LumberJocks Woodworking Forum banner
89K views 90 replies 44 participants last post by  donwilwol 
#1 ·
dw's plane notes - General

I started a document on one of my computers for notes I keep on plane information. My issue is I have several work laptops, a few personal laptops and travel a lot so keeping the notes in one place is a challenge. I figured this way, I could get to them from anywhere, including my windows 7 phone when looking at buying a plane, and maybe others would find the information useful as well. I'll try to break up the information into logical units as separate blogs in this series.

As always, comments, additional and questions welcome.

Some General Stanley timeline information.

Plastic Nut http://community.middlebury.edu/~harris/typology.html Type 17 l942-5 Wartime. Adj. nut is steel or plastic.

Kidney shaped hole in lever caps introduced in 1933

Adjustment frog screw started in 1910. Stopped on some during WWII.

Plane Iron Sizes
Plane - Iron Width
No. 1 - 1 1/4"
No. 2 - 1 5/8"
No. 3 - 1 3/4"
No. 5 1/4" - 1 3/4"
No. 4 - 2"
No. 4 1/2 - 2 1/4"
No. 5 - 2"
No. 5 1/2 - 2 1/4"
No. 6 - 2 3/8"
No. 7 - 2 3/8"
No. 8 - 2 5/8"

Overall Plane Sizes (measured off my set. Slight differences may occur according to type)
Plane - Length - Width
No. 1 -
No. 2 - 7 5/8" x 1 15/16"
No. 3 - 8 3/4" x 2 1/8"
No. 5 1/4" - 11 7/16" x 2 1/8"
No. 4 - 9 3/8" x 2 3/8"
No. 4 1/2 - 10 15/16" x 2 13/16"
No. 5 - 14" x 2 7/16"
No. 5 1/2 - 15 1/8" x 3"
No. 6 - 17 11/16" x 2 7/8"
No. 7 - 21 15/16" x 2 7/8"
No. 8 - 23 7/8" x 3 1/8"

What a B or S means when cast in the bed?

Thread sizes

Stanley used 12-20 threads for the tote and knob rods. The screw at the front of the tote and the frog screws are also of this

Thread size and pitch.
Stanley
12-20 threads for the tote and knob rods. Rod needed is #8 or 13/64" drill rod.
Frog Screw 12-20
Lever Cap Screw 9/32-24
Adjuster Screw 9/34 Left hand

The rod diameter is 7/32 with a 20 tpi thread. A 1/4" rod diameter is usually associated with 20 tpi (1/4-20) and a 7/32 rod.

When Record went into plane production in the early 1930s they copied Stanley planes of the period, right down to the threads.

Here are the sizes from Recordcollector's site:
http://www.recordhandplanes.com/parts-and-sizes.html

Cap Iron screw : 5/16" 18tpi BSW (I believe this is the only standard BSW thread on benchplanes)
Frog screws : 7/32" 20tpi Whitworth;
Tote & Knob bolts : 7/32" 20tpi Whitworth;
Tote Toe screw : 7/32" 20tpi Whitworth;
Frog Adjusting Plate screw : 7/32" 24tpi Whitworth;
Frog Adjusting screw : 1/4" 24tpi American/Unified;
Brass Adjusting nut : 9/32" 24tpi American/Unified (left-hand thread);
Lever Cap screw : 9/32" 24tpi American/Unified.

If your trying to decifer Stanley thread sizes you need these 2 pdf's

http://www.tttg.org.au/Content/Stanley%20Planes%20and%20Screw%20Threads%20-%20Part%201.pdf

http://www.tttg.org.au/Content/Stanley%20Planes%20and%20Screw%20Threads%20-%20Part%202.pdf

You can buy a tap and dye set here, http://stjamesbaytoolco.com/ look for 12/20 Tap And Die Set $35.00.

I had a question about weights of different type planes, so I weighed a few I had. I thought it would be interesting. Here is what I found. The are all Bailey #4's of different vintages.
type weight
17 3pds 6.4 ozs
13 3pds 7.2 ozs
15 3pds 5.2 ozs
11 3pds 5.2ozs
11 3pds 9.2ozs
10 3pds 7.2 ozs
6 3pds 4.4 ozs
4 3pds 5.8ozs
4 3pds 5.2ozs

If there are 2 of the same type, it just means I had 2 handy.

And if you don't see it here, Check out WayneC's blog as well.
 
See less See more
#5 ·
You may want to try something like Google sites to store your lists and other data in the "cloud". I've used it a couple of times and it is pretty cool.
 
#6 ·
Don, I think you'd find that my spare 60 1/2 parts wouldn't be much good to you. Even my Frankenstein has a non-sanctioned depth knob; looks like a drill bit stop or something;)
 
#7 ·
Al, I now have a nice 60 1/2. I bought at an antique store some time ago. I also have another that has some serious mouth damage and is missing the front knob if any of the other parts would get you a functional plane, let me know.
 
#11 ·
Brands other than Stanley Bailey and some information I have found.

These are in no particular order, just as I've entered then. This is what I believe to be my opinion in most cases, but often taken from some other source. Use the information as such.

Miller Falls - One of my favorite - equal with Stanley.
http://oldtoolheaven.com/

Record

Ritter (NH)

Buck Bros. (sold by Home Depot)

Capewell (logo may be from Capewell Horse Nail Company (1904)) (Hartford CT) about 1950's.

