A couple of days ago I received this plane as part of a job lot. It is 8" long and the maker is Alexander Marshall of Glasgow. It has a single tapered iron, 2" wide, made by Ward. The body is in good condition except that the front of the opening has been roughly chopped out so that it is vertical at the front and there is a gap of about 3/16" between the cutting edge of the iron and the front of the mouth. The wedge is fairly good. I'll clean it up, fettle the iron and see how it performs but the evidence of butchery is painful for me to see. I feel inclined to fit a wooden insert to restore the original shape and have a narrower gap at the mouth but I'd be interested to see your opinions.
What shall I do with this woodie?
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Cheshirechappie
Established Member
*chuckle* On first reading your post, I thought "Oh, he means Alexander Mathieson of Glasgow; he's made a typo!". However, on checking BPM2, there is indeed an Alexander Marshall, of 301 Argyll Street, from 1883 to 1904. Marshall A &Co are listed at 72 Parnie St from 1904 to date unknown. Don't take the dates as gospel; a lot has been learned since BPM2 was published. The Ward iron might be a replacement, but could well be original, especially if it beds nicely and the wedge fits neatly.
It's a shame about the butchery to the front of the mouth, because the rest looks quite tidy - looks like someone has tried to turn it into a scrub, but it need not be terminal. The usual advice is to sharpen up the iron and give it a try, but in this instance the mouth is so open that a patch might be a good idea (unless you need a scrub, that is!).
PS - Did you take two of those pictures with the plane sat on a lathe cross-slide, by any chance?
It's a shame about the butchery to the front of the mouth, because the rest looks quite tidy - looks like someone has tried to turn it into a scrub, but it need not be terminal. The usual advice is to sharpen up the iron and give it a try, but in this instance the mouth is so open that a patch might be a good idea (unless you need a scrub, that is!).
PS - Did you take two of those pictures with the plane sat on a lathe cross-slide, by any chance?
Thanks for the information, CC. The plane came in a job lot of 15 planes plus some other things and I am starting by taking photos and noting their details. Then I'll start refurbishing and sharpening. I'll report back in due course on how this plane behaves and what I do with it. I have some scrub planes so I may well fit the plane with a wooden insert to make it a better smoother.
Yes, it was resting on a cross slide as the lathe has an anglepoise lamp that is convenient for illuminating items for photography. Getting this Super 7 into good usable condition is another of this year's projects.
Yes, it was resting on a cross slide as the lathe has an anglepoise lamp that is convenient for illuminating items for photography. Getting this Super 7 into good usable condition is another of this year's projects.
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Make another body. Someone didn't like the wear for some reason, but it will probably work fine as it is. You could alleviate some of the visual pain by slipping a piece of brass or something on it, but to recreate the wear and top of the escapement, I don't think it'd be worth the trouble.
See how it works with the wedge fit, the abutments look fine and it should be OK.
If nothing else, save the iron and cap out of it.
I guess someone had trouble with it clogging in the wear.
See how it works with the wedge fit, the abutments look fine and it should be OK.
If nothing else, save the iron and cap out of it.
I guess someone had trouble with it clogging in the wear.
Corneel
Established Member
Single iron? Chuck it.
bugbear
Established Member
D_W":2y6vjk9g said:
Although (obviously) keep the 2" Ward Iron.
BugBear
bugbear":1wz5qrzh said:
Yes, always. Many of the planes sell for less than the iron is worth. Not sure what I'd do with a 2" single iron, but it takes up little enough space that you can figure it out later.
Have you actually tried it out? I agree that the gouges out of the wear look messy, but do they really interfere with the working?
You might occasionally find it useful to have a wide mouthed deeply cambered single iron plane that you can use with one hand, so I'd sharpen it and keep it much as it is. If the damage does matter, then yes, glue in a slip of wood to cover it up.
You might occasionally find it useful to have a wide mouthed deeply cambered single iron plane that you can use with one hand, so I'd sharpen it and keep it much as it is. If the damage does matter, then yes, glue in a slip of wood to cover it up.
