Tool Reviews #1: Veritas Large Shoulder Plane

Great review GD….I need to work on getting some planes. This is one I’ve looked at. So many tools…so little money! Gotta make sure I get maximum bang for the buck.

-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org

This post is making me think. I was considering the LN version of this plane. I will have to recalibrate.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

I’ve been trying to find a reason to buy one of these planes. I think they are just amazing. Thanks…just when I thought I was done buying hand tools for the summer. Nice review!

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

what a great review. I’ve never used a plane but you sure do make this one sound like it’s a good one to own.

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

The medium shoulder plane is a joy to use as well. I have only Stanley in my bench (Bailey #4, 5 & 7) and block plane selections. If I won the lotto, I’d replace them with Veritas bench, block or bevel-up planes. Everything they innovate has a touch of genius.
The latest thing I have gotten from them (it was less than 5 bucks, right in the price range this summer), was a doo-hickey that fits on a tape measure with slots and rare earth magnets allowing no guess measurements of diagonals when gluing up carcases, and it has a feature that lets you post the end of the tape on a nail (again with no guess or fiddle measuring) so one person can take accurate and long measurements.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

gotta love doo-hickeys!!!!

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

I think the actual technical term for those is thing-a-ma-bob.

-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org

says “Bob” :)

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Thanks for this tool review, Robert. I have a block plane and a smoothing plane, and a shoulder plane would round out the set.

-- John

Just recieved the LV medium shoulder plane this week – can’t wait to actually use it!

Robert – I’m really enjoying catching up on your bench progress blog series! It’s such a great process that you’ve documented here!

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA

The doo-hickey-ma-bob (casting oil on the roiling waters) I referred to is featured here http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=56766&cat=1,42936
and it’s only 3.95. Veritas hits the mark again!

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

The more I use this thing, the better I like it. The subtle depth adjustment by way of the lever tension wheel is really handy for trimming cheeks and shoulders when you often need just a touch of change.

The only fault I find is that the blade adjustment knob tends to back off during use. I think this comes from the way the heel of my right hand tends to brush it when using it sole-down (as opposed to on its side). l guess every design has its quirks—I just have to keep checking it as I plane.

Dorje- This bench is definitely a learning experience for me. There are certainly better ways to build a bench, but I wanted to see what could be done with basic dimension lumber. Joinery on this scale is certainly different than what I’m used to.

Let us know how the medium version works out. Who knows? I may need a smaller version somewhere down the road.

-- Robert from Raymond, MS. "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is therefore not a practice, but a habit." - Aristotle

Yeah – we could do that cyber tool share like mot and David! Have you seen that?

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA

No. I must have missed it. How does it work?

-- Robert from Raymond, MS. "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is therefore not a practice, but a habit." - Aristotle

Here is a link to it…

http://lumberjocks.com/jocks/David/blog/1227

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Thanks Wayne! What do you think Robert?

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA

<chuckle> You guys had me going! Nice piece of work! Someone says “borrow tools” and my reaction is “Ehhh…”.

Shucks, my wife saw the free Adirondack Chair plans I downloaded and said, “I think I’d like to try building that!” (No woodworking experience, mind you), and my reaction was, “Ehhh…sure! I’ll help you get started.”

The whole time I’m thinking, “Just keep your cotton-pickins off my chisels and PLANES!”

And the people said AMEN?

-- Robert from Raymond, MS. "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is therefore not a practice, but a habit." - Aristotle

I’m getting to the point I cringe when my wife goes near the tools. I have purchased her some tools of her own, but I still find tools strung all over the house. At least I can get comfort from the fact that is capable of using them.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

lol I’m laughing, laughing, laughing

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

My pet shop nightmare is coming in to see my wife using one of my chisels like a cold chisel. (Huh?? What’s the difference?)

-- Robert from Raymond, MS. "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is therefore not a practice, but a habit." - Aristotle

Digger,

Here’s my $20 Question…. If you did not already own the large shoulder plane; Would you purchase the Large before the Medium?

-- Chris

Chris,

“I” would. I find it perfect for my present work. Of course, I’m building a workbench base with very large tenons to trim. However, the plane also excels at general-purpose end-grain work, and is almost as wide as a Stanley low-angle block plane. There may come a time on smaller projects where the medium would be better, but I’ll have to wait and see. The thing is that this baby fits the hand so well that control is never a problem for me. I believe this will give it the capability for fairly delicate work, but I’ll have to wait and see. I could always add the medium later, but the large would still be MY first choice.

-- Robert from Raymond, MS. "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is therefore not a practice, but a habit." - Aristotle

Robert,
Guess I need to drink a bit more coffee this Saturday morning. I was re-reading you comments above, “My pet shop nightmare…”, and had the mental image of all the cages open; budgies being pursued by cats, cats by dogs, guinea pigs by ferrets, pet accidents in the aisles. Took a moment to re-focus.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

In my house the birds do the chasing…...

Although she does a pretty good job as a scrub plane.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Wow, Wayne! I hope that bird isn’t ill-tempered!

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Only towards the dogs…. She is normally all kisses. Although it is a bit un-nerving when she sticks her tongue in your ear. Kinda like a dry cats tongue.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Scrub plane my foot! She could hollow bowls with that beak!

-- Robert from Raymond, MS. "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is therefore not a practice, but a habit." - Aristotle