The Consolidated Tool Works is recorded as having done business in New York City from 1890 into the 1920s. Their mark featured a ships' helm wheel, and is quite distinctive. They also used the brand name, "Simplex." Consolidated sold a number of tools including machinist's tools, drills, iron planes and braces.
Brown Wood Composite material Rectangle Art


Edgerite was a line of tools sold by Eaton's Department Store in Canada. Eaton's Department store was founded in 1884 and was the first company in Canada to offer a mail order catalogue. Their catalogues can be found on line and are similar to the early Sears Roebuck catalogues, of the same era, in their offerings. Just as Sears were to the U.S., Eaton's were the primary retailer to thousands of small towns in Canada in the late 1800's and into the mid-1940's when they employed over 40,000 people.

Eaton's was eventually bought by Sears Roebuck in the 1970's. Just like Sears, Eaton's didn't manufacture tools, they contracted with other companies to make them with their store logo. My sources indicate that Sargent Tool Co. made the planes for Eaton's. The cutter is usually marked "EDGERITE" with an anvil logo beneath the name.
Smoothing plane Plane Scrub plane Jack plane Block plane


Sears
Craftsman
Fulton (Sold by Sears) Cheaper line of Fulton, Dunlap, Craftsman lines sold by sears.
Dunlap(Sold by Sears) Cheaper line of Fulton, Dunlap, Craftsman lines sold by sears
Sears started selling Fulton tools about 1908. I believe the early Fulton's are marked Fulton Tool Co and are just Rebranded Sargent. In 1927 Sears came out with their Craftsman line. At that point the Fulton line was changed to just Fulton and was made a lesser quality tool line, at least when it comes to hand planes.

Shelton - Shelton made planes from 1932 - 1954. In 1950 they went to a stanley clone design. Example of a Shelton #9 and a post stanley #4 and some history

Ohio Tool - (See my Ohio Tool Blog) The Ohio Tool Company was relatively large manufacturer of both wooden and cast iron planes. They were founded in Columbus Ohio in 1851 by Peter Hayden, of P. Hayden & Co. in 1893 the company merged with the Auburn Tool Company of New York, themselves a frequent employer of prison labor. In 1913 the Ohio factory was destroyed by a flood. A new factory was opened in Charleston, WV the following year. The company ceased business in 1920. (Resource http://www.mvr1.com/Ohiowoodenplanes.html )
(http://www.davistownmuseum.org/bioAuburn.html)

New York Tool Works New York Tool Company was a name used by the Auburn Tool Company of Auburn, NY. This name was used from 1864 to 1893. They (Auburn) used several different stamps on their planes. Carefully check the 'o' in Co. If it is the same height as the rest of the letters, it is an earlier example. If the 'o' is rasise so its top lines up with the top of the other letters it is a late production stamp. If there is an underline under the 'o', it is the last stamp that they used during their production years.
(http://www.davistownmuseum.org/bioAuburn.html)

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f11/plane-restore-round-3-a-47883/
http://lumberjocks.com/topics/41199#reply-579460


Union - Union Mfg. Co. New Britain, Connecticut. 1880-1919. Some believe these are better than Stanley
http://www.brasscityrecords.com/toolworks/FEATURE/union%20frog%20design/union_frog.htm
Union Planes are on par with Bailey but, the "X pattern" Unions, with their double adjusting nuts are perhaps a bit superior. Other history from Brasscity.
In 1957, Millers Falls acquired the Union Tool Company (reference http://oldtoolheaven.com/history/history11.htm)

Anants
http://www.anant-tools.com/iron_bodies_bench_planes.html

Groz
http://www.groz-tools.com/

Kunz - Manufactured in Germany
http://www.woodcraft.com/Search2/Search.aspx?query=kunz
http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/Bench-Planes-by-Kunz/products/480/

Montgomery Wards.
Wards Master
Lakeside - Lakeside planes were cheaper Stanley-made (mostly) planes that were made for Montgomery Ward and, as such, they're not really worth a lot of money. Montgomery Ward never made their own tools but instead used other makers tools which were then rebranded. The fit and finish isn't quite as good with say a normal Stanley or Sargent plane, and the handle and knob are usually stained beech or another hardwood, rather than rosewood. With some fettling though you can end up with a decent enough worker plane.

Diamond Edge - Diamond Edge was a brand name used by the Shapliegh Hardware Co. Many were made by Sargent but other manufacturers may have made them as well. The easiest way is determine a plane's maker is to remove the frog and look at the way the frog mates to the plane.
The correct lever cap could have been plain or it could have had an embossed diamond with DE inside it depending on the age. Several Diamond Edge planes I have seen had a hard rubber (maybe gutta percha) tote.
http://www.thckk.org/history/shapleigh-history.pdf
http://www.maineantiquedigest.com/articles_archive/articles/dec06/simmons1206.htm

Sargent Planes - There are a couple of things to look out for with the autosets (the 7 series of planes from Sargent) Firstly they are great planes and work extremely well. Always check the blades for pitting as replacements are quite hard to find. Also take off the levercap - which also doubles as the cap-iron - and use the depth adjuster to wind the blade fully down as far as it will go through the mouth. When it stops, you will have a good idea of how much usable blade there is left. Without doing this you can be deceived into thinking that there is usable blade left when actually it is finished. There is still meat left below the depth adjuster hole in the blade even when the blade is all used up. On the 718 and 722, the front knob is adjustable forward and aft as well as from side to side. There is a cross shaped slot in the domed mount for the knob, and the knob has a concave bottom. Believed to be a good plane and well worth owning.

