Identify a Transition Plane

[Garden Shed Projects]

A friend has asked me if I can shed any light on this transition plane. I am unable to help as I can’t read the makers mark or see any other identifiable marks. I have run a google search and can find a few similar but none I would say are the same. It’s in good condition with no damage or rust.
Any info regarding maker, age, value. Would be helpful.

 

[Jameshow]

Looks simalar to mine but larger

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/infill-plane.129085/
Cheers James

 

[D_W]

I think it's a kit or plane made of catalogue parts, but a good one. It's in the pattern of a Norris plane, like a no 6, but looks like a casting and the lever cap is thinner than Norris and is installed slightly cocked (which won't affect function if installed correctly).

 

[Orraloon]

Its an infill smoother. I have a Mathieson one very similar to that. Transitional planes had a metal blade holding frame on a wooden sole. A lot of makers at the time made infill planes and like DW said it may have been a kit. As to rough age perhaps pre WW1 and should fetch over one hundred quid and perhaps a few hundred depending on how the market goes. Take a look at similar on ebay and the price is all over the place. A nice plane.
Regards
John

 

[D_W]

If the cap iron in that plane is also ward, the iron and cap iron may be worth as much as the entire plane (because they may be a correct replacement for something Norris), but I wouldn't split them up.

 

[dannyr]

If the cap iron in that plane is also ward, the iron and cap iron may be worth as much as the entire plane (because they may be a correct replacement for something Norris), but I wouldn't split them up.

know where you're coming from, DW - but I think it would have to be a parallel blade and to my eye this looks like a tapered (??) - cost even more if it had a 'snick' - I have several tapered Wards, some unused, some with cap - but these are not that high priced (mind you, I've not looked for a while) - obviously the tapered are just as good, but the parallels are rarer and a better blade shape for this type of plane - both usually of wrought iron back with cast steel laid on.

looks like a well made user crafted infill smoother with nice (rose?)wood handle - like a Spiers of Ayr I'd say if you don't use it, keep it as a nice antique and don't try to do more than a clean

I'm not a plane expert but this is my ha'p'nyworth

 

[IWW]

I studied the pic for some time but can't blow it up enough to be certain about that blade. It looks tapered towards the top, but when I stare at the lower part, it seems parallel. A parallel blade makes more sense in a lever-capped as opposed to a wedged plane, it makes adjustment a lot easier!

There is something about the lines of the front end of this plane that make me think it's not from any of the major makers whose work I've seen, and the placing of the pivot for the lever cap so high on the central "hump" is a bit odd. I agree with the view it's a home-finished casting, and quite well done.

There must be quite a few user-made planes from one-off or small batch castings made when there were lots of small foundries around. The quality of finish on the few I've seen varies widely. I picked up this 'shell' from a junk-store a few years ago (after talking the seller into a price that was more consistent with the quality & state of the piece!)

That is all there was to carry home, I had to make a lever-cap & find a blade. The woodwork was too roughly-fitted to bother trying to fix, so I made new infill from some spalted Casuarina I happened to have (it has a grain pattern a bit like Beech, but the rays are a bit larger).

Turned out a decent general-purpose user, able to give a good account of itself on moderately challenging wood:

But the casting is pretty rough & ready and I could never get thet mouth cleaned up without creating a huge gap, so I left it alone. The cap-iron wil have to do all the work on this one:

Cheers,
Ian

 

[D_W]

It does have a bit of a tapered look, but that's mostly illusion. The tapered irons are much thinner at the top.

The reason for the value of the parallel irons while the tapered are affordable is because there are dealers and collectors looking to make their Norris plane 'original' (look like it, at least).