Vintage British planes worth buying [metal]

[dannyr]

I pass no final judgement - but a couple of 'what do you think?' --

regarding Rapier - their fairly common spokeshave is quite interesting - made like an adjustable wooden shave (ie blade flat to wood) - not like Stanley, Record and many others - I tried one - seemed nice in use, good blade, both round and flat fronts available (confession - I also have one in pices, needs a small repair). Anyone else have these?
(I believe Rapier were a Tyneside manufacturer?)

GTL - people often try to sell these for high sums as the adjuster looks like a Norris (but no side to side) - typically a No3 or narrow No4 smoother and body cast iron or brass/bronze - I came across two very cheap brass bodied in a market ages ago - one had a far thicker casting than the other and other differences (ie significantly better - bought it but not much used).
(I think GTL was Midlands based and mainly sold tool kits so would buy in from wherever).

Lewin - made a multi-plane (maybe equiv to Stanley, Record 45, 405) - sounds Welsh but I don't know - any good? looks OK, but it's often said that multi-planes sounded good and were bought by craftsmen after a well-paying job and then sat in its box. Again, I think they made at least one other plane.

I think these firms were all part of the post war effort to make something other than arms and, while they may not have really succeeded, I give them good marks for effort in not just copying the old designs. Or is that just sentimental?

 

[Inspector]

I don't see Clifton on the list. Thought they made good planes or haven't they been around long enough to qualify as old. :wink:

Pete

 

[billw]

As well as brands what's the core types to own? I'm thinking of building the collection to include 4,5,7, 45, 55, 60 1/2, 71, 78, and 90.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

As well as brands what's the core types to own? I'm thinking of building the collection to include 4,5,7, 45, 55, 60 1/2, 71, 78, and 90.

The usual advice is to start with a number 5 jack plane, use it to become familiar with the techniques of squaring up and finishing timber and the chore of keeping a sharp edge, then start to add other types as need arises, and depending on the type of work you end up doing.

Perhaps the best reference as to 'necessary tools' (as opposed to tools nice to have or "I'll buy one of those because I might need it one day" (a trap most of us have fallen into in our early woodworking years), is Chris Schwarz's 'The Anarchists Tool Chest'. Don't be put off by the title - it has no political connotations at all - it's a discussion of the types of tool necessary to build basic furniture by hand techniques, why they are needed (or not needed) and what to look for in each type of tool. Not cheap, but worth it. Classic Hand Tools are the European distributors of Lost Art Press books.

https://www.classichandtools.com/acatal ... l#SID=1220

This will answer the questions about the other plane types, too!

 

[billw]

As well as brands what's the core types to own? I'm thinking of building the collection to include 4,5,7, 45, 55, 60 1/2, 71, 78, and 90.

The usual advice is to start with a number 5 jack plane, use it to become familiar with the techniques of squaring up and finishing timber and the chore of keeping a sharp edge, then start to add other types as need arises, and depending on the type of work you end up doing.

Perhaps the best reference as to 'necessary tools' (as opposed to tools nice to have or "I'll buy one of those because I might need it one day" (a trap most of us have fallen into in our early woodworking years), is Chris Schwarz's 'The Anarchists Tool Chest'. Don't be put off by the title - it has no political connotations at all - it's a discussion of the types of tool necessary to build basic furniture by hand techniques, why they are needed (or not needed) and what to look for in each type of tool. Not cheap, but worth it. Classic Hand Tools are the European distributors of Lost Art Press books.

https://www.classichandtools.com/acatal ... l#SID=1220

This will answer the questions about the other plane types, too!

Excellent - just purchased the book!

 

[AndyT]

As well as brands what's the core types to own? I'm thinking of building the collection to include 4,5,7, 45, 55, 60 1/2, 71, 78, and 90.

With quite a few of those, you're limited to Stanley.

Afaik only Stanley made a 45 and never in Britain, so if you want a Vintage British 45 style multiplane you'll want a Record 405. It's an excellent quality tool, widely available, often complete in the box and not overpriced. (There was, briefly a Clifton version at several hundred pounds, but too recently to be called vintage. Anant made a copy, but in India, so off topic again.)

Only Stanley made the 55 though there were similar planes (not direct copies) in the States from Sargent. They are interesting as a logical dead end of design, in my opinion, but not especially useful.

The 60 1/2 is, I think, a useful tool but there are even more opinions about block planes than there are models. Record copied some Stanley designs but the easiest ones to find are the cheaper models aimed at the diy market.

The 71 is a very useful router as is its Record equivalent or any of the similar models. These shot up in price a few years back and can cost as much as a new one from LN or Veritas.

The 78 is a rebate plane with a single rod on the fence. You can find twin rod versions from Record, Woden, WS, Faithful. Ok but I much prefer a wooden moving fillister or sash fillister, or plain unfenced rebate.

Rather than a Stanley-only 90, for a vintage British bullnose rebate there are stacks of good infill models around, or you could look for a Preston or Record equivalent.

 

[SammyQ]

Record 72, 73, 74, router; Preston various...

 

[toolsntat]

This PATSY is extremely well designed as I finally found out after purchasing one in recent years. 8)
https://www.oldtools.co.uk/products/pat ... ane-no-55a

Cheers Andy

 

[AndyT]

This PATSY is extremely well designed as I finally found out after purchasing one in recent years. 8)
https://www.oldtools.co.uk/products/pat ... ane-no-55a

Cheers Andy

Yes, there were some interesting oddities in the post-war diy boom. Anyone for a Pemuvar Plough?

 

[dannyr]

Patsy, Pemuvar, Lewin, Rapier - all being quite inventive, often using light alloys (surplus after melting down those Spitfires?). But all doomed - or did they last long enough to make a profit? - I doubt it.

Could do with their own thread or two.

And who chose the name Patsy? Reminds me of a UK supplier of photo-chemicals called Barfen - what a name.

Talking of UK tool inventors and names - how about the Surform 'plane' -- someone please correct me if I'm wrong but I think the blade concept was first from Firth Brown Tools and made into a patented 'plane' by Aerocessories (variously of London and elsewhere) - Stanley first copied it with their 'Stanley Shaper' then bought Surform and dropped the Shaper line.
If you count this as a plane it's arguably the most commercially successful one of all.
I use my Surform quite often, but as a rasp/shaper, not a plane - the round sections work best on flat work and the flat versions on convex (such as a tool handle), I find

 

[SteveW1000]

Don't discount those made after the 60s. I bought a new Stanley 6 in the 70s which is as nice as any of mine a lot older apart from the change to the blade adjusting knob being chrome plated steel and the nuts at the end of the knob and tote being aluminium all being rather than brass. Off topic the american miller falls plane are nice I've a 4 and 41/2.