These planes can vary wildly in value.
David Heckel has a value guide for Sargent planes and he values the 722 at between $150 and $400 depending on condition, and if it is a corrugated version it will be worth more than a flat bottomed plane. I have always found that they can sell in a range below that.
Bob Kaune has a website with Sargent planes for sale including Autosets.
Sargent Tools - Bob Kaune - Antique & Used Tools
http://lumberjocks.com/topics/47190#reply-602276
http://timetestedtools.wordpress.com/2012/08/10/sargent-planes-by-the-numberwith-pictures/

Keen Kutter - "Keen Kutter Planes marked with a single letter and then the # size are actually early style Bedrock planes made for them under contract by Stanley. They are of the same high quality and in general much harder to find. These planes date from near the turn of the century to about the teens. Keen Kutter KK series planes were made for them by a few different makers including Ohio Tool Co, and Sargent. Over the years Simmons switched back and forth using different manufacturers at different periods, I suppose because the bid for those years was more attractive. Sargent and later Ohio made the later versions with the Mahogany handles and 4 digit # or the no number varieties to identify the plane."

Other lines of Stanley (cheaper lines)
Handyman
Two tone
Four Square
Defiance

Solar Mfg Co. I bought one of these but can not find much information. The story is they were made in Worcester MA up to the 70's.

Tecomaster

Victor Summer 1875 - Leonard Bailey begins development of the 'Victor' plane line to compete with the Stanley/Bailey planes still in production by Stanley. Fighting between Bailey and the Stanley Co. over patent infringement is bitter, Stanley makes every attempt to stop Bailey from producing the VICTOR line of tools.
Reference:http://www.antiquetools.co.uk/articles/stanley2.htm

And from Gore , "Stanley produced a very short-lived frog design during the early 1870's (pictured in the image to the left). This design has a frog that is about 1/2 the length of the normal frog, and is nearly identical to the design that Leonard Bailey was producing when he got pissed off at Stanley and decided to come up with a new line of bench planes, his Victor line."

Victory. I can't find much information I Victory, and I'm not even sure they actually made/sold a hand plane, maybe just a replacement iron?

Vaughan & Bushnell Short history.
There are 3 series of V&B planes, the 700, 800 and 900 series. The 700 & 900 series had forged steel bodies and were advertised as being unbreakable. The 800 series are cast iron. All the V&B planes had the bedrock frog design. They are numbered like the Stanley planes but just in the hundreds.. So a V&B 903 would be same as a Stanley #3, a 807 would be a #7 size. The 900 series planes had the flat top sides just like the later Bedrocks and these were considered their premium series.

Marsh
 

Attachments

#12 ·
Brands other than Stanley Bailey and some information I have found.

These are in no particular order, just as I've entered then. This is what I believe to be my opinion in most cases, but often taken from some other source. Use the information as such.

Miller Falls - One of my favorite - equal with Stanley.
http://oldtoolheaven.com/

Record

Ritter (NH)

Buck Bros. (sold by Home Depot)

Capewell (logo may be from Capewell Horse Nail Company (1904)) (Hartford CT) about 1950's.

The Consolidated Tool Works is recorded as having done business in New York City from 1890 into the 1920s. Their mark featured a ships' helm wheel, and is quite distinctive. They also used the brand name, "Simplex." Consolidated sold a number of tools including machinist's tools, drills, iron planes and braces.
Brown Wood Composite material Rectangle Art


Edgerite was a line of tools sold by Eaton's Department Store in Canada. Eaton's Department store was founded in 1884 and was the first company in Canada to offer a mail order catalogue. Their catalogues can be found on line and are similar to the early Sears Roebuck catalogues, of the same era, in their offerings. Just as Sears were to the U.S., Eaton's were the primary retailer to thousands of small towns in Canada in the late 1800's and into the mid-1940's when they employed over 40,000 people.

Eaton's was eventually bought by Sears Roebuck in the 1970's. Just like Sears, Eaton's didn't manufacture tools, they contracted with other companies to make them with their store logo. My sources indicate that Sargent Tool Co. made the planes for Eaton's. The cutter is usually marked "EDGERITE" with an anvil logo beneath the name.
Smoothing plane Plane Scrub plane Jack plane Block plane


Sears
Craftsman
Fulton (Sold by Sears) Cheaper line of Fulton, Dunlap, Craftsman lines sold by sears.
Dunlap(Sold by Sears) Cheaper line of Fulton, Dunlap, Craftsman lines sold by sears
Sears started selling Fulton tools about 1908. I believe the early Fulton's are marked Fulton Tool Co and are just Rebranded Sargent. In 1927 Sears came out with their Craftsman line. At that point the Fulton line was changed to just Fulton and was made a lesser quality tool line, at least when it comes to hand planes.

Shelton - Shelton made planes from 1932 - 1954. In 1950 they went to a stanley clone design. Example of a Shelton #9 and a post stanley #4 and some history

Ohio Tool - (See my Ohio Tool Blog) The Ohio Tool Company was relatively large manufacturer of both wooden and cast iron planes. They were founded in Columbus Ohio in 1851 by Peter Hayden, of P. Hayden & Co. in 1893 the company merged with the Auburn Tool Company of New York, themselves a frequent employer of prison labor. In 1913 the Ohio factory was destroyed by a flood. A new factory was opened in Charleston, WV the following year. The company ceased business in 1920. (Resource http://www.mvr1.com/Ohiowoodenplanes.html )
(http://www.davistownmuseum.org/bioAuburn.html)

New York Tool Works New York Tool Company was a name used by the Auburn Tool Company of Auburn, NY. This name was used from 1864 to 1893. They (Auburn) used several different stamps on their planes. Carefully check the 'o' in Co. If it is the same height as the rest of the letters, it is an earlier example. If the 'o' is rasise so its top lines up with the top of the other letters it is a late production stamp. If there is an underline under the 'o', it is the last stamp that they used during their production years.
(http://www.davistownmuseum.org/bioAuburn.html)

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f11/plane-restore-round-3-a-47883/
http://lumberjocks.com/topics/41199#reply-579460


