# A Quickie Shelton Handplane Pictorial



## 33706

Seems like there's a bit of renewed curiosity about Shelton planes, so here goes: This company was quite proud of its patent, which was boldly cast into both the sole and lever cap, lest anyone forget what they have.

Well there is the standard Wickipedia story about yet another start-up toolmaker that got absorbed by the Stanley monolith, so I won't go into detail about it here.

I really am intrigued with the quite ingenious method of raising and lowering the cutter, and that prominent lateral lever is one crazy contraption! Yet, I like a plane that has a cutter lift mechanism that is linear, as opposed to the inherently flawed Stanley/Bailey method of a pivoted engagement that travels in an arc in relation to the cutter.

So here's some pics, which will either pique your interest, or perhaps turn you off. Ya gotta own at least one of these critters!!










Here's a #3 and #5. As an independent company, their planes are astoundingly similar.



















Some number fours. I really couldn't see any variations between one and another.












Here's a couple of Shelton #9's, their designation AFTER Stanley took over. These have Bailey-style lever caps and conventional wheel-adjust and lateral lever. I see lots of variation between the two, such as: one has a raised heel and toe and a thicker casting, the #9 designation cast in the very edge of the plain toe, and straddling the knob boss on the other.
It appears that these two followed whatever Stanley was doing on their own line of planes. Oddly, they have screw-type frog adjusters! Lateral levers have "Shelton" stamped into them. One had a cutter stamped "Defiance-Made in Canada" which in itself is a fact I was not aware of. Probably a replacement.

My instinct in general for Sheltons and other planes of its ilk? ANY plane with flat sides on the tote is automatically a cheapo. I never paid much for any Shelton, though I see plenty out there for $60-$80 dollars, often by sellers who can't even figure out who the manufacturer was!

Because they are designated #9, I'd thought they were a Millers Falls mutation, but now I know. I'll rehab a early #4 Shelton and take it for a spin.

Thanks for looking!


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## wapakfred

I have a #4, and I bought it for exactly the reason you mention; curiosity. Mine is a pre-Stanley model and I paid $17 for it. It sits on a shelf on the shop and is strictly a conversation piece.


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## 33706

Thanks, Fred!
You bought it right, and I assume you're going to re-hab it someday. My Sheltons will get a make-over too, but there's a few others ahead of them in the queue.


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## 33706

A detailed view of the cutter and cap iron/lever cap as it were.


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## wapakfred

I may re-hab it someday, maybe even make it a user. Right now I just find it an interesting take on cast iron planes. Funny thing, when I bought it, I had never heard of them…..they're not quite as unknown as I thought.


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## donwilwol

I almost bought one yesterday, but the price was just beyond my need.


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## 33706

> I almost bought one yesterday, but the price was just beyond my need.
> 
> - Don W


Yep, understood, Don! 
In my plans for a future resto of one of these, I think it would be cool to polish up the brass and give it a nice maroon paint, similar to the late Stanleys, or maybe a flashy bronze color. Then give the tote a severe rasping to improve its shape, I really dislike the appearance of totes made of flat blanks and cheap rounded-off edges. Then convert the knob and tote fasteners to brass barrel nuts and get rid of the obvious pan-head screws they used. All this to make up for a well-designed but poorly manufactured plane. Worth doing!


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## donwilwol

those thin bladed no frog planes never reaslly performed well. Shelton did make some halfway decent users though, so it depends which one your going for.


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## bandit571

At one time, I did have two of the no.4 sheltons









Just never got them to work right…..sold them both on the Bay of Fees….
That isn't a crack in it's side, merely a scratch. Both had all of their parts









Just never liked them….


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## 33706

Thanks,* Bandit!* Good info! 
So I guess the big take-away from all this is that they just aren't looked upon favorably. When I get a "Round Tuit" I'll re-hab one, and see if I can get it to perform. If that doesn't go well, I can send 'em down the road.


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## DanteG

A bit late to the party but I have one of these (marked No. 4) and while it performs poorly as a smoother, it works great as a scrub. I've tried using my old Stanleys and Veritas planes as scrubs, but I actually prefer the Shelton as it has a very large mouth and can remove more wood faster. Not sure if they came from the factory with large mouths, but it may have been modified by my grandfather. I remember him telling me he modified one of his planes by widening the mouth so it very well may have been this one but that is a question that cannot be answered now since he passed quite a few years ago. Do I personally recommend them? Not really, but if it's what you've got, make do.


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## AMZ

I don't have a Shelton, but they appear to be somewhat similar to the Stanley and Sargant Autoset style of planes. I have a number of those, bought years ago, and while intriguing, I could never get one to work as good as a Bailey or Bedrock style of plane. Maybe if I spent more time?


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## DanteG

> I don t have a Shelton, but they appear to be somewhat similar to the Stanley and Sargant Autoset style of planes. I have a number of those, bought years ago, and while intriguing, I could never get one to work as good as a Bailey or Bedrock style of plane. Maybe if I spent more time?
> 
> - AMZ


They are pretty similar but a decent amount different at the same time (on first glance). I do not have any of these autoset planes so I can only assume based off of images. They work fine if you flatten everything and really crank down the screw cap, and make sure the depth adjuster is tight as well. This goes for the Sheltons but I figure it should be similar on the other ones too. I couldn't get my Shelton to work well until I really tightened the screw cap far past where you would typically tighten it on say, a Veritas…


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