Picture of car boot Stanley #78

[garywayne]

Hi all.

Something I picked up yesterday at the car boot, a Stanley #78, (Duplex filletster and rabbet plane).

As far as I can tell all of the original bits are there. As it has a blade adjustment lever, and is 8 1/4" long, it's said to be 1936+.

In the experts humble opinion is it worth the £5.00 that I paid for it?

ATB, Gary

PS. I would like to thank Noel for putting up the picture for me. Thank you Noel.

 

[Waka]

Not an expert gary, but I'd say it was worth a fiver of anyones money.

hang on a while and the collectors will be along to advise

 

[Chris Knight]

Gary,

It is a very good fiver's worth. Examples in good condition fetch up to ten times as much.

 

[Alf]

Fiver? Yep, reckon so. Does it have the depth stop?

Cheers, Alf

 

[garywayne]

Hi all.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Alf said,

"Does it have the depth stop?"

Yes Alf, it does have a depth stop, and just below that it also has the three pronged spur for scoring the grain.

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE.


I apologize for the quality of picture.

Waterhead37,

Do you really think its worth that much?


ATB Gary.

 

[Chris Knight]

Gary,

I suspect yours is in Good condition and won't fetch £50. You'd need nearly complete japanning, a good length of original blade etc. However, I am no expert so YMMV if you sell it again. It's not a hugely collectible plane and for a user, many folk prefer the Record 778 for example.

The Condition and Value Chart used by Walter for valuing Stanley Tools runs from Mint through Excellent, Good Plus, Good, Good Minus, Fair to Poor. His price for your plane runs from $35 to $75 in the 2003 guide. Stanley prices have fallen back a bit of late so the 2005 price is probably not too different from the 2003 guide.

 

[garywayne]

Thanks Chris.

Just curious, I am going to use it.

ATB Gary.

 

[CHJ]

So this one, bought new in the '60s and used perhaps a dozen times in its life is worth something to someone :?:

It's been sitting in my workshop lightly covered in oil for the past 20 years and used only twice in all that time, and I can't remember using it in the previous 9 or 10.

Don't shudder like that Alf the purchase seemed a good idea at the time.

 

[Chris Knight]

Chas,
I was similarly seduced by my Record 50 - which I am actually coming to appreciate!

 

[Alf]

Yes Alf, it does have a depth stop, and just below that it also has the three pronged spur for scoring the grain.

Excellent.

Waterhead37,

Do you really think its worth that much?

Chris may have done for a moment, but I would doubt it. It's not in particularly good nick, it's just an ordinary old Made in England one of about a million others. Dunno what the "in the wild" price would be, 'cos the only one's I see are missing either the fence or depth stop - or both. Given that incurable optimist, Tony Murland, only puts this cleaner one with its box at £30, I think we can assume £15-20 as a more reasonable figure. But for a fiver, it's good. The above mentioned incompletes go at £7 or thereabouts round here.

Chaz, I'm not shuddering. I rarely if ever use my Type 1 Stanley #78. I use the red Marples more often*. :wink:

Cheers, Alf

*For the uninitiated that's a bit of an unsubtle drive-by gloat there. Well two of them probably, given the rarity of early Stanleys in Cornwall.

 

[Mittlefehldt]

I am a self confessed parsimonious individual. and I would have paid Five pounds/dollars or whatever was a good price.

For some reason here in Canada I never see those with the fences, I don't know if they did not work well and were subsequently discarded or were just easily lost, in any event to get one complete for the above mentioned price would seem to me to be just fine.

 

[bugbear]

some reason here in Canada I never see those with the fences, I don't know if they did not work well and were subsequently discarded or were just easily lost,

In the era of the router and splindle moulder, #78's don't get to cut many rebates.

But.

Site and trim carpenters remove the "extras" (fence, nicker, depth stop) and use them as shoulder planes on softwood.

A professionl woodworker friend was given a Record #778 by his parents when he started his training, and always used it "stripped"; I eventually found him a "partless" modern-ish Stanley #78 (3 quid) and cleaned/tuned it. He was then able to re-assemble the #778, and use it in his workshop.

(he's a carpenter-joiner, so he fabricates then installs -he's slowly building up 2 sets of tools, 1 for the workshop, 1 for site)

BugBear

 

[Alf]

Site and trim carpenters remove the "extras" (fence, nicker, depth stop) and use them as shoulder planes on softwood.

I have a vague idea that I've heard of them used as a sort of ersatz scrub too (back to scrubs again :roll: ). Ah yes, here we are - and look who's there. I know one example I have came with two irons; one square and one with a pronounced camber. It wasn't until after I'd squared up the latter did I read about using one as a scrub. #-o Been meaning to trying for myself ever since, but the Tuits keep going south for the Winter. And Spring. Also Summer. And yes, Autumn too... *

Cheers, Alf

*Fall, for those in North America

 

[garywayne]

I would like to thank you all for your input. I also appreciate the money side of things being put into perspective.

I really like power-tools and I think they have there place, but I do prefer hand-tools, and I'm sure this plain will get a lot of use.

Nice paint job Chas - Do it yourself :?:

ATB Gary.

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Gary

That #78 is well worth a fiver. The depth stop alone is worth more!

It is a useful little plane. In addition to rebates, it can be used for jointing.

The other week there was a brief discussion about jointer fences - a Miller Falls one I think. My Stanley #386 looks like this:

You can use the #78 the same way, on small pieces where a #386 is too large. Here is a pic of my Record #778:

OK guys there is a prize for the most uses to which you can put a #78/778. Ideas?

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Alf]

OK guys there is a prize for the most uses to which you can put a #78/778. Ideas?

One I hadn't thought of before; as a thinly veiled excuse to torment folks with pictures of your #386. :lol:

Lessee...
Rebates
Rabbets
Rabbits (throw it at 'em)
Fillisters
Fillesters
Phillysters (throw it at... er, no, never mind. Don't want to put him on his guard...)
Bullnose rebates
Bullnose rabbets
Bullnose rabbits (throw it at 'em whilst standing in a field with a charging bull in it - tried it as an Olympic sport in 1927 but it didn't catch on)
Bullnose fillisters
Bullnose fillesters
Bullnose x the 101 other ways to spell fillister
Lap joints, various (no, not that sort...)
Shoulders, tenons for the use of
Cheeks, ditto (no, not that sort either)
Scrub
Raised panel fielding (but never at First Slip or Silly Point*)
Paperweight
Boat anchor
Temporary boat anchor whilst your #55 is being cleaned
A thinly veiled excuse to torment folks with pictures of your #386
Basis of a collection
Basis of an obsession about two rod rebate planes (not that I resemble that remark in any way, of course... )

This is getting to revelatory, so I'll stop. 8-[

Cheers, Alf

*It's a cricket thing, 'Murrican folks. Try, erm, First Base and, erm, some other baseball position of your choice. Canadians may have to adapt it to Hockey or something...

 

[cambournepete]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[mudman]

....

Raised panel fielding (but never at First Slip or Silly Point*)

....

Cheers, Alf

*It's a cricket thing, 'Murrican folks. Try, erm, First Base and, erm, some other baseball position of your choice. Canadians may have to adapt it to Hockey or something...

Not just our 'Murrican firends I'm afraid. There is at least one Englishman that finds such terms as Googly, Bye, Leg-bye, Yorkers and Chinaman totally confusing. And when I ask the cricket officionados in the office, they just snigger. :?

Although The Times did list a number of these terms yesterday so I now know that I was probably sitting at the Silly Point in school that day I got smacked by the cricket bat. :sign3: