# Stanley #45 Grab, and a "Whatizzit"



## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

On Saturday, at a community Yard Sale, I found a really righteous Stanley #45, just about complete. The old-timer was rather uppity about the price…and I noticed the plane was lacking the screwdriver, but the d-shaped eccentric and slitter were there, as well as a long depth foot, and the complete box of 23 cutters. There were extra long rods, however! Oh, the price was $100. For one with a perfect nickel plating! It's a type 20, which only means 'Made in Canada' and no further differentiating characteristics. Well, it's now on the shelf with my other 45s…I'll try it out and see what it will do.










*and now for the "Whatizzit" part of the discussion*. This elderly gent said he recalls buying it new, but acted surprised when I said these were manufactured until 1962. There is a chunk of steel, approximately 5 inches long, which he SWORE was part of the original kit when he bought it new. Here's some pics:



















Does anyone have idea what this piece is supposed to be? It is tapped for two 5/16 X 18 holes, and of course no corresponding bolts or holes in the skates. It's a nicely machined piece of steel, tool steel maybe, but I'm flummoxed by this. *What is it?* Thanks for all thoughtful replies.


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## redSLED (Mar 21, 2013)

I almost missed it, but the classic shape of that "whatizzit" reveals it to be a lesser-known nautical tool called a svell-flytja - a Viking longship ice scraper (and sometimes attack/defensive tool). The last owner, not knowing what that originally was, obviously started machining it into some sort of jig part.










Modern self-defense ice scraper:
http://www.selfdefenseproducts.com/CIA-Ice-Scraper-p-16930.html

Ancient seafarers' ice scrapers:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/science/16archeo.html?_r=0


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

all I can tell you is it doesn't go with the really nice #45 you picked up!!


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## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

Box Ballast?


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

Yep, a piece from something other machine he had removed and dropped on his bench. One day, he decided to clean his workbench and didn't know where it came from. The #45 box was open on his bench, so….


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## DonBroussard (Mar 27, 2012)

@PK-Nice find on the 45 with cutters. I'm still looking for the cutters for mine. No idea what the whatizzit is, though. Did you buy the 45 by the pound? Kinda like the butcher putting his hand on the scale.


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## dhazelton (Feb 11, 2012)

Size and shape make me think a bit for a metal lathe, but no idea why it would be tapped.


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## JustJoe (Oct 26, 2012)

That's not bad for one with perfect plating! Is there any similarity between the angle on the right of that piece, and the angle of the skate that holds the cutter, or the bevel angle of the cutter? Like they said above, it isn't part of the original but I wonder if someone took a scrap piece to make either a sharpening gauge, or if there was a plan to drill the body and skate to hold that piece between them to support wider cutters.


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## CL810 (Mar 21, 2010)

PK - you lucky man! Really nice find. Can't help you with the piece.


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## realcowtown_eric (Feb 4, 2013)

That mystery piece looks suspiciously like one of a pair of auxiliary vice jaws for some wierd application, or it's a user made attachment

Nice score on the 45. Betcha u use em every day-like I do (not)!!! I think I got one for each hand, foot, finger and toe! They are of such gizmocity that it's hard to resist, as you can evidence and attest to, and I can totally understand. .

Hallelujah brother

Eric in Cowtown


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

I knew I'd get quite a few kool replies!
*RedSled: *I'm still chuckling over the ice-scraper suggestion…I was looking for a pic of either Vanilla Ice, or Ice-T but nahhh. * Don W: * Yep, undoubtedly not Stanley issued..but what purpose did it serve that old-timer?
*Oldfart:* Box ballast? yeah…I was about 2 acres away from my truck when I loaded this into my tote-sack… along with one sad-iron, another plane, and a fragile piece of Franciscan pottery.* JoeinTN:* True too, sliding it off the bench just to get rid of it! *DonB:* I'd think about which cutter you'd be most apt to use in yours, and buy that specific one from that NHplaneguy on eBay. That'll get you started, at least. Nobody I know actually uses all of the cutters, just a favorite two or three anyway. Try a 1/4" dado cutter with yours… you'll like it. *Dhazelton:* Yup, definitely a metalshop-made item….*Justjoe*: You may be onto something! Hmm, a sharpening gauge is a great suggestion! TY, *CL810*! *Eric… *I really do use mine, though I pretty much just do dados and rabbets. I have used the beading cutter though, 1/4" matched some factory beadboard when I had to make my own filler piece. Whew! Thanks, everyone! Great suggestions, hope I didn't miss anybody!


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## DonBroussard (Mar 27, 2012)

@PK-I've seen that source (NHplaneguy) mentioned before. I haven't been looking too seriously for the 45's cutters, but I would like to get a few flat edged ones in different widths to practice, and maybe do some real work with my 45. Thanks.


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## JustJoe (Oct 26, 2012)

Don if you PM me an address I can send a couple plain ones to practice with.


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## DonBroussard (Mar 27, 2012)

@JustJoe-PM sent with my thanks in advance!


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

Everybody wins!


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## DonBroussard (Mar 27, 2012)

Closing a loop here. I mentioned earlier that I have a Stanley 45 combination plane with only one cutter. LJ JustJoe was kind enough to send me five cutters (shown below). A wagon load of good karma is on its way to you now, Joe. Thank you for your kindness.


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## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

Way to go JustJoe, DonB now you can do T&G with a bead.


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