Cheshirechappie
Established Member
I'm with Andy - it's at least worth sharpening the iron and giving it a test drive. It may not be an everyday plane, but a small, light scrub-type plane has it's uses. Even as a single-iron smoother, it could do a job on mild timbers. Not every piece of wood is wild-grained, rippled or interlocked.
It's odd how woodworking fashions come and go. Not that long ago, single-ironed wooden planes were all the rage. Now, everything has to have a cap-iron. It's just possible that there's room for both.
Those Myford lathes are lovely tools - what they lack in rigidity compared to an industrial machine of similar capacity they more than make up for in versatility, especially with a few well-chosen additions. I hope you enjoy the rebuild - by the standards of the planes you've posted on the forum in the past, I reckon that lathe will be just about factory-new condition by the time you've finished!
It's odd how woodworking fashions come and go. Not that long ago, single-ironed wooden planes were all the rage. Now, everything has to have a cap-iron. It's just possible that there's room for both.
Those Myford lathes are lovely tools - what they lack in rigidity compared to an industrial machine of similar capacity they more than make up for in versatility, especially with a few well-chosen additions. I hope you enjoy the rebuild - by the standards of the planes you've posted on the forum in the past, I reckon that lathe will be just about factory-new condition by the time you've finished!
Corneel
Established Member
It's especially because it is butchered that I say: Chuck it. A double iron plane, if you don't have acces to many others, might be worth it to put some time in, but a 2" single iron is not that usefull. Maybe for carpentry work? As a scrub it is a bit too wide, and I would prefer a jack plane in that width.
It's no that 2" wide wooden planes are uncommon. When you look around you can easilly drown in them.
It's no that 2" wide wooden planes are uncommon. When you look around you can easilly drown in them.
worn thumbs
Established Member
Sharpen it and give it a try.It might surprise you.
G S Haydon
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Keep the iron for sure, a nice strike block plane build perhaps? http://oliversparks.co.uk/gallery-colle ... -rosewood/
bugbear
Established Member
Corneel":3c3jls2y said:
Here in the UK, 2 1/4" is the commonest (IME) both in coffin smoothers and jacks.
I keep a special eye out for 2" ones. One of my favourite stock prep tools
is a 16" long jack, with a 2" blade, by Preston, the blade cambered by around 1/16".
BugBear
Corneel
Established Member
Ok! Here in Holland the Nooitgedagt 2" coffin plane is almost everywhere.
Another idea would be to cut off the front and add a brass plate, held on with screws, to make a wooden bullnose plane. Admittedly it's not a tool you will often need, but the price is right and I believe you have other planes available for most jobs!
(I have one of the old Record block planes where you can reverse the blade to get a normal or a bullnose pattern. I've used it in bullnose mode precisely once, to remove a bump in a floorboard, in a corner, underneath the bath, when fitting a new side panel. So they can be useful, but not often, ime.)
(I have one of the old Record block planes where you can reverse the blade to get a normal or a bullnose pattern. I've used it in bullnose mode precisely once, to remove a bump in a floorboard, in a corner, underneath the bath, when fitting a new side panel. So they can be useful, but not often, ime.)
Use it as a scrub like plane or for anything that doesn't need a finished surface. If it's taking up valuable shelf space then bin it, keep the iron.
Coffin planes aren't my favourites (sorry!) but I do use an old wooden Jack plane on a regular basis.
Coffin planes aren't my favourites (sorry!) but I do use an old wooden Jack plane on a regular basis.
Thanks for all your replies. I sharpened the iron this evening and gave the plane a try. It works in a rather rough and ready way but nothing like as well as my double iron plane of about the same size and shape. If I find a nice piece of wood the right size I'll be tempted to make a new plane using the Ward iron (Graham's suggestion is interesting bu Ollie has set the bar very high ....).
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heimlaga
Established Member
To me it looks like a good starting point for a scrub plane.
That is probably what someone has used it for in the past. He didn't like the single iron so he chopped out the mouth and used it as a scrub.
That is probably what someone has used it for in the past. He didn't like the single iron so he chopped out the mouth and used it as a scrub.
