pleased with its performance.
Woodentrain,
You asked if a chisel plane is useful.
Yes, absolutely. I have two, and I use them as book-ends.
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
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