Thread: Old hand plane found - anyone recognise it?

I sent the pictures off to Hans Brunner to see what he thought.
Here is his reply:

Your interesting looking tool obviously is a custom made example. It's a curious mix between a side rebate plane and and edge trimming plane. With a side rebate plane you'd expect the blade to stick up vertically but not necessarily in all models as you know. I would classify your plane as an edge trimming plane, similar to the Stanley 95 but of course without the V shaped sole. Then again, that is exactly the function of a side rebate plane as well. It is a great looking tool, no matter what.

Regards, Hans

I have always found Hans to be helpful and obliging as well as a source of good condition, well priced tools. He is an honest and honourable man with a great store of knowledge.
Just a plug for his website as well.
Here it is:
Home of fine old tools

Cheers
SG

As I said before I am certain it is an edge trimer, my Grandfather had a very similar plane which was a custom plane for cleaning up the gunwales on boats. The fact that they don't have a shoulder like the later models alowed the plane to be used deeper than the width of the blade. you could rest/guide with your fingers from the front grip or allow it to go down the side of the gunwale.

With respect to Hans, who is much more experienced in these matters than I, how on earth can this plane cut on the side as per an edge plane?

Assuming that the sole is the metal side. If placed on the wooden surface to place to the side, there is no where for the shavings to escape as the "V" will also face into wood.

The only other alternative is to use the plane like a smoother as this will allow shavings to escape.

my Grandfather had a very similar plane which was a custom plane for cleaning up the gunwales on boats.

That makes sense. So this could be essentially a shaping plane (jack or smoother) that directs the shavings in a desired direction. In this case, to drop down to the ground as one planes a vertical surface. So there is some similarity to an edge plane, but one is not planing edges, per se - rather faces that stand as if on edge.

Just my surmising.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Yep, the cutting edge is slightly squewed downward to give a little downward resistance while you push forward as well as aiding the cutting action, I would guess.

Originally Posted by Thumbthumper

That is a very nice plane. Seems to be craftsman made.
Looks like a mitre plane for shooting. The interesting thing is that it's left handed. I would struggle to use it.

I would have to agree...being an x- pictureframer. I've never used a shooting plane
but it would make sense to have both a left hand and right hand shooting plane.
It would make cleaning up the mitres of each side easier.

The handling is wrong for overhead/upright gunnel work. It's an edging plane for shallow rebate prep and cleanup work when edge banding on cabinetry.

Originally Posted by GazPal

The handling is wrong for overhead/upright gunnel work. It's an edging plane for shallow rebate prep and cleanup work when edge banding on cabinetry.

Guess old Hans got it right.
Cheers
SG

SG
the plane looks a bit like a badger plane
on the basis that the Stanley #51/#52 combo was also used in the printing industry, I'm going to hazard the guess that this particular plane is designed for truing the edges of hot metal type and it is used in some sort of frame where the [lead] shavings would be ejected through the frame into a hopper of some sort

I have no idea but I wonder how it go to clean up the shoulders of a tenon? Very specialised!