I have a Marples plane which is marked 324, this seems strange as I thought Marples followed the usual pattern and marked them M4, M5 etc. Any thoughts?.
Tool identification
- Thread starter Qwercus
- Start date
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toolsntat
Yep, I collect tools and tat
As far as I can tell, it is an Ohio.
Cheers Andy
Cheers Andy
Yep, that's a number used by the Ohio Tool Co., though they also used a more 'conventional' numbering system as well for some of their range putting an "0" in front of the equivalent Stanley number as Record later did). Looks like it lost its lever cap at some stage & the Marples just happened to be handy. There are some unique features of Ohio's planes which may help you to sort out its pedigree.
Cheers,
Ian
Cheers,
Ian
Thanks for the info guys,
Interesting that an ohio tool plane would get over there. Most of the makers of non-stanley planes spent a lot of time chasing stanley, but they came up short one way or another in quality (softer or cheaper irons, issues small adjusters that were hard to work, odd unsupported areas under frogs while usually selling some aspect, such as an iron being thicker - I guess money was tight. IT wouldn't have been hard to make an iron that was thicker and at least as good as a stanley, but perhaps the site guys wanted softer if it was going to be thicker).
At any rate, I didn't know ohio stuff made it over there. It's fairly uncommon to see marples lever caps over here, so that would've been a good betting topic "a plane with an ohio casting and marples lever cap - as found - which country was it found in?".
At any rate, I didn't know ohio stuff made it over there. It's fairly uncommon to see marples lever caps over here, so that would've been a good betting topic "a plane with an ohio casting and marples lever cap - as found - which country was it found in?".
Argus
Established Member
It's surprising to see what ended up here.... by whatever means was available, given the tariffs and other barriers to trade into the UK and the Empire as it was in the early part of the 20th C. .
Some years ago, I bought in a junk-shop what was described as a 'Stanley 48-type' T&G plane. I thought it odd that there were no Stanley markings, other than the Sweetheart logo on one of the thumb-screws.
I used it for years before I found out that it was made by Union, their model 41, about the time that Stanley acquired their plane-making business in 1920 and in the process of the transfer of business, apparently, all the 'Union' markings on the casting were ground off the batch then in production. This was done before it was plated, so there was some planning involved. They were then sold on as a genuine Stanley product.
Some years ago, I bought in a junk-shop what was described as a 'Stanley 48-type' T&G plane. I thought it odd that there were no Stanley markings, other than the Sweetheart logo on one of the thumb-screws.
I used it for years before I found out that it was made by Union, their model 41, about the time that Stanley acquired their plane-making business in 1920 and in the process of the transfer of business, apparently, all the 'Union' markings on the casting were ground off the batch then in production. This was done before it was plated, so there was some planning involved. They were then sold on as a genuine Stanley product.
JobandKnock
Amateur curmudgeon
JobandKnock
Amateur curmudgeon
Stanley planes were being sold in the UK before WWI as were Sargents. Presumably Ohio and Union (both of which disappeared about 1920) followed suit? Certainly seen a number of hard used compass planes from Union over here. Do you not think it possible they might have arrived in the latter part of WWI with the US Army or Navy in the same way that a lot of stuff got here in WWII?
Good point about war goods. A lot of the us manufacturers probably saw the wars as an opportunity to sell goods to places that would need to rebuild.
JobandKnock
Amateur curmudgeon
I was thinking more of the military. During WWI the British and American forces were both still using horse drawn transport to an extent, as well as horse artillery, etc. This sort of stuff is made from wood and needs near constant maintenance. After the war a lot of this stuff would have been sold off cheaply as war surplus
I'm thinking both, but the military would probably be the easiest sale. Not sure if things would've gotten marked (they're generally marked here).
I may also underestimate the smaller companies' efforts here in marketing their wares overseas.
I may also underestimate the smaller companies' efforts here in marketing their wares overseas.
toolsntat
Yep, I collect tools and tat
Hi Qwercus, did you pick up on my message the other day?
Cheers Andy
Cheers Andy
