Replies

1. 
   blewcrowe | Apr 27, 2007 09:25pm | #1

   Grampsy Ed, rabbits multiply the work load. Ha.

   Dunno. A rabbet plane is usually a bench plane with its blade going all the way across the body. And a shoulder plane is in a group by itself: tall and skinny. The rabbet works good on wide stuff, but is really awkward along edges. That's where the shoulder plane shines.

   This is a great place to look at lots of plane types .............

   http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?cat=518

   
   

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   Edited 4/27/2007 2:26 pm ET by blewcrowe

2. 
   lwilliams | Apr 27, 2007 09:41pm | #2

   Shoulder planes are low angle with extremely fine mouths for working end grain. Rabbet planes can be of common (45º) to middle pitch (60º) and intended to work long grain. Often rabbet planes are skewed as an aid to cross grain work.

1. 
   derekcohen | Apr 28, 2007 05:27am | #4

   Shoulder planes are low angle with extremely fine mouths for working end grain. Rabbet planes can be of common (45º) to middle pitch (60º) and intended to work long grain. Often rabbet planes are skewed as an aid to cross grain work.

   Agree with the above with the exception of the shoulder plane.

   Shoulder planes are for cutting shoulders of tenons, which means you are cutting end grain. While most shoulder planes are bevel up with beds of between 12 - 20 degrees (producing a cutting angle of 42 - 50 degrees with a 30 degree bevel), a shoulder plane like the HNT Gordon is bevel down and a bed of 60 degrees. End grain does not tear out like face grain, and a fine mouth is unnecessary to control the cut (test this out with a block plane with an adjustable mouth, using it with the mouth wide open and closed. see http://woodcentral.com.ldh0138.uslec.net/cgi-bin/archives_handtools.pl?read=68098). Where the fine mouth is useful is in the visual help when setting the blade projection for a fine cut.

   A few shoulder planes:

   View Image

   A rabbet (or rebate) plane is for making (duh) rabbets (or rebates  :) ), and as Larry says it is for long grain. The mouth here is deliberately wide so that thick shavings can be made in order to remove waste quickly. Where the shoulder plane is a precision instrument, with precisely square sides, with bodies and blades in different sizes to maintain the precision, the shoulder plane usually comes with one wide plade. Cutting width is set with an attached fence.

   Here is a Record #778.

   View Image

   When a rabbet is cut across the grain they are best done with a skewed blade. This plane is generally referred to as a filester.

   My ECE:

   View Image

   Hope this helps.

   Regards from Perth

   Derek

3. 
   pzgren | Apr 27, 2007 09:44pm | #3

   In addition to what Larry stated above, rabbet planes are usually bevel down; shoulder planes are usually bevel up.

   .

   Tschüß!

   James

    

   "I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that...."

    

   -- A.C. Clarke