The Woodcraft Magazine Aug/Sept 2008 had a plan for a Shoulder Plane. Our woodworking club decided to make that item as a workshop. The workshop was held Jan 10-11, 2009.
We had 12 people take the class, the cost was $13.00 for the blade purchased from Woodcraft and $10.00 if you wanted the wood supplied by the instructor. The wood that he supplied was Tiger Maple with Madagascar Ebony sole. 
Some Sapele was provided as glue strips for the planes.
My son David and I took our own wood. David took Chechem (common name Black Poisonwood) and I took Macacauba. Both of these woods are from Central Americia.
The Chechem is on the bottom and the Macacabua was on top.
Both of these woods have a very oily surface and probably neither of them will have any finish put on them.
We started off sharpening the blades. Via Scary Sharp.
Other people were doing other work. Here they are making the sole at a 90 deg to the sides.
Cutting the wedge area out and separating into 2 ends.
Cutting the wedges out of maple.
David sanding his wedge.
Cutting the Rabbet off each side.
Gluing the sides on the plane.
David with his finished plane.
Me with mine. You might notice a major defect. I started to drill the hole on the wrong end. I have some repairs to be done or a new rebuild.
-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †
11 comments so far
Richard Williams
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142 posts in 686 days
posted 316 days ago
Wow what a great project buddy. I see you included your little guy in on it too. Well done. I had never heard of a shoulder plane before. But now I know what one looks like. Thanks and Take Care.
-- Rich, Nevada,
Karson
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25793 posts in 1294 days
posted 316 days ago
Thanks Richard. The shoulder plane is used to clean up the shoulders on Tenons and also for modifring rabbets.
-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †
lew
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4485 posts in 649 days
posted 316 days ago
Karson,
Great looking planes and a lot easier than making them out of metal, too!
Lew
kiwi1969
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601 posts in 336 days
posted 316 days ago
Great pics. I will be doing something similar myself as here in the philippines as these planes dont exist unless you make them youself. I will make the iron also. Is it as easy as it looks? What angle is the iron set at?
-- if the hand is not working it is not a pure hand
Thos. Angle
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4013 posts in 856 days
posted 316 days ago
That’s a great time for you and David, Karson. Phil Edwards has a step by step on a shoulder plane on his website.
-- Thos. Angle
Karson
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25793 posts in 1294 days
posted 316 days ago
We cut them on a chop saw moving the blade to the left with the base against the chopsaw fence. The first cut was at 15 deg and the second at 30 deg without moving the block of wood on the left.
The blade was purchased with a 25 deg angle. The article suggested sharpening to a 30 deg. No one in the class did that. Someone also suggested that they might make another with the right angle at 45 deg instead of 60 deg to see what difference it would make.
The blade is installed with bevel down, If installed with the bevel up, the plane would act as a scraper. If installed in a 45 deg bevel it would require a regrind or the heal of the blade would hit.
-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †
kiwi1969
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601 posts in 336 days
posted 315 days ago
A big thankyou for the drawing
-- if the hand is not working it is not a pure hand
SPalm
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948 posts in 776 days
posted 315 days ago
Thats great. Looks like fun too. I could use one of these, so I saved your drawings.
Thanks,
Steve
-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon
jockmike2
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7302 posts in 1140 days
posted 315 days ago
great job Karson. great father son project. You made it easy to follow to build too, they look great. mike
-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com
jeffthewoodwacker
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486 posts in 698 days
posted 315 days ago
Karson, great job with the shoulder plane. Looks like you had a lot of fun making it.
-- Those that say it can't be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.
Grumpy
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14920 posts in 745 days
posted 311 days ago
Nice job Karson. A very handy tool.
-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python