harry282harry
New member
Hello, I found this plane locally on Gumtree, I was wondering if anybody can give me any information about it, and any tips in cleaning it up, and tips on using it.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Shoulder plane.
- Thread starter harry282harry
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It's a shoulder plane now manufactured by Clifton and an excellent plane. I have the Clifton version.
Clifton No 410 Shoulder Plane (workshopheaven.com)
You can restore it using various grades of wet and dry sandpaper on a very flat surface, either granite or plate glass would be ideal. You can buy enough for this restore from Halfords, just work through the grades
Halfords Wet & Dry Sanding Paper 4 Assorted Sheets | Halfords UK
If you have a pillar drill then buy a few low abrasive wheels to get into the corners. The watch word is easy does it and go though the grades to get to a polish.
I would finish it off the sides, base and blades with Autosol on a leather strop or a piece of timber
Clifton No 410 Shoulder Plane (workshopheaven.com)
You can restore it using various grades of wet and dry sandpaper on a very flat surface, either granite or plate glass would be ideal. You can buy enough for this restore from Halfords, just work through the grades
Halfords Wet & Dry Sanding Paper 4 Assorted Sheets | Halfords UK
If you have a pillar drill then buy a few low abrasive wheels to get into the corners. The watch word is easy does it and go though the grades to get to a polish.
I would finish it off the sides, base and blades with Autosol on a leather strop or a piece of timber
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SammyQ
Established Member
STOP!! That is a Preston plane. E.P. = Edward (I think) Preston. Collectors (haugh, tho!!) just lurve "patina" - rust and grubbiness to you and me. As she stands, this excellent lil' number is about £90-120. A LIGHT pass over with a soft brass brush to get rid of the dustier rust, followed by a GENTLE kiss with Solvol Autosol, will bring it into good shape, but leave the "patina" largely untouched. Going at it like a navvy with a sheet of sandpaper will negate all its attraction to "collectors".
I have this one and its Record successor, the #74; VERY difficult to chose between them. Their 'heft' - and low blade angle - make them an absolute dream to use, even on gnarly, 'swirling' grain.
I have this one and its Record successor, the #74; VERY difficult to chose between them. Their 'heft' - and low blade angle - make them an absolute dream to use, even on gnarly, 'swirling' grain.
Argus
Established Member
Absolutely.
Edward Preston went bust (taken over) in 1932, so that plane is probably over 100 years old. Just clean it and add a light oil wipe to everything.
It is quite valuable...... Preston made excellent tools and is still a good user with a little attention to the blade to make it sharp.
There is what appears to be an owner's mark - the 'W' mark near the base.
Edward Preston went bust (taken over) in 1932, so that plane is probably over 100 years old. Just clean it and add a light oil wipe to everything.
It is quite valuable...... Preston made excellent tools and is still a good user with a little attention to the blade to make it sharp.
There is what appears to be an owner's mark - the 'W' mark near the base.
raffo
Established Member
If it's nickel plated, don't go about using sandpaper on it.
Argus
Established Member
Looking that plane up, it is one of the Edward Preston 1368 range of shoulder planes, available in a choice of 5 blade sizes. It's listed (page 76) in the modern, Astragal Press reprinted catalogue of 1909 and available, as I said, probably up to the end of trading in 1932/3.
Record ( C& J Hampton Ltd) took over their tools range at that time - some design types carried on in their inventory, others disappeared.
One sold in May for about £170.
That, my fortunate friend, was one of the finest production shoulder planes that anyone made or money could buy 100-odd years ago.
The owner's mark may affect its value with some..... wouldn't bother me, though, it's part of the plane's life-line. It should see all of us out.
.
Record ( C& J Hampton Ltd) took over their tools range at that time - some design types carried on in their inventory, others disappeared.
One sold in May for about £170.
That, my fortunate friend, was one of the finest production shoulder planes that anyone made or money could buy 100-odd years ago.
The owner's mark may affect its value with some..... wouldn't bother me, though, it's part of the plane's life-line. It should see all of us out.
.
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harry282harry
New member
Hello, thank you for all your responses, it's quite surprising considering the junk it came with, I think I will go down the "sympathetic" route has anybody got any tips on the best way of sharpening?
Thank you.
Thank you.
Argus
Established Member
Sharpening is a semi-toxic issue in these parts..... but with a shoulder-plane, apart from it being sharp, one thing is important - with the blade in its cutting position and sitting square to the mouth, its essential that there's a slight overhang of the sides. Only about 0.5 mm, if that, so that the corner and the edge remain true in the corner of the shoulder. Therefore the width of the cutter will be important.
With that plane, it was common to match the blade width to the actual plane body - you will probably notice that they are both numbered at the factory. The batch number on the plane body would be matched to a blade and then it was numbered.
