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What Is A Shoulder Plane? What Is A Shoulder Plane? Used For?

what is a shoulder plane
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A shoulder plane is a woodworking plane used for trimming rebates / rabbets.

A shoulder plane has a plane blade which spans the full width of the plane, the plane blade is usually 1mm wider than the plane body. This allows the plane to trim rebates right in to the corner. It also allows the plane to be used left-handed or right-handed.

A shoulder plane is particularly suited to trimming the faces and the 'shoulders' of a tenon, hence the name "Shoulder Plane".

A shoulder plane usually has a blade set at a low angle making it suited to end-grain work.

A shoulder plane is effectively a bigger / longer version of a bullnose plane but with the plane mouth set more towards the middle of the plane.





wooden rebate shoulder plane

The Wooden Shoulder Plane

A wooden shoulder plane is effectively the historically commonly made wooden rabbet plane which was made in abundance by many manufacturers during the 1700's - 1950. These were made with a square plane mouth or a skewed plane mouth.

See the Wooden Rabbet Plane page for more info.





antique infill shoulder plane

The Infill Shoulder Plane

There were many iron infill planes made from about the 1850's - 1950 made by a number of infill plane manufacturers including Edward Preston, Norris and Spiers Of Ayr as well as makers who didn't mark their planes with a manufacturer mark. These planes were top of the range tools in their day and even today are still seen as top tools.

Some of these planes have a one-piece cast, some have a sole dovetailed to the cast. The planes have a wooden infill and matching wooden wedge usually made of an exotic wood of the time such as Ebony, Rosewood or Mahogany. Walnut is another wood sometimes used.


Old Infill Shoulder Plane Makers:


New Infill Shoulder Plane Makers:

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shoulder plane

The Iron Shoulder Plane

Mainstream iron shoulder planes were first made around about the 1890's with Stanley first producing its Stanley 92, Stanley 93 and Stanley 94 Shoulder Planes. The Record plane range then went on to produce probably the most successful shoulder plane range (based upon the amount of secondhand Record shoulder planes which surface), in particular the Record 073 Shoulder Plane.

Top quality shoulder planes are still made today with Clifton Shoulder Planes, Lie-Nielsen Shoulder Planes and Veritas Shoulder Planes. probably being the pick of the bunch.


Old Iron Shoulder Plane Makers:


New Iron Shoulder Plane Makers:





What Is A Shoulder Plane Used For?

With its fine mouth, a shoulder plane is used for fine trimming work, in particular with its low angle blade and blade spanning the full width of the plane it is suited to trimming the faces and the 'shoulders' of a tenon, hence the name "Shoulder Plane".













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(i) This review/article may give warning(s) / advisory notes / cautions / guidelines given in good faith, any such information should not be solely relied upon and seen as the exhaustive list of warnings / advisory notes / cautions / guidelines. Refer to good safety practices for the safety of you and others. Refer to good practices for the good health of your tool and property.
(ii) The details here are given in good faith, the details are constantly growing and evolving, there is scope for error and shouldn't be fully relied upon, please confirm any details for yourself by performing additional research from reliable sources.




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