Union - Union Mfg. Co. New Britain, Connecticut. 1880-1919. Some believe these are better than Stanley
http://www.brasscityrecords.com/toolworks/FEATURE/union%20frog%20design/union_frog.htm
Union Planes are on par with Bailey but, the "X pattern" Unions, with their double adjusting nuts are perhaps a bit superior. Other history from Brasscity.
In 1957, Millers Falls acquired the Union Tool Company (reference http://oldtoolheaven.com/history/history11.htm)

Anants
http://www.anant-tools.com/iron_bodies_bench_planes.html

Groz
http://www.groz-tools.com/

Kunz - Manufactured in Germany
http://www.woodcraft.com/Search2/Search.aspx?query=kunz
http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/Bench-Planes-by-Kunz/products/480/

Montgomery Wards.
Wards Master
Lakeside - Lakeside planes were cheaper Stanley-made (mostly) planes that were made for Montgomery Ward and, as such, they're not really worth a lot of money. Montgomery Ward never made their own tools but instead used other makers tools which were then rebranded. The fit and finish isn't quite as good with say a normal Stanley or Sargent plane, and the handle and knob are usually stained beech or another hardwood, rather than rosewood. With some fettling though you can end up with a decent enough worker plane.

Diamond Edge - Diamond Edge was a brand name used by the Shapliegh Hardware Co. Many were made by Sargent but other manufacturers may have made them as well. The easiest way is determine a plane's maker is to remove the frog and look at the way the frog mates to the plane.
The correct lever cap could have been plain or it could have had an embossed diamond with DE inside it depending on the age. Several Diamond Edge planes I have seen had a hard rubber (maybe gutta percha) tote.
http://www.thckk.org/history/shapleigh-history.pdf
http://www.maineantiquedigest.com/articles_archive/articles/dec06/simmons1206.htm

Sargent Planes - There are a couple of things to look out for with the autosets (the 7 series of planes from Sargent) Firstly they are great planes and work extremely well. Always check the blades for pitting as replacements are quite hard to find. Also take off the levercap - which also doubles as the cap-iron - and use the depth adjuster to wind the blade fully down as far as it will go through the mouth. When it stops, you will have a good idea of how much usable blade there is left. Without doing this you can be deceived into thinking that there is usable blade left when actually it is finished. There is still meat left below the depth adjuster hole in the blade even when the blade is all used up. On the 718 and 722, the front knob is adjustable forward and aft as well as from side to side. There is a cross shaped slot in the domed mount for the knob, and the knob has a concave bottom. Believed to be a good plane and well worth owning.

These planes can vary wildly in value.
David Heckel has a value guide for Sargent planes and he values the 722 at between $150 and $400 depending on condition, and if it is a corrugated version it will be worth more than a flat bottomed plane. I have always found that they can sell in a range below that.
Bob Kaune has a website with Sargent planes for sale including Autosets.
Sargent Tools - Bob Kaune - Antique & Used Tools
http://lumberjocks.com/topics/47190#reply-602276
http://timetestedtools.wordpress.com/2012/08/10/sargent-planes-by-the-numberwith-pictures/

Keen Kutter - "Keen Kutter Planes marked with a single letter and then the # size are actually early style Bedrock planes made for them under contract by Stanley. They are of the same high quality and in general much harder to find. These planes date from near the turn of the century to about the teens. Keen Kutter KK series planes were made for them by a few different makers including Ohio Tool Co, and Sargent. Over the years Simmons switched back and forth using different manufacturers at different periods, I suppose because the bid for those years was more attractive. Sargent and later Ohio made the later versions with the Mahogany handles and 4 digit # or the no number varieties to identify the plane."

Other lines of Stanley (cheaper lines)
Handyman
Two tone
Four Square
Defiance

Solar Mfg Co. I bought one of these but can not find much information. The story is they were made in Worcester MA up to the 70's.

Tecomaster

Victor Summer 1875 - Leonard Bailey begins development of the 'Victor' plane line to compete with the Stanley/Bailey planes still in production by Stanley. Fighting between Bailey and the Stanley Co. over patent infringement is bitter, Stanley makes every attempt to stop Bailey from producing the VICTOR line of tools.
Reference:http://www.antiquetools.co.uk/articles/stanley2.htm

And from Gore , "Stanley produced a very short-lived frog design during the early 1870's (pictured in the image to the left). This design has a frog that is about 1/2 the length of the normal frog, and is nearly identical to the design that Leonard Bailey was producing when he got pissed off at Stanley and decided to come up with a new line of bench planes, his Victor line."

Victory. I can't find much information I Victory, and I'm not even sure they actually made/sold a hand plane, maybe just a replacement iron?

Vaughan & Bushnell Short history.
There are 3 series of V&B planes, the 700, 800 and 900 series. The 700 & 900 series had forged steel bodies and were advertised as being unbreakable. The 800 series are cast iron. All the V&B planes had the bedrock frog design. They are numbered like the Stanley planes but just in the hundreds.. So a V&B 903 would be same as a Stanley #3, a 807 would be a #7 size. The 900 series planes had the flat top sides just like the later Bedrocks and these were considered their premium series.

Marsh
Thanks for this, DW. I have an interest in Sargents but like you mention, the prices are all over the place.
 

Attachments

#21 ·
dw's Plane Resource sites

NOTE: I edit this and add sites from time to time. Also note I am not associated with most of these in any way. Also, just because its listed, It is NOT a referral, some I've used, some I have not. Use it as if you found it on your own.

