Sargent Auto-Set 700 series planes

[Clinton1]

I've been asked to do a description... so here goes - one for the heavily obsessed. Other obsessives can feel free to add! :)

David E Heckel's "Identification and Value Guide" is the best book on Sargents IMO.

Most Sargent bench planes are numbered by the length in inches, so a 711 (pictured) is the 11" of the 700 series, C = corrugated bottom. The 700 series are the Auto-set patent, and the 400 series are the normal lever type style.

700's come in 707, 707C, 708, 708C, 710, 710C, 711, 711C, 714, 714C, 718, 718C, 722, 722C.
The 718, 718C and 722's have tilting front knobs.

The 707's and the 711C are the rare ones

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Next post will show individual parts and reassembly.

[Clinton1]

Parts:

As you can see, you can't move the 'frog' forward, it is made to sit flush with the ramp of the mouth.

You can shim it forward successfully (shim between the body parts and the back of the frog) or you could make a thicker blade, but I've never found a real reason to do that - they take very good shavings.

Pic 2 show the frog - which incorporates the blade vertical adjustor and the lever for the blade tilt adjustment.
Pic 3 you can see the little 'square stud' which will engage the blade for vertical adjustment.

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[Clinton1]

Reassembly continued:

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[Clinton1]

How the lever cap works:
The top screw on the cap adjusts it up and down to set it as near to the blade edge as you want, the center screw tightens the whole thing up.

Done. A Sargent Auto-Set.

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I'm in the midst of moving house and am spraying all tools with anti-rust agents, but will try to find time to get to the bench and make a shaving or two.

I went to see MajorPanic a few years ago and we made a 708 cut silky oak end grain so fine that the end grain was falling apart ... e.g. so fine that you wouldn't use it like that.

I have a few Auto-Sets, and they all work just fine as users.
If anyone wants to give me the 707, 707C and 718 I'll have the whole set. :D :rolleyes: :doh:

[NCArcher]

Thanks for the write up Clinton. I've been trying to acquire an Auto-Set for ages but they are a bit hard to find at a reasonable price.