Comment by MarkMarine

I have the opposite experience with a router. I use mine when I need to, but I find using the correct hand tool far easier to control. If I had to do what you were describing I’d chisel the vertical cuts with a hand chisel so I had nice clean edges and I would hog out the material with a router plane. This one is my favorite: https://www.lie-nielsen.com/products/1-71-ct-large-router-pl...

The moulding plane book I linked really opened my eyes to creating profiles. I’ve had to match multiple non standard profiles cut into different mouldings, window sashes, mutton bars, etc in the old house I live in, and that would be impossible without cutting a custom profile for a shaper. Seems like a huge waste of effort to cut a tool steel profile for a one off when I can just grab a couple hollows and rounds and make literally anything.

Check out the maker of HNT Gordon using his planes. https://youtu.be/fHsEjiXv0c4?si=jyXdUilNnCtH7Xci

He actually has a different technique than the one in the moulding plane book I linked, and I like the book technique a lot more. It’s foolproof