Thread: QPC planes?

Virgil,

As far as I know QPC is Quality Patterns and Castings - I had a similar question in 2008.

Did a search and it didnt come up so here is the link:

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f152/p...-please-75331/


Nick

Many thanks Nick. Good detective work.

Cheers,
Virg.

Nick is correct. QPC stands for Quality Patterns & Castings and as stated in post that he has linked, they were in Brunswick (Albion St from memory)
My father was a truck driver for the firm that supplied their aluminium.
I also have a QPC handle which was on a plane I inherited from my FIL and have only just replaced with a wooden handle I bought at TWWS last Oct.

Originally Posted by Virgil

Hello folks.

Should probably post this in the Monday morning gloat but this is more of a question than a brag.

My good lady wife picked up a few toys for me from deceased estate yesterday. There was a less than impressive pruning saw, a Disston handsaw with "Disstonite" handle (she was thoroughly disappointed when I pointed out to her that it was plastic), a made in Aust Stanley No4 and a WS No4. The WS was the most interesting. Big break across the mouth with rough brazing fix up, wooden knob but a cast aluminium tote marked QPC. Did a quick search and found nothing.

Anyone know about QPC (and WS for that matter. I vaguely recall someone having a WS 78 on here but couldn't find the thread)?

Cheerio,
Virg.

Some WS history from a Record page.


I have a Woden #4.....nice little plane.

Virgil,
Some WS stuff I posted before. Pretty little thing - Woodwork Forums


weekend rust hunt - Woodwork Forums

I find them great working planes.
The alloy handle on your plane would have been a replacement handle.
Regards
John

I can't find much on WS except the company was the W.S. Manufacturing Co. of Quadrant Works, Sheepcote Street, Birmingham, UK.

Their planes are distinctive in that the ends of the side wings are parallel with the base. They also have brass/bronze/gunmetal lever-caps. The leading edge of the lever-cap has a section that is almost certainly intended to be used as a screwdriver to undo the cap-iron screw which I always thought was bad practice (and with cast iron lever-caps probably is).

They were taken over by Woden in 1952.

Woden (of Woden Works, Wednesbury, Staffordshire, UK) retained the distictive side wings on the planes but replaced the brass lever-caps with chromed items.

During the 1960s Record bought the plane line off Woden but continued manufacturing planes under the Woden brand name. However Record dispenced with the distinctive shape and Woden labelled planes from this era appear to be almost identical to Records.

Cheers, Vann.