Popular Woodworking 2003-11 № 137, страница 73

Because the sides of a shoulder plane are open, it's easy to trim into corners of rabbets.

It's Not a Rabbet Plane

I'm not one to get stuck on terminology, but it's pretty easy to get confused when shopping for a shoulder plane because many woodworking catalogs label these tools as rabbet planes. While rabbet and shoulder planes both have open sides for cutting into corners, there are some distinct differences between the two that affect how they are used.

Basically, rabbet planes are designed for cutting rabbets while shoulder planes are designed for trimming. Rabbet planes usually come equipped with a fence and a depth stop to guide the plane and control the dimensions of the rabbet. Embedded in the sides of most rabbet planes is a "nicker" or spur that severs the fibers ahead of the iron when cutting across the grain. Shoulder planes lack these accessories. Because they are used for trimming, shoulder planes are guided by surfaces previously created by other tools.

However, the shoulder plane is a much more refined tool than its coarser cutting cousin. Don't forget: These finely tuned planes excel at trimming and refining surfaces. To perform these functions well, a quality shoulder plane

has features that most other types of planes lack. First, the sole of shoulder planes are ground exactly 90° to the sides. This helps ensure square, accurate cuts. The iron is usually bedded at about 20° and ground between 20° and 25°. This yields a cutting angle of 40° to 45°, effective for thin cuts on end grain.

Of course, like a rabbet plane, the sides of a shoulder plane are open. This unique feature allows the plane to trim into corners

of rabbets, tenon faces, shoulders and practically anywhere else a fine, controlled cut is required. Some shoulder planes, such as the Stanley #92, also feature a removable front piece that quickly transforms the tool into a chisel plane, another useful tool.

To eliminate chatter, the bed of a shoulder plane supports the iron almost to the cutting edge. This feature, combined with the extremely narrow mouth, allows the plane to remove thin, deli

cate shavings - just what is needed when fine-tuning joinery.

Tuning a Shoulder Plane

For any plane to perform as expected it must be tuned properly and the shoulder plane is no exception. However, because a shoulder plane doesn't have nearly as many working parts as a bench plane, it's not quite as time-consuming to tune. Also, most shoulder planes are manufactured to more precise tolerances than

Your iron should be .006" to .010" wider than the sole.To get your iron to this width, carefully work the sides of the iron with a coarse bench stone. Check your progress with a dial caliper.

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Popular Woodworking November 2003