Please take a look at my blogs
Plane Restoration How to


Tips for Setting up a bench plane

And many more

General:
The mother of all Stanley information http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan0a.html
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~alf/en/antique-tool-faq.txt Antique Tools FAQ (as of 11/97)
http://www.handplane.com/
https://home.comcast.net/~stanleyplanes/planes101/planes101.htm
http://www.cianperez.com/Wood/WoodDocs/WoodHowTo/INDEXHowTo.htm

http://www.hyperkitten.com/tools/stanleybenchplane/
The Hardware Companies Kollectors Klub - http://www.thckk.org/history.htm
flatten the soles of planes http://www.tablesawtom.com

WayneC also has a set of really good reference sites.

Millers Falls here-http://oldtoolheaven.com/bench/bench.htm

Other Reference Sites
http://www.cianperez.com/Wood/WoodDocs/WoodHowTo/INDEXHowTo.htm
A great site for general information - http://vintagemachinery.org
----example - here is the Craftsman OEM List -
Stanley Planes by the numbers.

Refinishing:
http://www.majorpanic.com/SlideShow.htm
https://home.comcast.net/~rexmill/planes101/japanning/japanning.htm

Plane Parts:
http://stores.ebay.com/New-Hampshire-Plane-Parts
http://stjamesbaytoolco.com/
http://antique-used-tools.com/
http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/search.aspx?find=stanley+plane+parts
http://www.stanleytoolparts.com/planes.html
http://www.brasscityrecords.com

Restoration:
http://lumberjocks.com/donwilwol/blog/25464
http://timetestedtools.wordpress.com/bench-plane-restore-the-dw-way/
http://lumberjocks.com/WayneC/blog/series/40
http://lumberjocks.com/Dcase/blog/series/3462
http://www.majorpanic.com/handplanerestor1.htm
WKFinetools

Engraving
http://www.catharinekennedy.com/
http://www.toolengraver.com/
www.cajunhandplanes.com

Frog Comparison (to ID manufacturer)
Brass City quick plane ID

Frog Comparison (to ID Stanley Type frog)
antique-used-tools.com frog comparison

Dating References:
Rexmills type Study
Plane dating flow chart
http://primeshop.com/access/woodwork/stanleyplane/DataMisc.htm
http://homepages.sover.net/~nichael/nlc-wood/stanref-num.html
The MegaChart http://primeshop.com/access/woodwork/stanleyplane/
http://www.tooltrip.com/tooltrip9/stanley/stan-bpl/bailey-types.htm
Metal Router Type Study Page
http://www.hansbrunnertools.gil.com.au/Stanley%20by%20numbers/Stanley.htm
http://www.oldtooluser.com/TypeStudy/type_studies.htm

Record hand plane dating.
http://www.recordhandplanes.com/dating.html

Typing the #45
Typing Stanley #45s

Typing (dating) Bedrock includes Keen Kutter
http://www.antique-used-tools.com/brtypes.htm

Typing (dating) Millers Falls
http://homepage.mac.com/galoot_9/MF_type1.html
http://oldtoolheaven.com/bench/benchtypes.htm

Dating Block Planes
http://virginiatoolworks.wordpress.com/tools/stanley-planes/date-your-block-plane-type-study/

Dating a #113
http://www.oldtooluser.com/TypeStudy/StanNo113cpTypestudy.htm

Sharpening
Rexmills sharpening
WayneC resources
Scrub Plane Iron Cambering
antiquetools.com A Guide to sharpening

Antiques tools for sale and Auctions
Meeker's Mechanical Nature Antiques
Martin J. Donnelly Antique Tools
http://antique-used-tools.com/
Supertools List
www.sydnassloot.com
www.finetoolj.com
http://www.brasscityrecords.com/toolworks/new%20tools.html

Sargent Planes
http://www.sargent-planes.com/
Sargent Hand Planes by the number-with pictures
Sargent Planes - Additional Dating Information NOT in Heckel's 2nd Ed. Guide by HorizontalMike
and http://www.horizontalheavens.com/418vs418VBM%20Comparison.htm

Japanning
http://libertyonthehudson.com/
http://lumberjocks.com/JayT/blog/series/5621

References for Stanley #45s
http://lumberjocks.com/Mosquito/blog/32951

precision grinding
http://www.tablesawtom.com/plane.htm

Buying
http://timetestedtools.wordpress.com/tools-for-sale/
http://www.shop.roseantiquetools.net/408a-Stanley-39-3-4-Dado-Plane-408a.htm":http://www.shop.roseantiquetools.net/408a-Stanley-39-3-4-Dado-Plane-408a.htm

Infill Making
Smoother kit http://sturnella.com/tools/
Norris Style Adjuster http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/store/item/MS-NADJUST/Search/adjuster/Adjuster_for_Norris_Style_Infill_Planes
http://user.xmission.com/~jry/ww/tools/a13/a13-bom-BP.html
http://www.petermcbride.com/metal_plane_making/
http://www.stjamesbaytoolco.com/
http://www.macpherson.co.nz/shop_made_planes.htm
http://www.supertool.com/oldtools.htm
http://hyperkitten.com/tools/ForSale/Tools_FS.php
http://andersonplanes.com/
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/toolrestorations/renovating%20an%20infill%20smoother1.html
http://www.daedtoolworks.com/blog/?cat=6
http://www.handplane.com/67/the-norris-adjuster/
http://benchcrafted.blogspot.com/2012/01/winter-smoother-monday.html
http://www.handplane.com/30/making-planes-dovetailing-infill-planes-101/
http://billcarterwoodworkingplanemaker.co.uk/5.html
http://www.holteyplanes.com/tech_A13.html
Making a jointer, http://americanwoodworker.com/blogs/projects/archive/2012/01/18/aw-extra-making-an-infill-jointer-plane.aspx
With adjustable mouth http://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/an-infill-project-with-a-modern-twist-t65983.html
rebate - http://www.petermcbride.com/planemaking/bench_rebate1.htm
Smoother with bolted sides http://www.infillplane.co.uk/?paged=2
brass-body-block-plane.pdf - ShopNotes
http://www.petermcbride.com/planemaking/spiers_dovetails.htm
http://www.traditional-handplanes.com/index.php
 
#36 ·
How to set a bench plane chip breaker.

