# Shoulder Plane Size



## pierce85 (May 21, 2011)

I'd like to get a shoulder plane but can't afford getting several different sizes. So what size would you recommend if you were restricted to just one? I'm thinking a 1" shoulder plane would allow for a fair amount of flexibility for most uses - rabbits and tenons - but I really don't know.


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## dkirtley (Mar 11, 2010)

I only have a 1" but I also have a #78 for backup so I am biased.

It is rare that you would be rabbeting more than one inch. If I were going to be tempted, it would be towards one of the small ones.


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## Smile_n_Nod (Jan 20, 2011)

I read an article somewhere that suggested 3/4" is a good all-round size. Can't remember where, though, so take this advice with a grain of salt.


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Get the biggest one they offer. Large. That's my $0.02. Like David says, you can always buy an inexpensive #78 as a supplement. You can also build smaller ones, of course


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## Smile_n_Nod (Jan 20, 2011)

If you want to use a shoulder plane in a dado or groove, make sure it's small enough to fit. If you don't care about dados and groves, bigger is better.


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

For cleaning out a dado, you can always buy a router plane. Like Brett says, for cleaning up tenons, I like a big boy. It seems more controllable in a weird way and the heft keeps the stroke going.


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## pierce85 (May 21, 2011)

That's good to hear and makes sense. I did recently picked up router plane.

Thanks, guys!


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

The router plane is just fun to use. I have other tools that would suffice but I just like breaking it out. I've got a 3/4" Clifton and I wish I'd gone a bit bigger. You can make a smaller shoulder really easily if you need to get into a smaller dado. I'm like you, shoulder planes are expensive; I'd like to have five of them but like I said, shoulder planes are expensive


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

I believe the vintage #92 Stanley shoulder is 3/4" with #93 being 1".

Of those two, bigger is better; I reach for the #93 more than 90% of the time for trimming shoulders of tenons as well as tenons themselves (if it's rough work and I don't want to break out the router plane). We were just talking about this stuff the other day on the "Handplanes of Your Dreams" thread.


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## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

I think t\"The Schwarz" said to go big…. Will check. I currently have a small LN shoulder and am thinking about making a Hock version out of some nice wood.










http://hocktools.com/Kits.htm#KS


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

The Hock kits are a great deal. I've been hinting to my fiance' about them, having a half dozen or so of them sitting in my Amazon cart.


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