I think my wife wants me to be a collector...

[kirkpoore1]

Last weekend while I had a gob of folks over at the house doing woodworking (see https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/a-weekend-in-the-factory-t55093.html), my wife and one of the other ladies went off to a local flea market--where they proceeded to buy up an example of every type of wood plane they could find. They both know their husbands do woodworking, so they thought they were doing us a favor. In truth, they were, but they were kind of cutting us out of some of the fun. Anyway, when they got back, we divided up the spoils. Here's my share:

From left to right, anonymous transitional jack plane ($20), coffin smoother ($5), round bottom ($10), hollow bottom($10), and an unusual two iron plane($10).

Here's the jack and the smoother:

The smoother has the original wedge, but somebody added a Stanley type iron and chip breaker. This one is in only fair shape, with some cracks in the sole. A cleanup might make a difference, but I don't think it's a user.

Hollow and round profiles:

Both of these are in really good shape. Not the same size, but both will be useful. I have a project with linenfold panels that I'll start next spring, and I expect to use both then.

Two iron plane profile:

I have no idea what this is for. At first I thought it might be some kind of window sash plane, but now I just don't know. The profile is quite shallow, and since there is no iron in the middle it can't go any deeper. The plane itself is in excellent shape. Anybody care to guess what this is for?

Finally, last month I picked up this Stanley 81 scraper:

Nickle plating is almost all gone, but the sole is in good shape. I use a card scraper a lot, so I expect this will get plenty of use once I take the time to sharpen it.

I'm not a big wooden plane user (except spokeshaves), but now I'm up to about a dozen and I'm going to have to do something with them.

Kirk

 

[devonwoody]

Dont tell our lot stories like that. They will be getting day return tickets from London to Chigago and clear you out.

 

[jimi43]

Hi Kirk

Clearly you have very enlightened spouses.

My wife tried that once at a bootfair. Went off and came back with a set of WOLF chisels.

The look on my face prevented her from any further rummaging of this sort.... :mrgreen:

Mind you...you have a rather nice selection of history there mate...

The transitional is something I always think is fascinating.....a moment in time before the light bulb came on fully...tinkering around whilst other artisans carried on making steel dovetails!

The twin iron woodie looks like a proto-dado plane in reverse...does it have a maker's name on it?

Nice finds ladies! 8)

Jim

 

[AndyT]

Two iron plane profile:

I have no idea what this is for. At first I thought it might be some kind of window sash plane, but now I just don't know. The profile is quite shallow, and since there is no iron in the middle it can't go any deeper. The plane itself is in excellent shape. Anybody care to guess what this is for?

Kirk

I'm pretty sure your guess is right. There were many different ways of planing the sections needed for sash windows, giving different trade-offs between economy of effort and adaptability. You could have simple planes and make many cuts, or more complex planes and fewer cuts. Planes like yours which cut the rebate and the moulding in one pass were never as popular in the UK as they were in the US, so I'd guess that yours is a US-made one. (Not too risky a guess!) The easiest way to use it would be to use a wide board of suitable thickness; run the plane along the length until it bottoms out on the centre part (which acts as a depth stop); turn the board end to end and repeat. You could then slit off the sash section from the remainder. This method removes the need for a 'sticking board' to hold the pieces as they are shaped.

A variant of the form exists with twin screw threads, so you could make different sizes of moulding with the one plane.

Yours looks like it just does a simple bevel for the moulding side, rather than an ovolo, so it may have been for use on greenhouses, or other simple buildings. From the picture the blades don't fit well - but this might just be that they are not fitted in quite right. Any chance of some closer up pics?

 

[heimlaga]

I agree. Most likely a sash plane.

A very practical tool it is. I used one of mine quite a bit last spring when I made some windows for an old farmhouse.

 

[kirkpoore1]

Thanks, guys. I need to get a book or find a website on making window sash anyway, so I could actually use the two-iron plane productively. I need to make doors for my shop (separating it from the garage), and I want to put windows into the doors. This plane will come in handy then.

Kirk

 

[AndyT]

Thanks, guys. I need to get a book or find a website on making window sash anyway, so I could actually use the two-iron plane productively. I need to make doors for my shop (separating it from the garage), and I want to put windows into the doors. This plane will come in handy then.

Kirk

Kirk

I too have a wish to try out some of the old sash-making techniques some time, but have found precious little written guidance on this specialist trade. I do recommend an episode of Roy Underhill's Woodwright's shop - The Corner Cupboard part 2 - where he makes some lightweight joinery sash by hand: http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/video/2900/2913.html.

And for a discussion of the different approaches to making the bars - four-cut, three-cut or two-cut - there is a good essay by the very learned Jane Rees that was published in the Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association.

You can read it on-line here http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3983/is_200403/ai_n9376454/?tag=content;col1 but unfortunately without the diagrams.

 

[kirkpoore1]

Andy:

I'll check out the PBS link. Also, that reminded me I have several of Roy's books, and maybe they have something in them. I haven't looked at them for quite a while, but the Woodwright's Shop books cover lots of old and out-of-the-way topics.

I'll check the second link, too, but I know that windows have their own specialized lingo and without illustrations I'm sure it will be tougher going.

Kirk

 

[AndyT]

Andy:

I'll check out the PBS link. Also, that reminded me I have several of Roy's books, and maybe they have something in them. I haven't looked at them for quite a while, but the Woodwright's Shop books cover lots of old and out-of-the-way topics.

I'll check the second link, too, but I know that windows have their own specialized lingo and without illustrations I'm sure it will be tougher going.

Kirk

You're right - Chapter 12 of the Woodwright's Companion is about sash making by hand and is good on showing you what a sticking board is like.

 

[kirkpoore1]

You're right - Chapter 12 of the Woodwright's Companion is about sash making by hand and is good on showing you what a sticking board is like.

Excellent!

I pretty much taught myself basic woodworking out of Roy's books. His illustrations are usually dead on and his text is nearly always clear. There's so much in them, though, that it would be a full time job learning everything.

Kirk