A Guide to Router Planes

Ernie Conover takes a deep dive into the world of router planes, demonstrating how they are both like and unlike their modern electrical cousins and how they can still find a home in your woodworking shop today.
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[@mauifreediver-nc1dw]

Thank you, good lesson, after 38 years of carpentry, I learned a lot from your presentation, I acquire my first router plane, Stanley 71, today and watched few tutorials including Paul Seller's, I like yours best. Thanks again.

[@lmcsquaredgreendale3223]

As someone who works with electrical routers and other tools to recreate some of the molding that is in my home. I now have a much greater appreciation for the workers who created all the lovely fluted molding and rosettes that adorn the top corners. It took some time to learn what router bits to use to make identical molding and then it was just a matter of plugging my router in and going to work. Now I have to make the rosettes so back to precision measuring and all the fun of creating the patterns out of luan to keep my router true. Wow, I can't imagine having to do all of the woodwork by hand. When my Dad and I were remodeling the house my Dad told me that it was all done by hand as it was built between 1893 to 1896 and now I understand how much actual physical labor went into every bit of this house. Now I have a better understanding of why only the wealthy had weight issues back in those days. Amazing demonstration, Thank you!

[@conoverworkshops1486]

I have cut a lot of molding by hand and it is less work than you would imagine. Craftsman would draw the shape to be molded on the end of a sutible plank. They would then use a large rabbet plane to remove most of the wood, leaving a sort of stair case with the inside corners just touching the profile. The molding plane would then be employed for the last few passes to yield a perfect molding. The planes for largest profiles often had a post at the front so that an apprentice could also pull on a rope attached to it.

[@lmcsquaredgreendale3223]

@@conoverworkshops1486 Thank you for the explanation of how it was done back then. I can imagine when they used some of the hardest woods that were available like shagbark hickory that grows in Vermont that they needed the apprentices help. I thought of buying some old hand tools, my Dad had a few different size planes but he also used a router for speed. Unfortunately, old hand tools are being snapped up by collectors who have no intention of using them. They just clean them up and use them as art until their value increases to a point that it is worth selling the "collection." The prices, I've found, are out of my league so I will have to stick to electrical but I appreciate you taking the time to answer. I did download Cassell's Old Joinery Techniques from online and it is fascinating reading. I even found one joinery technique that I am practicing because it joins end pieces. A tenant that I evicted, during the eviction process kicked and broke one of the balusters on my front porch. We had already used the spare for another honest accident when someone was moving in so I found one that my Dad had cut too short but that meant joining the end pieces at the bottom. I never thought I'd find a way to make it as solid as the others but Cassell's has a technique that is simple yet not easy so I'm burning threw a lot of 2"x2" wood to perfect it before I try it on the real repair. I love working with wood. It's a challenge to learn harder techniques but the end result is always worth it. Thanks again!

[@tarophil]

Thank you ! Precise explanation of what it is and what it's used for... I have been looking for a couple weeks now and this video answered my questions. Easy to understand.

[@fabiomerlin8820]

Very nice presentation. Thanks a lot.

[@sethwarner2540]

come-on cameraman!! Zero in on the details!

[@Nick-iz9zo]

Thank you for a great explanation! I'm a very novice woodworker. I'm currently working on my first big project (trestle dining table), and when I started it, I thought I was going to be buying more power tools. Turns out that squaring up some mortises drilled with a forstner bit at the drill press got me hooked on learning hand tools. I still use the power tools and will have them around especially for DIY projects around the house and occasionally in my woodworking, but now I'm slowly building up my hand tool collection. 😊

[@m.m.7511]

I bought this router plane and my lock nut square part snapped with very little pressure from tightning...first time I used it to...so mad I can't find the part anywhere online.😊

[@donschweitzer3045]

Bravo, very well produced

[@bigsparky65]

Very interesting video, if you want to do a lot of hand work. They are very nice.

[@conoverworkshops1486]

I am not exerting any great amount of force for the cutters are very sharp and the amount removed with each pass is slight. The advantage to the router plane over a router or table saw is that you see the layout and work to it. With an electric router or table saw you have to work blind.

[@johnfitzgerald4274]

Thank you.

[@ddutton0]

How can you get differ blades for the bench dog plane? I have purchased one form Rockler but would be interested in the smaller blade and the ponies blade.

[@conoverworkshops1486]

Veritas blades will fit the classic Stanley I use in the video and I think the BenchDog as well. They offer seven cutters in imperial widths and another seven in metric widths.

[@kz.irudimen]

@@conoverworkshops1486 I don't think the Veritas cutters will fit it, they are not oriented the same way (45° off)