Wm Marples bench planes.

[Scarlet Lancer]

Good afternoon,
Carpentry, metal work, electronics, motor mechanic, groundsman! All this comes in the general heading of Retirement! 74yrs of age living in Cornwall. Son purchased a first home three years ago with the proviso mum and dad would move in to the garden cottage. And look after the grounds and general maintenanc. Well here we are and I have just bought a new timber workshop 20ft x 10ft as the one left by previous owners had a danger sign “Do not sneeze“! Oh well I did and £2500 later I am still sorting tools.

My real preference for carpentry tools is quality hence all sharp edge tools must be Wm Marples. Obviously this field are the quality of the past. I have a fairly wide knowledge of mechanics from 57 ton main battle tanks to a singer sewing machine. I suspect I am no better in retirement than a great proportion of you all. I am hoping to contact other members with an equal interest in Marples planes and tools. I find a great deal of general info no planes from Roger Balls website Wm Marples and son but Roger goes in to the historic and greater information about each plane and it’s wider information rather than the gauge of threads etc.

So, restoring my own Marples planes led me to a need to replace a screw as it had seized solid. So what thread? Obviously not metric and old age and a stroke gets in the way of memory. Metric dead simple, the diameter is all you need. Whitworth as I finally realise is in general the most used thread but! what on Earth…3/16 24 or 18 or on and on. I have started a Facebook group Wm Marples Planes and other tools. That in its self is a long weight to be locate and gain info. Then a lightbulb moment and I located this group. I am certain someone who takes the time to read through my ramblings will turn out to be able to explain “threads” to me.

 

[Bingy man]

Hi to you and of course welcome to the group. That’s a serious wealth of knowledge you have under your belt - i consider myself to be an al rounder but engines are not in my skill set- apart from the lawnmower carburettor every year gets a strip down. As for your thread issues there are several quality kits available to help you identify your thread size , I’m ok as you say with metric m2 m m3 m6 etc but imperial and whitworth etc YUCK - others in this forum will I’m sure have the info you need but try searching online for thread identification kits but avoid the imported cr. ap

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I suspect they're threads unique to Marples. I know Record and Stanley have their own. No thread gauge will measure or identify them.

 

[Vann]

...So, restoring my own Marples planes led me to a need to replace a screw as it had seized solid. So what thread?....

I suspect they're threads unique to Marples. I know Record and Stanley have their own...

Mr Bailey invented metal planes in the mid 1800s, before Mr Whitworth (and others) had invented standards. As a result he selected thread counts that he thought might be suitable for various functions on his planes.

Years later when British Standard Whitworth was established, only one of Mr Bailey's threads co-incided with the new standards. That is the thread that is used on the cap iron screw that holds the two irons together.

In 1930, when Record decided to break into the plane making market, and displace Stanley in the UK and Empire/Commonwealth, they copied the current Stanley planes right down to the (by then) non-standard threads. I guess they wanted Stanley's spare parts market as well. Falcon-Pope in Australia did the same thing in the 1950s. WS Tools didn't - they used BSW and BSF threads on their planes.

Anyway, I don't know what threads were used on Marples planes. But I suggest you start by looking at Stanley/Record threads to see if they're the same.

Here's a diagram copied from the (possibly defunct) recordhandplanes.com

I hope that helps.

Cheers, Vann.

 

[Scarlet Lancer]

Mr Bailey invented metal planes in the mid 1800s, before Mr Whitworth (and others) had invented standards. As a result he selected thread counts that he thought might be suitable for various functions on his planes.

Years later when British Standard Whitworth was established, only one of Mr Bailey's threads co-incided with the new standards. That is the thread that is used on the cap iron screw that holds the two irons together.

In 1930, when Record decided to break into the plane making market, and displace Stanley in the UK and Empire/Commonwealth, they copied the current Stanley planes right down to the (by then) non-standard threads. I guess they wanted Stanley's spare parts market as well. Falcon-Pope in Australia did the same thing in the 1950s. WS Tools didn't - they used BSW and BSF threads on their planes.

Anyway, I don't know what threads were used on Marples planes. But I suggest you start by looking at Stanley/Record threads to see if they're the same.

Here's a diagram copied from the (possibly defunct) recordhandplanes.com

View attachment 139169
I hope that helps.

Cheers, Vann.

Hello van

Mr Bailey invented metal planes in the mid 1800s, before Mr Whitworth (and others) had invented standards. As a result he selected thread counts that he thought might be suitable for various functions on his planes.

Years later when British Standard Whitworth was established, only one of Mr Bailey's threads co-incided with the new standards. That is the thread that is used on the cap iron screw that holds the two irons together.

In 1930, when Record decided to break into the plane making market, and displace Stanley in the UK and Empire/Commonwealth, they copied the current Stanley planes right down to the (by then) non-standard threads. I guess they wanted Stanley's spare parts market as well. Falcon-Pope in Australia did the same thing in the 1950s. WS Tools didn't - they used BSW and BSF threads on their planes.

Anyway, I don't know what threads were used on Marples planes. But I suggest you start by looking at Stanley/Record threads to see if they're the same.

Here's a diagram copied from the (possibly defunct) recordhandplanes.com

View attachment 139169
I hope that helps.

Cheers, Vann.

Hello Van,
this post offers a great deal of evidence of the historic journey through the unfathomable muddle of a bit of ear of toad a pinch mist from a summers evening and a hair of fish. Trying to understand all the different threads are a journey of their own. You have to not only be a carpenter, but a little of engineering knowledge and a painter to boot. Your information of the Record plane and its differing thread sizes and type goes a good way to clear the mist away.