The sharpening needs to be keen because this plane is intended to cut cross-grain on tenon shoulders, as well as possibly cleaning small rebates.
So, in three stages,
1 - Flatten the back (flat) side then polish down to a shiny finish. You only do this once then keep it maintained. Essentially it needs to be clean, flat and the strip alongside the back of the bevel needs to be dead smooth - this is one part of your cutting edge and needs to be good.
2 - Sharpen the beveled side square to the sides though all your grits to a good edge with the thinnest hair on the cutting edge that you can get - strop this down on a strop if you have one and remove the whisker. You may, or may not, favour a jig at this point ( I don't use one) but it's worth pointing out that mounting this shaped blade in a jig is a monumental pain and jigs were probably not invented when this plane was made.
3 - Dress the sides of the blade. Lightly stroke each side of the blade on a very fine stone - don't take any metal off! - until it is smooth and you have a sharp point at the corner where it meets the bevel. You only do this once, then maintain it.
At this point, the blade is good to go - a little wire wool to remove any krud on the inside seat of the body will ensure a snug fit.
That's my method...... I hope that it works for you. As I said before, sharpening is a semi-toxic issue hereabouts, so there will be variations.......
With that plane, it was common to match the blade width to the actual plane body - you will probably notice that they are both numbered at the factory. The batch number on the plane body would be matched to a blade and then it was numbered.
The sharpening needs to be keen because this plane is intended to cut cross-grain on tenon shoulders, as well as possibly cleaning small rebates.
So, in three stages,
1 - Flatten the back (flat) side then polish down to a shiny finish. You only do this once then keep it maintained. Essentially it needs to be clean, flat and the strip alongside the back of the bevel needs to be dead smooth - this is one part of your cutting edge and needs to be good.
2 - Sharpen the beveled side square to the sides though all your grits to a good edge with the thinnest hair on the cutting edge that you can get - strop this down on a strop if you have one and remove the whisker. You may, or may not, favour a jig at this point ( I don't use one) but it's worth pointing out that mounting this shaped blade in a jig is a monumental pain and jigs were probably not invented when this plane was made.
3 - Dress the sides of the blade. Lightly stroke each side of the blade on a very fine stone - don't take any metal off! - until it is smooth and you have a sharp point at the corner where it meets the bevel. You only do this once, then maintain it.
At this point, the blade is good to go - a little wire wool to remove any krud on the inside seat of the body will ensure a snug fit.
That's my method...... I hope that it works for you. As I said before, sharpening is a semi-toxic issue hereabouts, so there will be variations.......
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SammyQ
Established Member
Wot Argus sed. There is a little extra "wheeze" perpetrated by The Venerable Charlesworth, about setting the blade a gnat's todger clear of the body to effect clean cutting. Been a while since I had occasion to read it, will look it up for you after work today.
Adam W.
A Major Clanger
Call me a philistine......But it's nice to look at and horrible to hold.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Jacob
What goes around comes around.
It's a well known wheeze perpetrated by all the users of full width blade planes, rebate, shoulder, etc that the blade has to be aligned a gnats proud of the face side against the rebate side, otherwise they don't work at all.
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Adam W.
A Major Clanger
You do have to do that if your cutting a rebate, otherwise it creeps away from the shoulder if it's not a tiny bit clear of the body.
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SammyQ
Established Member
Oops. I mis-quoted D.C.; embarrassed apologies David, mea culpa. 
"David Charlesworth's Furniture-making Techniques, Vol II, page 69,: "Blade can be pressed flush with the body using a set square stock on the working side"
The bold (emphases) are mine, the words original D.C.; clearly, the mini-insect's genitalia quip I used is erroneous.
Apologies also to all Sciarans reading this.
"David Charlesworth's Furniture-making Techniques, Vol II, page 69,: "Blade can be pressed flush with the body using a set square stock on the working side"
The bold (emphases) are mine, the words original D.C.; clearly, the mini-insect's genitalia quip I used is erroneous.
Apologies also to all Sciarans reading this.
David C
In Memorium
Sammy,
I'm rather pleased to be called venerable, it was my 70th birthday on Friday.
The point about the stock of a setsquare, is that you can make the edge of the blade flush, (Perhaps for cleaning a rebate) or protruding for heavier work.
Protrusion created by a couple of sheets of paper under the stock of the setsquare.
Best wishes,
David
I'm rather pleased to be called venerable, it was my 70th birthday on Friday.
The point about the stock of a setsquare, is that you can make the edge of the blade flush, (Perhaps for cleaning a rebate) or protruding for heavier work.
Protrusion created by a couple of sheets of paper under the stock of the setsquare.
Best wishes,
David
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Happy birthday David, hope all is well 
Cheers
Peter
Cheers
Peter
