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adzeman

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The best present bought for me this year was by my number one son. The book, "British Plane Makers from 1700", a very informative book. Spending some time in my native Yorkshire since Christmas took this as an opportunity to add some locally made planes to my collection. Searching the antique shops of Skipton I made enquiries to with the shopkeeper if she had any wood planes for sale. No was the response but she knows a man who brought a box of planes in for sale recently to which she had no interest but would give him a ring.

First, I found one I believed originated from Leeds but on checking Goodman could be Liverpool circa 1817-1822 marked, ? Anderson.

Second, one marked Preston & Son. I know Prestons were based in Birmingham circa 1904-1931 but, when as an apprentice we paid a shilling into a club taken direct from our pay recorded on a card and a salesman from Prestons would call and sell us quality tools in an age of rationing scarcity. I would be interested to find out if this is the same Preston’s and if any other people were in their tool club.

Third, a plane made by G Eastwood of York which had no marks from its owner and was calling out to be loved.

Fourth plane was stamped Summers Varvill Ebor Works York, a maker mentioned in Goodman within the text. The name stuck in my grey matter. What drew my attention was the stamp was in copper plate script and again Goodman makes this reference.

Fifth plane, the maker being W Dibb of York looked promising for research as it was stamped the Earl of Strathmore the father of the late Queen Mother. Stately homes keep good accounts so there should be documented evidence when they purchased it from W Dibb. I was sidetracked when I discovered that an Earl of Strathmore purchased and still owns, a large ironmongers in , and it could have been bought as stock for this establishment. This proved to be a red herring. This plane had only one owner a Mr Bowes which is the family name of the Earls of Strathmore, (Bowes Lyon). So this should be researchable and how did this plane get down to Skipton?

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The present snowy weather gives me the opportunity to fettle them up for use.
 
That sounds like an excellent start! Isn't it fascinating to be able to look back into the past through tools which are still quite easily found and entirely practical?

On the subject of Prestons, there was the Birmingham based manufacturer of planes and many other tools, but there was also a George Preston of Sheffield who was definitely a seller of all sorts of tools to the tradesmen who needed them, and I expect would have been the one running a weekly club. There was a bit more discussion of him here https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/the-lynx-effect-t62759.html and Toolsntat Andy has also likened the firm to current day Snap-On for the way they would call in at workshops looking for business.
 
Getting that book is the start of a very long and slippery slope back into time....

You think you might just be satisfied with a few...and then something strange happens! :mrgreen:

Enjoy your journey!

Jim
 
Thanks Jim and Andy you may think its Goodman that put me on this rocky road but its your enthusiasm and knowledge that lit the spark, I must admit there is a definate buzz when a tool is put into its intended use. When I go back soon to Yorkshire one of the first things I intend to do is to returm to the old workshop and identify the makers of the planes there. In a previous post Jim you mentioned you collected a specific maker but did give a name. If its OK if you let me know which maker I could be another pair of eyes.

Thanks again Andy for the info regarding Prestons very useful.
 
adzeman":3dnd5na2 said:
Thanks Jim and Andy you may think its Goodman that put me on this rocky road but its your enthusiasm and knowledge that lit the spark, I must admit there is a definate buzz when a tool is put into its intended use. When I go back soon to Yorkshire one of the first things I intend to do is to returm to the old workshop and identify the makers of the planes there. In a previous post Jim you mentioned you collected a specific maker but did give a name. If its OK if you let me know which maker I could be another pair of eyes.

Thanks again Andy for the info regarding Prestons very useful.

Hi Mike...

That is most generous of you Mike!

I collect the masterpieces of Christopher Gabriel of London...he of the Seaton Chest.

At the moment I'm looking for the full set of hollows and rounds...particularly the smaller sizes...so having you look out for them is a major plus...very kind indeed!

I remember the first Gabriel I bough at a bootfair for £2.50...a small round. It was simply beautiful...

Since then I seem to have found a few more! :oops:

I love the fact that you are going back to the places your makers worked. Research like this is invaluable and don't forget to post what you find here....and tell Richard A or Janet Rees if you uncover anything not in the book.

Which edition do you have by the way?

Thanks again mate!

Jim
 
Hi Jim, my Goodman was purchased without me knowing by my son on the internet from the United States before Christmas and arrived a couple of weeks ago. I have included a scan of the fly sheet for you.