A while ago on the "Hand Planes of your Dreams" thread there was a video pointed out that showed how the angle of the chip breaker affected the planes performance. The thing it didn't show was how the mouth affected performance as well. It showed that a 80 degree angle on the chip breaker works better than a 50 degree. I checked and most of the planes I have were pretty close to an 80 degree bevel anyhow. At some point I'd like to see if the angle really makes a difference.

I have noticed a big difference if the chip breaker is not smooth. I always polish the ends of the chip breaker. Pitting doesn't seem to have a huge affect, as long as its not deep, and its cleaned and well polished.

I did a little testing on the relationship between the gap between the breaker and the blade, and here is the results I came up with. I've been asked a lot about how to set the chip breaker. Here is a proven answer.

First I started with a no name plane, without a frog adjuster nut. Why? I'm not sure. Remember this guy? This proves no frog adjuster is needed to be successful and a no-name plane can produce superb results.

Next I made sure the front of the chip breaker was honed at 80 degrees. It was already pretty close, so it didn't take a whole lot of work.

Now this probably isn't the most scientific experiment you've ever seen. I used my $1 flea market calipers. Its more important to watch the relationship than the actual numbers.

Plant Fruit Finger Coconut Gas


First I sharpened the blade and set it like I normally would.

Rectangle Wood Tints and shades Metal Automotive lighting


I buckled up a piece of pine and gave it a try. Not bad, but not perfect either.

At this point the mouth is .06" and the gap between the blade and breaker is .09". The results are not terribble but I can feel the plane is not working as it should. The plane is hard to push and the shavings are inconsistent.

Wood Fish Hardwood Tints and shades Metal


So lets open up the gap between the blade and breaker to .20". You'll notice moving either moving the gap wider or narrower or raising and lowering the blade changes the width of the mouth, so it takes a little trial and error to get it right.

Now the mouth is .07 and the gap is .20"

Wood Amber Rectangle Tints and shades Wood stain


Water Wood Rectangle Gas Composite material


Wood Natural material Tints and shades Tableware Hardwood


This isn't working all that well. I can feel the plane is hard to push. The shavings are a little inconsistent and I can't get an even cut. So I closed the gap between the breaker and the blade. I could immediately feel that plane was working easier.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Flooring Varnish


I started to see as the gap between the chip breaker and the mouth were closer to the same measurement, the shavings came easier and thinner and more consistent.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Flooring Natural material


Handwriting Wood Rectangle Font Gas


Wood Handwriting Font Hardwood Cork


Wood Food Sheep milk cheese Hardwood Ingredient


I found if the measurements were close to the same the plane worked ok, but as the measurement grew so did the thickness of shavings. I found if the mouth was wider or narrower than the gap between the breaker and the blade, then the plane pushed harder and the shaving were inconsistent.

I then grabbed the bedrock 604 and set the mouth to .03" and the gap to .03". It was already pretty close to that anyhow, it didn't take much movement of either measurement.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Thumb Plywood


Helmet Wood Tool Hand tool Knife


I found that .03" produce the best results. Any less than that for the mouth and the shavings didn't want to come through, and any less on the gap between the breaker and the blade and it started to make dust instead of shavings.

That's all I had time for today. When I get some more time I'm going to add a few more test and see how hardwood changes things.

A few other points to note. When you planing for real, you'll want to skew the plane a bit, so don't expect you shavings to all be nice and even and always consistent. The most important point is no tearout.

Also note, this is for a smoothing plane, but could apply to a jointer as well.

As always, comments welcome, good bad or indifferent.

Day 2, lets try some hardwood.

So I grabbed my favorite restore project, my Millers Falls #10. Its the primary plane from this blog. The first thing I did was give it a try on a piece of red oak.

The chip breaker was set to .05"
the mouth was .07"
It push hard and I could tell it was going to do well

I left the chip breaker set to .05"
I moved the mouth to .04"
it got better, but was still hard to push. Its oak so I expected a little harder than the pine, but you can tell when its cutting like it should.

Wood Hardwood Insect Wood stain Carmine


Next I moved the chip breaker as close as my eyes allowed. I think it wound up about .015" to .02".
I set the mouth at .02. As you can see, it worked really well

Wood Fawn Hardwood Wood stain Plywood


Staple food Wood Finger Wood stain Hardwood


Wood Finger Hardwood Machine Wood stain


I then took a half turn on the adjustment screw to open the mouth up a little

Food Ingredient Recipe Wood Dish


I tried the same setting on a piece of pine. Its still working well.

Food Ingredient Wood Cuisine Plastic wrap


Plane Wood Fawn Hardwood Ingredient


So I know know that the chip breaker set close works well on hardwood as long as the mouth is set close as well.

To verify this I grabbed one of my latest #3e restores. I set the chip breaker as close as i could. I noted the chip breaker had a concaved end, which meant it was set close on the outside edges, but not the center.

Wood Toy Hardwood Wood stain Flooring


It was ok, but not great, so I took the chip breaker out, and went to the stones to straight out the chip breaker. When I was done, it was square.

Wood Door Gas Fixture Wood stain


I made sure it was square, at about 80 degrees and polished. I've known the polish makes a difference.

