Interesting Pair of Tongue and Groove Planes

**homesy135** · 15th May 2013, 01:30 AM

I bought this matched pair of tongue and groove (or match) planes recently from a seller in the UK. I was attracted to them because the owner had hand written his name, town and a date on the planes. As you are all aware, it is very common to find the owner’s name stamped into wooden planes and other tools. Often a plane will have several names impressed into the wood. This pair just had the maker, “Bailey” of “Sunderland” neatly stamped into the toe of each plane followed by the number “2” and the owner’s details, “George Naisby Hylton 1854.

A quick Google search showed Sunderland to be a town in Northeast England on the Wear River. Hylton is a mile or so up river from Sunderland. This area was the site of much shipbuilding. In fact one reference claimed a third of all ships built in the UK in the period 1846 - 1854 were built upon the Wear River.

My wife is really keen on family history so I asked her to see if there were any records of George Naisby of Hylton in the online genealogy resources. Sure enough, she found George Naisby as a 14 year old in the 1841, living with his parents. His father, John, was a shipwright. In the 1851 census, George lists his occupation as shipwright and had a family of his own. George died in 1877.

I’d exchanged a few emails with the seller and told him I was going to try to find out a little about George Naisby. When I told him that George Naisby was a shipwright he volunteered that he had bought the planes 60 years ago when he was starting out in his trade from a shipwright. Perhaps one of George Naisby’s descendants?

The planes were made by Henry Bailey of Sunderland. Bailey is listed as a plane maker at Cornmarket, Chapple Yard, 199 High Street in 1851 and at 52 High Street, Bishopswearmouth from 1853 – 1859. He was 28 years old in 1851 and gives his occupation as plane maker in the census of that year.

Shipbuilding on the Wear

BBC - Wear - History - History of shipbuilding on Wearside

http://www.shlhs.com/1851census-6.pdf

Planemakers Database

**pmcgee** · 15th May 2013, 02:00 AM

Paul the second iron looks like it might have a decoration to it ... the two lines ... which I'm supposing would put it at an early sort of date. The early irons often/sometimes have a makers name.

Have you had a close look at the irons?

Cheers,
Paul

**Berlin** · 15th May 2013, 10:42 AM

George had a nice hand.

Beautiful planes.

Matt

**pmcgee** · 15th May 2013, 01:11 PM

**homesy135** · 16th May 2013, 12:45 AM

I've just had a look at the irons. There are no markings evident.

Also, while looking at the irons, I noticed the number 6 stamped on the heel of the plane bodies. The number 2 on the toe looks handwritten.

**pmcgee** · 16th May 2013, 05:56 AM

Would that be 6/16ths = 3/8ths width for the tongue + groove?

Hollows & rounds work like that - theoretically, I think

Cheers,
Paul

**homesy135** · 16th May 2013, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by pmcgee

Would that be 6/16ths = 3/8ths width for the tongue + groove?

Hollows & rounds work like that - theoretically, I think

Cheers,
Paul

Paul, this is one of the questions I was planning to ask on the forum - perhaps someone could enlighten us now?

I have two sets of T&G planes, this set stamped "6" has a 15/64" iron that I expect was originally 1/4" and another set stamped "3": it has a 1/8" iron.

Perhaps the "6" means it is meant for 6/8" boards and the size "3" meant for 3/8 boards?

**pmcgee** · 16th May 2013, 01:55 PM

There are a few here. Two tongue planes for example ...

Summers Varvill - marked "5".
Fence to sidewall is 7/8". Fence to far side of blade is 4/8". Fence to near side 2/8". Blade = 2/8".

Cox Luckman & Son - marked "5/8". (looks like "5/3" ... I'm assuming "5/8")
Fence to sidewall is 11/16". Fence to far side of blade is 6/16". Fence to near side 3/16". Blade = 3/16".

Eek.
Paul

**homesy135** · 16th May 2013, 03:28 PM

Originally Posted by pmcgee

There are a few here. Two tongue planes for example ...

Summers Varvill - marked "5".
Fence to sidewall is 7/8". Fence to far side of blade is 4/8". Fence to near side 2/8". Blade = 2/8".

Cox Luckman & Son - marked "5/8". (looks like "5/3" ... I'm assuming "5/8")
Fence to sidewall is 11/16". Fence to far side of blade is 6/16". Fence to near side 3/16". Blade = 3/16".

Eek.
Paul

One would just want the tongue to be roughly central in the board. So for 5/8" board a tongue of 1/4" or 3/16" would be okay (as I understand it). That would leave approximately 3/16" of shoulder on either side of the tongue.

**pmcgee** · 16th May 2013, 09:25 PM

OK. Very good point, I'll rethink the figures.

1. Varvill unmarked. 3/16" groove plane. 1/4" fence to centre of blade.

2. Cox Luckman "5/8". 3/16" tongue. 5/16" fence to centre of groove.

3. Varvill "5". 1/4" tongue plane. 3/8" fence to centre of groove.

4. Gabriel unmarked. 1/4" tongue. 5/16" fence to centre of groove.

5. Handled t&g marked "8/8". 5/16" t&g. 1/2" fence to centre of blade/groove.

So I think you are right about the mark being the size board it is designed for.
Cheers,
Paul

PS. I saw/heard somewhere someone saying that the tongue being off-centre was useful sometimes, but can't remember why.
Maybe it is this I was thinking of ... trimming back the lower edge to ensure a tight fit on the face ...
http://www.timberframe-tools.com/too...-match-planes/

**andyblakie** · 16th September 2013, 08:11 AM

I was just browsing for naisby when i came across this and was interested as George Naisby is a distant relative and I have have him in my Ancestry family tree. I hope you don't mind but I have added your pictures his page. Link is : Ancestry.co.uk . I was born in Sunderland and although I left when 4 still consider it home and do visit to see family and for the football. My great great aunt married a Thomas Foster Naisby who worked at Doxford Shipyards in Sunderland. My mother has a barometer on the hall wall given when he retired in 1954 having been foreman for 19 years and head foreman 31 years. His link is Ancestry.co.uk I have a naval architecture exam certificate dated 1899. George was his uncle. Amazing to think you have Georges plane in Australia now.

Andy

**lightwood** · 16th September 2013, 09:54 AM

I always believed the number stamp on the back of the T&G planes was the stock size in 1/8ths of an inch... so I looked today at the set of three in this chest, all stamped with the owners mark, A, McIntyre.
Two sets are by Mathieson, Edinburgh - and on the back, one has "5" and "5/8" and the other has "3" and "3/4", interestingly the maker's stamp on one set is upside down compared to the other, and on the back the numbers are likewise not matching in orientation....leading me to think they were made in different batches, or by different hands. (the owner did the same with his mark, I guess there is a 50-50 chance there, like 2-up)
Planes with this maker's mark were only made from 1849 -56. (Goodman)
The other set is by A. Mathieson & Son - Glasgow & Edinburgh. (1855 - 70 - Goodman again) They are stamped "5" and "1/2"

The three planes are for 1/2, 5/8 and 3/4 stock

I don't know what to make of this now

it seems a movable feast.

Here are the planes, center left, below the plough.
Regards,
Peter

**pmcgee** · 17th September 2013, 12:51 AM

"Nice chest" .. as the vicar said to the matron ..

Paul

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