quality planes

[Vann]

Vann, that would be me. I found that Pedder linked to my thread over on WN, and was really intrigued by that page. If you pbject to my copying it and using it there, I'll remove it straightaway.

Hi Greg. Welcome.

I have no objection. It's not my intellectual property anyway - I copied it from another site myself . A coincidence that someone on here asked about Marples planes at the same time as someone on WN asked about the X4.

I should point out that it came from across the other "pond" as I'm across the Pacific from you in sunny New Zealand (where it's winter #-o ) .

Cheers, John

 

[bugbear]

Well, that's increased the number of people thinking "if I spot one of those on eBay in among the ordinary no 4s I'll be the only one who knows what it is and will snaffle a bargain" beyond the maximum number!

Sorry BB if you've been searching for some time. ( I'm sure I have seen one on eBay, and spotted that funny wiggle on the lever cap, but didn't realise what it was!)

A 2 page rave review/artivle in F&C queered the pitch long ago.

BugBear

 

[Tom K]

:mrgreen: Half expecting Jimi to turn up a pair at tomorrows bootfair!

 

[jimi43]

:mrgreen: Half expecting Jimi to turn up a pair at tomorrows bootfair!

No chance of that Tom...I'm off to visit my niece in Newmarket this weekend...

Might be a bootfair up that way though!!

Jim

 

[Gregory Sherwood]

Thanks Vann.

BugBear, any chance you have a copy of that 2 page F&C article? Or know where I could locate one? Part of my galootism is that I am compelled to buy items that I've never seen before, then I must school myself on it to the Nth degree.

 

[Gregory Sherwood]

BB, I received your PM, but apparently the fact that I am new here precludes my ability to use PM's until I am a member for a longer period of time.
Take your time, I'm in no hurry and appreciate your willingness to assist. If you (or anyone) could tell me what publication 'F&C' is, I'd search myself.

 

[Harbo]

Furniture & Cabinet Maker (UK mag)

Rod

 

[Lexusman]

Marples old planes from the 1930 s to 60 s .are very good , some are a lot thicker bases than others and quite good looking in red paint, earlier ones i think were black, but red planes sometimes have a black frog or red and the blades are a bit harder than stanley and i touch thicker of the same age i think . Marples and sorby shared the same moulds and basically identical but a bit less common .they are all much of a much to use best british planes list my opinion. 1 clifton . 2. Edward preston because of there finish .,,3 w s plane i think is an earlier name for woden brand,,, woden Marples clifton record and stanley .pre 1978 ,are very very similar that you wouldnt be bothered .early footprint planes are decent , rapiers planes better than acorn which is a cheap stanley .there are quite a few others but were never long running makers like the other , sedgeley whitmore , salmon ,rolson ,there is a brand after the war called a ,dronfiled , which is where the marples family lived during the war .apert from that i know nothing

 

[g7g7g7g7]

My first bailey pattern plane was a U.S. make, Millers Falls and I've gotten a kind of attached to them. Unfortunately there isn't many in the U.K. and prices reflect that, every now and again you can get a decent find on ebay but my ideal of having a matching set of planes has been put on hold until I've got spare cash for such vanity and flamboyance.

There has to be a lot of quality U.S. toolmakers I'm unaware of as a relative novice that have slipped past my notice.

 

[D_W]

My first bailey pattern plane was a U.S. make, Millers Falls and I've gotten a kind of attached to them. Unfortunately there isn't many in the U.K. and prices reflect that, every now and again you can get a decent find on ebay but my ideal of having a matching set of planes has been put on hold until I've got spare cash for such vanity and flamboyance.

There has to be a lot of quality U.S. toolmakers I'm unaware of as a relative novice that have slipped past my notice.

stanley
sargent
hahn
siegley
millers falls
union
gage

there is a ton of second rate makes

 

[whiskywill]

I have a red painted Stanley no. 4 with unstained beech(?) handle and knob. Does anybody know when they were made and where do they come on the quality scale?

 

[D_W]

What's the origin? UK, US? They are late and generally low quality, but what they generally are doesn't mean much if you get one that works really well.

I've got a late type 20 stanley that is probably still my favorite smoother. They are generally panned here in the states, and the irons were poor (soft) in them, but that is easy enough to fix. It just adjusts smoother and works a little easier than any other 4 I have or have had.

The maroon 4s that I've seen here have a frog that doesn't extend all of the way to the casting, and I don't really favor that particular situation too much.

 

[whiskywill]

I have just found this and I think it answers my question.

Somebody has swapped the iron, chipbreaker and cap for a Stanley.

 

[ED65]

I was going to say it sounded like you might have a Frenkenplane whiskywill. As a result it's hard to say what you could have there in terms of performance, but assuming you have the original Acorn frog and body it's probably between adequate (call it handyman level) and quite good. Regardless of which it is there's a good chance you can fettle it into a very respectable user if that's what you fancy.

I recently fettled an Acorn and it can now take much finer shavings than it would have been capable of originally, and while it was on my bench I reached for it often when finish planing.

 

[Vann]

I have just found this and I think it answers my question.

Somebody has swapped the iron, chipbreaker and cap for a Stanley.

Acorn was JA Chapman's brand of iron planes, before Stanley bought them out in 1936 (to form Stanley UK). Their planes were maroon. They were Bailey copies (wasn't everybody's), but the frogs were an older design (what Patrick lists as the 2nd design in Blood & Gore) with the cantilevered bottom end.

Stanley continued using the Acorn brand name, with planes marked "Acorn by Stanley" on a waterslide transfer. Stanley cheapened them down to be without frog adjuster and with one piece lateral lever. These were red (or is that orange). This was their budget range, until they changed to the Stanley "Handiman" range.

The plane in the picture dates to this budget range. It's possible that the irons were marked Stanley, as they came out of the Stanley UK factory. So it may be 100% original. Mine came without irons, so I don't know.

Cheers, Vann.

 

[Vann]

...I've got a late type 20 stanley that is probably still my favorite smoother...

DW, I don't believe that Stanley UK made 20 "types" - probably not more than 8 - 10, and they've never been documented.

So I assume you're talking about American Stanleys from Canada or the USA - but as you're on a British forum here, you should be more specific. Thanks.

Cheers, Vann.

 

[Caruso]

Anchor was made by Eskilstuna jernmanufaktur AB later also called Jernbolaget. They were manufacturing a lot of different things made of steel or iron such as cutlery, sissors, hinges, padlocks, knives, skates, tools and house hold scales.

Actually the name Anchor is still used by a lock manufacturer situated on the same premises. http://www.anchorlas.com/About-us/

 

[Downwindtracker2]

I have two #6 planes from about 1952ish, a rosewood and blue Record and a beech and green Anchor. The Record is the better made plane.

 

[D_W]

...I've got a late type 20 stanley that is probably still my favorite smoother...

DW, I don't believe that Stanley UK made 20 "types" - probably not more than 8 - 10, and they've never been documented.

So I assume you're talking about American Stanleys from Canada or the USA - but as you're on a British forum here, you should be more specific. Thanks.

Cheers, Vann.

American type 20, yes. I don't know the british equivalent.