So after the fix, set thew chip breaker about .015" - .02 and the mouth about the same.

Smoothing plane Plane Hand tool Jack plane Wood


Smoothing plane Plane Scrub plane Jack plane Rebate plane


Tried the same setting on the pine. Love those sweet shavings.

Wood Wood stain Hand tool Hardwood Tool


Smoothing plane Plane Scrub plane Wood Flooring



Here is a few tips on bench plane setup
 

Attachments

#37 ·
How to set a bench plane chip breaker.

A while ago on the "Hand Planes of your Dreams" thread there was a video pointed out that showed how the angle of the chip breaker affected the planes performance. The thing it didn't show was how the mouth affected performance as well. It showed that a 80 degree angle on the chip breaker works better than a 50 degree. I checked and most of the planes I have were pretty close to an 80 degree bevel anyhow. At some point I'd like to see if the angle really makes a difference.

I have noticed a big difference if the chip breaker is not smooth. I always polish the ends of the chip breaker. Pitting doesn't seem to have a huge affect, as long as its not deep, and its cleaned and well polished.

I did a little testing on the relationship between the gap between the breaker and the blade, and here is the results I came up with. I've been asked a lot about how to set the chip breaker. Here is a proven answer.

First I started with a no name plane, without a frog adjuster nut. Why? I'm not sure. Remember this guy? This proves no frog adjuster is needed to be successful and a no-name plane can produce superb results.

Next I made sure the front of the chip breaker was honed at 80 degrees. It was already pretty close, so it didn't take a whole lot of work.

Now this probably isn't the most scientific experiment you've ever seen. I used my $1 flea market calipers. Its more important to watch the relationship than the actual numbers.

Plant Fruit Finger Coconut Gas


First I sharpened the blade and set it like I normally would.

Rectangle Wood Tints and shades Metal Automotive lighting


I buckled up a piece of pine and gave it a try. Not bad, but not perfect either.

At this point the mouth is .06" and the gap between the blade and breaker is .09". The results are not terribble but I can feel the plane is not working as it should. The plane is hard to push and the shavings are inconsistent.

Wood Fish Hardwood Tints and shades Metal


So lets open up the gap between the blade and breaker to .20". You'll notice moving either moving the gap wider or narrower or raising and lowering the blade changes the width of the mouth, so it takes a little trial and error to get it right.

Now the mouth is .07 and the gap is .20"

Wood Amber Rectangle Tints and shades Wood stain


Water Wood Rectangle Gas Composite material


Wood Natural material Tints and shades Tableware Hardwood


This isn't working all that well. I can feel the plane is hard to push. The shavings are a little inconsistent and I can't get an even cut. So I closed the gap between the breaker and the blade. I could immediately feel that plane was working easier.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Flooring Varnish


I started to see as the gap between the chip breaker and the mouth were closer to the same measurement, the shavings came easier and thinner and more consistent.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Flooring Natural material


Handwriting Wood Rectangle Font Gas


Wood Handwriting Font Hardwood Cork


Wood Food Sheep milk cheese Hardwood Ingredient


I found if the measurements were close to the same the plane worked ok, but as the measurement grew so did the thickness of shavings. I found if the mouth was wider or narrower than the gap between the breaker and the blade, then the plane pushed harder and the shaving were inconsistent.

I then grabbed the bedrock 604 and set the mouth to .03" and the gap to .03". It was already pretty close to that anyhow, it didn't take much movement of either measurement.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Thumb Plywood


Helmet Wood Tool Hand tool Knife


I found that .03" produce the best results. Any less than that for the mouth and the shavings didn't want to come through, and any less on the gap between the breaker and the blade and it started to make dust instead of shavings.

That's all I had time for today. When I get some more time I'm going to add a few more test and see how hardwood changes things.

A few other points to note. When you planing for real, you'll want to skew the plane a bit, so don't expect you shavings to all be nice and even and always consistent. The most important point is no tearout.

Also note, this is for a smoothing plane, but could apply to a jointer as well.

As always, comments welcome, good bad or indifferent.

Day 2, lets try some hardwood.

So I grabbed my favorite restore project, my Millers Falls #10. Its the primary plane from this blog. The first thing I did was give it a try on a piece of red oak.

The chip breaker was set to .05"
the mouth was .07"
It push hard and I could tell it was going to do well

I left the chip breaker set to .05"
I moved the mouth to .04"
it got better, but was still hard to push. Its oak so I expected a little harder than the pine, but you can tell when its cutting like it should.

Wood Hardwood Insect Wood stain Carmine


Next I moved the chip breaker as close as my eyes allowed. I think it wound up about .015" to .02".
I set the mouth at .02. As you can see, it worked really well

Wood Fawn Hardwood Wood stain Plywood


Staple food Wood Finger Wood stain Hardwood


Wood Finger Hardwood Machine Wood stain


I then took a half turn on the adjustment screw to open the mouth up a little

Food Ingredient Recipe Wood Dish


I tried the same setting on a piece of pine. Its still working well.

Food Ingredient Wood Cuisine Plastic wrap


Plane Wood Fawn Hardwood Ingredient


So I know know that the chip breaker set close works well on hardwood as long as the mouth is set close as well.

To verify this I grabbed one of my latest #3e restores. I set the chip breaker as close as i could. I noted the chip breaker had a concaved end, which meant it was set close on the outside edges, but not the center.

Wood Toy Hardwood Wood stain Flooring


It was ok, but not great, so I took the chip breaker out, and went to the stones to straight out the chip breaker. When I was done, it was square.

Wood Door Gas Fixture Wood stain


I made sure it was square, at about 80 degrees and polished. I've known the polish makes a difference.

So after the fix, set thew chip breaker about .015" - .02 and the mouth about the same.

Smoothing plane Plane Hand tool Jack plane Wood


Smoothing plane Plane Scrub plane Jack plane Rebate plane


Tried the same setting on the pine. Love those sweet shavings.

Wood Wood stain Hand tool Hardwood Tool


Smoothing plane Plane Scrub plane Wood Flooring



Here is a few tips on bench plane setup
Thanks Don, useful info.
 

Attachments

#58 ·
A few tips on How to set a handplane.

Writing a blog about How to set up a Hand Plane will take a series, because it really depends on what you are trying to do. In other words, a smoother will be different than a jack and so forth, but it even goes further than that. At what stage your planing with your smoother will make a difference also.

So here is a few tips to get you started, and I'm assuming this is for a smoother, so adjust as needed.

- Set the frog far enough ahead so when the blade just starts to cut, it would be difficult to slide a business card through the mouth, but you could probably force it if you had to.

- Set the chip breaker as close to the edge of the iron as your eyes allow, maybe a 1/16" or a smidgen tighter. Make sure it never goes beyond the blade if the blade is a little uneven or cambered. Here is a blog on setting the chip breaker.

- The cap should be as tight as you can make it and still easily move the iron up and down. Start loose and tighten it down until you feel the adjustment start to become harder.

- You always want to start planing with the blade retracted just above the mouth.

- Slowly lower it until its through. Use the lateral adjuster to make it even across the mouth.

-You can slide a thin piece of wood across one side of the iron then the other to make sure its even, or use your eye. As you practice, you will use your eyes more and more. Using your finger tends to cause bloodshed so its not recommended :)

- As you're planing, if you see the iron is taking shavings on one side and the other, move the lateral adjuster toward the shavings, or the heavier side.

- Your first swipe should get nothing, but slowing lower the iron until it starts to take a shaving.

- Then just adjust accordingly.

A thin shaving should look like this


-
- But remember that different wood react differently and you can get thinner or thicker depending on have much smoothing needs to be done.

- If they shaving comes out like sawdust, or you are pushing to hard to get shavings your iron is not sharp.

- If your iron is straight, even and the wood is straight grained, you get a even shavings across the cut, the full width, or almost the full width of the cut.

- The more your iron is sharpened with a camber, the less this will happen. That is often by design so not always a bad thing.

- Always start your stroke with the plane skewed to one side. It makes the cut more of a slicing action and allows a easier cut.

- Practice makes perfect.

Plane Wood Saw Tool Machine tool


Hope it helps
 

Attachments

#59 ·
A few tips on How to set a handplane.

Writing a blog about How to set up a Hand Plane will take a series, because it really depends on what you are trying to do. In other words, a smoother will be different than a jack and so forth, but it even goes further than that. At what stage your planing with your smoother will make a difference also.

So here is a few tips to get you started, and I'm assuming this is for a smoother, so adjust as needed.

- Set the frog far enough ahead so when the blade just starts to cut, it would be difficult to slide a business card through the mouth, but you could probably force it if you had to.

- Set the chip breaker as close to the edge of the iron as your eyes allow, maybe a 1/16" or a smidgen tighter. Make sure it never goes beyond the blade if the blade is a little uneven or cambered. Here is a blog on setting the chip breaker.

- The cap should be as tight as you can make it and still easily move the iron up and down. Start loose and tighten it down until you feel the adjustment start to become harder.

- You always want to start planing with the blade retracted just above the mouth.

- Slowly lower it until its through. Use the lateral adjuster to make it even across the mouth.

-You can slide a thin piece of wood across one side of the iron then the other to make sure its even, or use your eye. As you practice, you will use your eyes more and more. Using your finger tends to cause bloodshed so its not recommended :)

- As you're planing, if you see the iron is taking shavings on one side and the other, move the lateral adjuster toward the shavings, or the heavier side.

- Your first swipe should get nothing, but slowing lower the iron until it starts to take a shaving.

- Then just adjust accordingly.

A thin shaving should look like this


-
- But remember that different wood react differently and you can get thinner or thicker depending on have much smoothing needs to be done.

- If they shaving comes out like sawdust, or you are pushing to hard to get shavings your iron is not sharp.

- If your iron is straight, even and the wood is straight grained, you get a even shavings across the cut, the full width, or almost the full width of the cut.

- The more your iron is sharpened with a camber, the less this will happen. That is often by design so not always a bad thing.

- Always start your stroke with the plane skewed to one side. It makes the cut more of a slicing action and allows a easier cut.

- Practice makes perfect.

Plane Wood Saw Tool Machine tool


Hope it helps
Good stuff, keep it coming.
I see a book or a DVD here.
 

Attachments

#75 ·
WHY WERE HAND PLANES CORRUGATED

After a question was posted elsewhere and a discussion pursued, I decided to do some research on WHY WERE HAND PLANES CORRUGATED.

http://www.timetestedtools.net/2016/11/25/why-were-hand-planes-corrugated/

Part of my intent was to debunk the theory that Stanley came up with it as a marketing gimmick. I think that was a success.

Let me know what you think.

The debate rages on. Why are hand planes corrugated. Some say it reduces friction. Some say it does not. Here is what I can dig up on the subject. This is historical facts of why early plane makers thought it was a good idea. Marketing? Maybe. You can decide.

Keep in mind, Stanley was far from the first to offer corrugated planes, but it's possible its marketing capabilities helped carry on the tradition, although I can find no evidence it marketed corrugation as an advantage.



Birdsill Holly is said to have the first successful production metallic plane. These planes are Circa 1852. His patents do not mention corrugation however......................................click to read the rest
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top