Thread: Need help identifying this plane

its an boeing A380 im sure

I seem to remember seeing some thing similar called a Lancashire plane - something to do with weaving mills etc. might be wrong though as I've had quite a bit of Christmas cheer!....oops had a look on the net and I'm way off, still i think it it'd make a mighty fine shooting board plane for end grain mitres with that fine mouth

Its a mitre shooting plane - have a look at Lie Nielson's web site as they make a modern repro of the Stanley and are the only company to do so at this time (OK Rob, prove me wrong )

http://www.lie-nielsen.com.au/catalog.php?sku=9

Yep brslee is right there is a plane on http://www.htpaa.org.au/caine.php site that has a similar shape
they label it a Archer, Goodge St. Mitre plane

Thanks guys. that's fantastic. I'll need to do a bit of research on that now.

Might have to try and convince him it's better in my workshop than his garage

Offer him a slab of beer. The hook on the back of the blade is to tap it out for adjustment. Nice plane

Originally Posted by Rookie

Hi all

I need help identifying this plane. It came from my brother, who said he got it from a cousin who found it in a house he rented. I hope my phone camera allows you to see enough detail.

It's not in great condition, with a lot of rust pitting which I'll probably put in an electrolysis bath for him. It is an iron bodied plane, with a timer infill front and back. The cap iron or chip breaker, which ever, is brass, and is fixed into the body and doesn't come out. The blade has a Mathiesons stamp on it and is about 5mm thick at the front end tapering back to about 1mm with a back edge on it about 5mm. Don't know what to call that back edge but it's in the pics. It may not be the original blade as it is about 2mm narrower then the body it is in. The body looks like one piece but I doubt it is, and the mouth is the smallest I've ever seen. It's about 1mm.
It's a low angle blade, bevel up, and it looks like about a 35 degree cutting angle but I haven't measured it.

Would love to know if it is home made, or if anyone recongnizes it. It is quite unusual.

John,
That looks very much like a Mathieson, Glasgow plain mitre plane.
seen here from this web page here from their 1899 catalogue. Although it has a Mathieson blade, that is no proof it is made by Mathieson, it might have been made by any of a few plane makers from that era. It doesn't look user made, it is very much in the style of the production planes of the time.
You will possible find a maker's name stamped into the gunmetal lever cap (with the large screw) or on top the rosewood infill at the front.
A careful look at the sides will show a little tongue and groove joint as the front and rear parts of the base meet at the throat. Where the corners of the sides meet the base pieces and front piece there will be double dovetails to join them together. seen here
This process of joining metal to make planes goes back 200 years or so, and was first used to make large numbers of planes around 1850 by Stewart Spiers in Ayr, Scotland ( who sometimes made planes marked Mathieson also) His c1851-1858 catalogue features a plane almost identical to yours (however the screw is a different shape, more like this one )
That is a much sought after collectible plane, and proper restoration will preserve its value. Over cleaning may not alter it's workability, but will lessen it's value considerably in the antique tool market.
Regards,
Peter

Thanks for the extra info Peter. I have been having a further look. There is no marking on the cap leveer, but the rosewood infill at the front has a stamp on it that looks like a name, but it's largely worn off. Only the first 6 or 7 letters are there and I need better eyesight, or a big magnifying glass to read them.

I'll try and work it out then post it up here when I have. This is becoming interesting

I further checked out the stamp on the rosewood at the front. Still couldn't make out the letters, but my wife had a look, told me it was upside down, turned it around and told me it said A. Mathieson and Sons, Glasgow. Felt a bit silly.

Anyway, it's a Mathieson's. It also has a
"2" stamped into the rosewood infill at the back, just under the top of the cap iron. Any idea what that means?

Edit later: Just checked one of your links Peter. The 2 on the rear infill might refer to the blade wiidth

Edit later later: Now I'm confused. I measured the body and it's 2 1/2 inches by 9 1/2 inches, which is not a size listed on the web site provided by Peter. The blade Is 2 1/8 inches wide but the body looks like it would take a 2 1/4 inch blade.

Originally Posted by Rookie

I further checked out the stamp on the rosewood at the front. Still couldn't make out the letters, but my wife had a look, told me it was upside down, turned it around and told me it said A. Mathieson and Sons, Glasgow. Felt a bit silly.

Anyway, it's a Mathieson's. It also has a
"2" stamped into the rosewood infill at the back, just under the top of the cap iron. Any idea what that means?

Edit later: Just checked one of your links Peter. The 2 on the rear infill might refer to the blade wiidth

Edit later later: Now I'm confused. I measured the body and it's 2 1/2 inches by 9 1/2 inches, which is not a size listed on the web site provided by Peter. The blade Is 2 1/8 inches wide but the body looks like it would take a 2 1/4 inch blade.

John,
Interesting that there is a Mathieson mark on the wood and not the lever cap. I have a smoother marked on the wood only, and that was definitely made by Spiers and marked Mathieson, perhaps your plane is also made by Spiers.
The number 2 is an assembly number, and if the blade is original there will most likely be a 2 on the back of the blade also.
Here and here are the full pages from the 1899 catalogue.

Regards,
Peter

There's no number on the back of the blade. I guess it could be a Spiers. All I know now is what I've read here the last two days.

I'll tell my brother, although I'd love to hang on to it myself to use. It planes beautifully. He'll want to know if it's collectable. Any idea of how sought after it is Peter?

Originally Posted by Rookie

There's no number on the back of the blade. I guess it could be a Spiers. All I know now is what I've read here the last two days.

I'll tell my brother, although I'd love to hang on to it myself to use. It planes beautifully. He'll want to know if it's collectable. Any idea of how sought after it is Peter?

John,
The plane is certainly collectible, and if it for sale I would like the opportunity to purchase it.
I'm in Heathmont, and I see you are in Doncaster...Is there a chance to get a look at the plane? Condition is the key word with these.
Send me a PM with your contact details if you like, or go to my webpage for mine

Regards,
Peter
PS. I used to have a shop in Jackson Court, East Doncaster...closed it 7 years ago.

Well...now I've met another member of the forum.
Visited John today and I exchanged fun-tickets for a mitre plane. The plane John sold me fills a gap in my collection, and adds some more data to my Spiers making many planes for Mathieson and many others theory.

The plane is all original, marked A. Mathieson & Son, Glasgow on the front infill, and the #2 on the blade and the rear infill....and it has the distinctive Spiers lever cap and those assembly numbers like this one marked BUCK on the lever, and this one marked Mathieson on the front bun, and this one marked Mackay Burley & Heys...and another I've seen marked Moseley, and another marked Badger on the lever.

Spent a few hours cleaning it up, and am very pleased with the outcome.
Here it is...
Thanks to John, and his brother for the trade, and the forum for the introduction.
Regards,
Peter

Peter that's come up beautifully so far. Better than I thought. Thanks very much for the exchange, and the look at your other planes, and also the conversation about the Spiers family of planes. It's really is fascinating stuff. I'm glad my brother and I could help fill that gap in your collection.