Instant side rabbet plane

A side cutting rabbet plane is obvously useful, but has not yet been essential enough that I have purchased one. I have played around with the idea of making one, but yet again, it has not happened. Perhaps it is a catch-22: I don’t have the right tools to cut good rabbets, thus I avoid them in my work, so I have little evidence I should buy the tools. Around we go.

Today I found myself in need of cleaning up a long grain rabbete and no good tool to do so. In the past I have clamped a depth stop to a chisel and used that. It can work, but unless the job is very small and light you are likely to dig in and cause a mess.

What did I do? Today I clamped together a few scraps and a blade out of a small plane to create the “Instant side rabbet plane”!

It works see?

Full View

A plane shaving separates the sole from the body of the plane to set the cutting depth.