Stanley 9 1/2, made in England, dating?

[ED65]

Completely by chance found this 9 1/2 in a bric-a-brac shop on Sunday. I'd missed a Stanley block plane earlier in the day at a car boot by just a couple of minutes, but this is a much better type anyway (adjustable mouth v. fixed) so that turned out to be a stroke of luck in the end.

Any way to date one of these? It's not important at all, I'm just wondering out of curiosity.

If it helps it came in its original box, that familiar orange pulpy cardboard but unfortunately missing the label.

 

[Vann]

I can't help with dating block planes. All I can say is it looks relatively modern - 1970s, 80s, 90s (then again, I don't know how a 1940s one would differ #-o ).

Cheers, Vann.

 

[iNewbie]

Is this any help?

https://virginiatoolworks.com/tools/sta ... ype-study/

 

[David C]

My feeling is definitely pre 1970's.

David

 

[Vann]

My feeling is definitely pre 1970's.

I can't argue, I'm going by two smallish photos, and gut feel, but...

...then again, I don't know how a 1940s one would differ #-o .

...except that a 1940s one would have the tops of the wings milled. This one has the top edges painted. So definitely not earlier than 1950s.

Cheers, Vann.

 

[ED65]

Thanks for the help gents, appreciated.

Is this any help?

https://virginiatoolworks.com/tools/sta ... ype-study/

It's a start at least. I came across that already Googling around but as this is Stanley UK the usual rule is you can only be definitive about it being after a specific style/feature came in in America, meaning I think a very wide possible date range for this of 50 years or so.

My feeling is definitely pre 1970's.

Thanks David. The box made me think maybe 80s but not quite as old as that.

I'm going by two smallish photos

Did you click for a larger image? Your resolution might be a lot higher than mine so obviously even at full size they might be pretty small.

 

[ED65]

Here's what it looks like now for anyone interested:

This is just scrubbed up and with the sole and bed fettled, I'll be doing a bit more to it later to spruce it up.

This was one plane where fettling was desperately needed on the bed, the iron projection wasn't uniform when the gap was, making it nearly useless for finer work. Now that it's done it's working just as I'd hoped, with a nice tight mouth along with the very steep bevel (45°) almost no tearout going the wrong way.

 

[David C]

Good job.

So you adjusted the bed?

Another way to cure azimuth error, is to adjust the front edge of the mouth, to match blade. Perhaps easier?

David

 

[Woody2Shoes]

You did a nice job of tidying it up.

I have a 60 1/2 which I reckon is early/mid seventies. The only difference is that the two knurled knobs fore and aft are nickel-plated steel, rather than brass per your example.

On that basis, I'd say yours is probably pre-seventies, but maybe not by very long.

Cheers, W2S

 

[ED65]

Good job.

You did a nice job of tidying it up.

Ta. I like that it didn't require anything long-winded or fancy, just basic techniques mostly using stuff found in any kitchen.

So you adjusted the bed?

Another way to cure azimuth error, is to adjust the front edge of the mouth, to match blade. Perhaps easier?

The filing job would be more straightforward certainly and it would even up the gap, but wouldn't I still be left with the problem of one corner of the cutter projecting lower?

Thankfully I only needed to take the bed down on the left side by about double the thickness of magazine paper, only a few thou, which isn't terribly strenuous, I couldn't fit in my smallest mill file at that angle so had to use a needle file so it was a bit tricky but I got there in the end.

:arrow: For anyone needing to do this kind of thing who has difficulty in visualising where they need to file like I did, you can shim underneath the side of the iron with slips of paper until blade projection evens out. Up on one side = down on the other so you file opposite where the paper does the trick. But make sure the iron's edge is square across first!

I have a 60 1/2 which I reckon is early/mid seventies. The only difference is that the two knurled knobs fore and aft are nickel-plated steel, rather than brass per your example.

On that basis, I'd say yours is probably pre-seventies, but maybe not by very long.

Interesting, it gets older and older 8)

 

[JonnyW]

She looks lovely cleaned up - excellent job.

I agree with the later model statements.

"Early models don't have the eccentric lever for the throat closing mechanism" http://www.hansbrunnertools.com/Stanley by numbers/Stanley 9-1-2.htm

A good find that.

Jonny

 

[David C]

ED,

One can just grind and hone the blade out of square, to compensate for the bed error.

David

 

[ED65]

Thanks Jonny.

David C, that's what I was working to avoid having to do. Seems easier to me, and simpler in the long run as the iron could then be sharpened normally for the rest of its life without having to worry about maintaining a particular angle on the edge.

 

[David C]

Some might find the blade option easier. I maintained a 60 1/2 blade like this for many years.

The filing you did is highly skilled.

Chacun a son gout!

David

 

[ED65]

The filing you did is highly skilled.

So is the sharpening you did

 

[Downwindtracker2]

You did nice job on it. I have an English Stanley 60 1/2 I bought in'71 when I started my apprenticeship. The discount department store bought store closeouts, so I would think it was from the late '60s. The adjustment knob is not nickel plated or brass, just plain with coarse knurling . The front knob is plated.