Fly+sheets.jpg


Cheers
 
Oh dear Mike.....I refuse to be responsible for you starting another slope...that of books!!! :mrgreen:

There are three editions...I love my old original one...which encouraged me to start.

Some other nice gentleman here who's name shall remain secret...(you know who you are Richard!!! :mrgreen: ) acquired the Third Edition for me and that started me on the "Black Run" of pistes as far as woodies are concerned.

I even have a beautiful Holtzappfel groove plane (part of a pair)....which needs sharpening, sitting in the kitchen...I might just go and do that now we're virtually snowed in. Beats clearing the road!! :mrgreen:

Cheers

Jim
 
Hi Mike. It's good to see someone else getting involved with old wooden planes.
Like Jim said, there are three editions of the book, and I think yours is the 1st. There is information in the first edition that is not repeated in the second, or third, so It's always worth having a copy. Point in fact, at the top of page 31 of the 1st edition, Bill Goodman described a plane as follows.
"The first is a wide ovolo with the stock 10 5/8" longand the iron set at 45 degrees, with the "owners initials RD stamped into the toe amd the device WI carved into the side. this tool is in the collection of Mr Ashby of Sussex"

A couple of years ago I bid on an early moulding plane in a David stanley auction. no one showed much interest in it so i won it for a song

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i'm sure this is the very plane Bill Goodman described, but had I not owned a copy of the first edition, I would never known about Its early history. I have asked around the tool collecting world if anyone knows who Mr Ashby was, but so far i've drawn a blank.
Current thinking is that the very early makers marked there planes with there initials only, and it's likely that the RD is in fact the maker. The mark is situated at the top of the toe, and doesn't appear anywhere else on the plane. This is the usual location for a makers mark.
As to who RD was is open to speculation. There is a possibility it could be Richard Draper from the blacksmiths company in London (1687- 1717) This maker trained two apprentices who became known plane makers. Richard Burman, and Richard Mealing.
As you can see buying a book like this can lead you down a very dangerous path!!!
 
My interest started when building a timber base in a traditional style for one of my daughters which I still have to complete. Outstanding is the draining board which I have made and only requires the forming of the drainage grooves. I could form these with the router but it is faffy having to form wedge shaped runner guides to form the slope. In the 50's wood draining boards to Belfast sinks were common a bread and butter job in the shop and we provided them at infrequent periods for sinks in the village. All we did was stretch out and take down an old wood grooving plane from a rack on the end wall and zap them in. Having a number of antique emporiums locally I began to search for one. I did not find one but what I did find was the 18th centuary wooden round plane which I bought for £8.00. I had to find more. Christmas was coming along No son asked his mum whats dad doing? Not a lot he;s been messing about with some wooden planes. Knowing I am a frequent visiter to UKworkshop noticed someone had a post informing a Goodmans was on ebay so, un-beknowing to me he found this one for sale in the States. The rest is History.
I checked page 31 and mine is how you describe it Richard. I now have a number of different grooving planes which I am cleaning up and sharpening. When I get back from Gods own country the intention is to complete the draining board. While up there and I get the time I want to visit the old workshop of my youth, see if the planes are still there and make a note of their makers (Snow permitting)
 
I don't know if it's a traditional way of doing round grooves such as those found in a draining board but I use an ordinary grooving plane against a fence first and then run the round down that as a guide to create a concave drain. The groove acts as a guide and helps support the round.

Jim
 
Hi Jim you have described better than I have the way I do it. Are there any simple ways using a router? or is this a case of hand tool over machine (how dare you throw down a gauntlet)
 
adzeman":1ebti5r6 said:
Hi Jim you have described better than I have the way I do it. Are there any simple ways using a router? or is this a case of hand tool over machine (how dare you throw down a gauntlet)

I would clamp a wooden batten to the board and use a 043 to cut a guide groove as wide as befits the round you are using....careful on the depth.

Then if you really want to be accurate...another piece of wood up against that batten to run the round down but it really isn't necessary. The tip of the round will then run along the groove cutting the concave depression.

The gauntlet is well and truly down and photos of WIP will be the only way out! :mrgreen:

Jim
 
I have fettled half the planes purchased and done some practice runs. I need more practice particularly in the setting out department. I suppose it could be argued that the time practicing would be greater than the time setting up the router. A bit like the bow versus the trifle (a Yorkshire Gun)

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Back to the pracice shed. Cant move for all these short ends thank goodness for woodburners. Incidently this is a short end of some shelving and about 1/2 size of the proposed board.
 

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