Big woodie iron..

[tobytools]

Evening gents,
Been a while since I've posted anything so I may be a tad rusty. I recently came across a 27 1/2 jointer naturally it's now mine, I was excited to get this baby home (off eBay) and fit her with a stunning parallel iron by ward that I've been saving for the right plane... My ward being 2 1/2" was too small!! As the tread states the iron was huge! 2 3/4" by I.sorby (punch logo) on both the iron and chip breaker.
A fun fact for ya'rl, 2 3/4 irons don't fit the eclipse honning Guide!! What am I to do.. Veritas quide dose the job btw. (Couldn't resist)
I've always wanted a 30" jointer either a Philly or one like Derek's from Perth.
Seems ill have to make do with 27 1/2.
Does anyone else own one of these monster planes with huge irons? And I'm wondering is there a plane out there with a 3" iron? (Bench planes only) this unincludes Richards cornice, coopers planes ect. Just traditional bench planes.
Personally I think 3" would be to big.
I will put some pic up tomorrow as we all love photos. And yes there will be shavings
Night
TT

 

[AndyT]

I don't own any but there is a clue to what used to be made, in the Sheffield List - the general catalogue of standard tools. The edition at https://openlibrary.org/books/ia:illustratedshef00broogoog/Illustrated_Sheffield_List lists ordinary bench irons up to 3" and irons for cooper's jointers from 3" upwards. (The 3" cooper's irons were not the same as the big bench plane irons, they were longer and dearer.)

 

[Corneel]

30" jointers are plenty available overhere (Holland) but I don't know about such wide irons. 2 1/2 is max I'd guess.

 

[tobytools]

Thanks Andy I will enjoy giving that a read at lunch time. 3" irons wow must of needed some big stones. I've seen various coopers irons, single irons and by fern I believe,
This plane in particular must be for a shipwright, don't think a site carpenter would carry this around where ever he went.

Corneel, If you know anyone or come across on let me know the sizè of the iron, I've seen a 34" jointer that was from your parts and boy was it big, to big for what I use a plane for, if I had one that size it would sit on the windowsill

Thanks guys.
TT

 

[bugbear]

This plane in particular must be for a shipwright, don't think a site carpenter would carry this around where ever he went.

Site carpenters don't edge joint anyway! I'm not sure joiners do either. Edge jointing is only required
when glueing up wide panels, table tops etc, so it's most likely to have been used by a cabinetmaker in a workshop.

BugBear

 

[AndyT]

Here's a bit more information from an old catalogue.

The 1909 Preston catalogue (not online but available as a reprint by Astragal Press) lists plane irons - uncut common, cast steel, cast steel round nose; cut common, cast steel, cast steel parallel, cast steel parallel bright; common double cast steel with brass nuts, ditto parallel, ditto bright - in other words, eleven different options - and they were all offered in sizes from 1 1/4" or 1 1/2" up to 3" (except for the double parallel bright, which stopped at 2 3/4").

So what planes were these wide irons used in?

Looking in the same catalogue, Trying Planes are listed in lengths of 22, 24, 26 or 28" - all with 2 1/2" irons. (I have a 22" one of these, and it's a thing of beauty, but I would not want to wield anything heavier.)

However, there is also this entry on "Shuteing planes"

showing a choice of 22" planes with side handles and irons up to 3" wide. Now those must be really rare!

(IIRC someone on here had one - I think it was a Marples. The 1938 Marples catalogue shows similar planes with 2 3/4" irons.)

So the hunt is on!

 

[Corneel]

Here is a long one from a museum collection. They don't give sizes, pitty.
This one comes from a shipyard. Long planes like this must have been popular amongst carpenters and the like. You can still find 80 -90 cm log ones easilly and occasionally even longer. Used for large objects, doors, window frames, beams etc. Somehow they liked long ones overhere.

As you can see the stock of the plane isn't very high. That reduces the weight. It's still a handfull though. I have a long one, but can't remember the details, so I'll post about it tonight.

http://www.geheugenvannederland.nl/...=7&st=reischaaf&sc=(reischaaf)/&wst=reischaaf

 

[Corneel]

Here are my two wooden jointers. 75 and 80 cm long The shorter one has a 2 1/2" iron, the longer one only 2 1/4". The shorter jointer is my go to jointer, the longer is still a basket case.

There are no dimensions in any of the old Dutch tool catalogues I looked at. According to the book from v.d. Sterre, the Dutch jointers (reischaaf) were at least 30" long (75 cm). Shorter planes are called "voorloper", to be translated to foreplane.

 

[tobytools]

BB- thanks for clearing that up

Andy T- thanks for all you input i appreciate it and it goes without saying you really are the professor
in regards to the shuteing plane they are stunning and remind me of a plane someone mad (can't for the life of me remember who, saw maker on here) the side tot is the same or very similar.

Corneel- love the planes and feel some what inadequate strange that European planes have smaller irons? I've seen a 22" version with with the iron a tad over 1 1/2", long and fin. no good to anyone..

The hight of my plane is the same as any normal 22" traditional bench plane, as for weight id say its lighter than my 22" im guessing because its bone dry (needs a bath in linseed) .This should add some weight and make it smell nice

as promised some pics of it shaving and it does alright, at some stage its had a mouth repair (very well done)
I've been looking for a plane like this for some time and im very happy with it.

my love for wooden planes keeps growing, one day i see a future without bailey type planes (for me)
thanks everyone..
TT