Stanley 10 1/2

[Virgil]

Evening all.

Have recently acquired said tool from a friend (along with a Falcon Pope No5 two stanley spokeshaves and long Union 1/4 bevel edge socket chisel. Good score indeed). It's an old one (tool not friend) with a B casting, low nob and "T" logo on the blade. Interestingly though it has an odd lever cap. The thing appears to be made of bronze. Yes, I thought that was odd too. I'm guessing it's home made but I would've thought that this would be a relatively difficult pursuit and one would've been better buying a new cap. Does anyone know if the 10 1/2 ever had a bronze lever cap?

Cheerio,
Virg

[Scribbly Gum]

I don't think so Virg.
I have seen a few broken lever caps on 10's and 10-1/2's. Odd really because I have never seen a broken one on a number 3 or other Stanleys of the same width. In all cases the cap was snapped across the middle and a couple had been brazed back together. Maybe there was a bad batch of caps or folks over tightened them for some reason.
So a replacement - home cast - is a possibility.
I have seen lots of brass cast copies of Stanley bodies and parts especially rebate planes and dado planes. There might have been a thriving back yard foundry in the old days...
It's a puzzle though.
SG

[seanz]

A coupla things......

People have been casting things from bronze for quite a while now. So, it might have been a backyard project or maybe a shipyard oddjob.


Whereabouts in The Shire are you Virgil? Legend has it that around here, if you find an unmarked #5, it was made in the Addington Railway workshops. Maybe there were equally creative workers where you are?


Got any pics?