Patternmakers Plane

[hodsdonr]

New to the forum, so no pictures.
I have what I think are a couple of pattern makers plans, no makers marks etc. What it consists of is the plane with detachable soles, each sole has a number on it . plus a flat sole. Unfortunately they are from two planes top from a 14 inch and soles from a 11inch. So the mouth doesnt match
The other plane is a "Block Plane abt 3 inch with three sole that are dovetailed attached and have a locking screw.

Are these common?
Oh by the way I am in South Africa
Regards
richard

 

[bridger]

Not common where I am, but I'm in Arizona. Places with a history of foundry work will have more of them.

Please post replies until your post count gets high enough to let you post pictures. I want to see....

 

[Sheffield Tony]

Not hugely common, or of much practical use I can think of. I bought one because it seemed like a nice thing to have, particularly coming from a family background of Sheffield steelworkers. I haven't yet found a contemporary use for it - the curves are too shallow for most mouldings you might want to make. Mine had been used with one of the curved blades and a flattish base together as a scrub plane, I think.

 

[hodsdonr]

The problem with these planes is that you need a different blade for each shape.
Also found a wooden frog for a plane so I presume it is a pattern for casting his own frog

 

[hodsdonr]

got some photos so lets have a try

 

[hodsdonr]

obverse view of small patternmakers planes. The one sole is curved side to side the others is curved front to back and side to side

 

[hodsdonr]

this is the large patterns makers planes , unfortunately the soles and plane are from different planes

 

[hodsdonr]

the different soles notice the different curves from flat to 6 inchs

 

[hodsdonr]

Lastly here is the pattern I found of the frog for a metal plane

Richard

 

[JohnPW]

Why have one body with multiple detachable soles and irons?

Is it to save space? Maybe even pattern makers didn't use these planes all that much?

 

[hodsdonr]

John
When you see how many planes the old guys had for coves moldings and rebates etc and they were only radiuses of fractions of an inch, then having planes for each of the various curves and radii of a pattern would require dozens of planes. The soles I have go up in radii of 1/2 " from flat to 6" thats 12 curves and I dont know if it is a full set. I doubt it

Richard

 

[hodsdonr]

John
Having many sole also does't mean they are all used. The flat sole of the small block plane doesn't quite fit (mouth doesn't line up) as do the curved soles. So I would speculate that you Fettle the sole to fit only when you need that curve. And as there was an E Preston and Sons block plane the original owner never bothered to fit the flat sole.
And when you think a Pattern is usually a one off (until it gets worn out after many years of service) each job of a pattern-maker was different

 

[Argus]

As an occasional carver, I used to make linen-fold panels.

The bosting-out process of the board involves firstly establishing the principal curved contours of the linen.

Seen in cross section these are a series of hollows and rounds across the width of the board. Cabinet makers’ rounds in the larger radii are used for this and I also used a small pattern-makers plane. As with all this sort of work, being in possession of full sets, you end up using just one or two of the available sizes.

So, they do have a use, not a long way from their original purpose, but a rarefied tool for this reason.

I’ve found that they crop up from time to time on the usual auctions, often incomplete, often home-made, though occasionally a good complete, well made set arrives and these seem to command a competetive price.