Thread: Reconditioning moulding planes

Hi Glen. My apologies. I dont have any 1 1/2" plane irons available . Closest to that size is 1 1/4".

I can recommend the U.K seller that Hiroller mentioned. I have purchased most of my plane iron stock from the same source.

regards Stewie;

Thanks Stewie ... much appreciate the offer.

Do you have a view on the other part of my post about the depth mechanism ?

Originally Posted by Glenn.Visca

Thanks Stewie ... much appreciate the offer.

Do you have a view on the other part of my post about the depth mechanism ?

Hi Glen. Its difficult to tell what the original set up was for locking the box into position. I used a threaded insert on the boxed chamfer planes I made.

Stewie;

You might get a few ideas and tips from here

https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...oulding+planes

Paul Sellers recently did a video on sharpening them which is on that link but a fair way down.

Thanks Chris. I saw that one pop into my inbox over the weekend ... and it was very helpful.

Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710a using Tapatalk

Late to the game here, but:
* check straightness, don't be afraid to plane or lap the business face of the plane if needed to get a flat reference side
* fit wedge and make a new one if necessary
* spend fair time getting the iron in perfect nick before going at it, and put a bevel steep enough to prevent chipping

It's not critical that the planes be perfect front to back if the above is right, but if you find that you can't take both a thick and thin shaving (as you will be able to with a well fit wedge and a well matched iron to the plane base profile) you'll be pretty upset with the tearout that will occur.

The work they do in a moulding is little if you do the prep work well to that point, and it's over in a flash. It is "by eye" work once you've laid out a profile on the end of a stick.

I've you've got a pair with bad soles, get light weight sandpaper and slowly alternate using the profiles of each to sand the other until they are match and flat. Don't get too quick with it you're you'll make the soles convex along their length, which also isn't a great big problem for an experienced user, but it's still better to avoid.

Clean up one pair and use them on a test profile, and then see how they work. It will tell you a lot about what you need to know re: the functioning of the others. Far better to do that than clean them all up first and then learn more about them second.

Well I started the task of giving the planes a gentle clean up.

We have planes from manufacturers including:
* Marples & Sons
* Mathieson & Sons
* Moon
* Atkin & Sons
* Currie
* W. Wells Williamsburg, Mass
* Mosely & Sons
* Cox & Luckman

Not many hollows and rounds in there (just two or three pair I guess), with most being bead planes or what I would describe as complex moulding planes. Sorry, but my lack of knowledge doesnt let me categorise them as anything else.

Here are some images of the comples moulding planes.

#1 - Maker=Nil, 7/8 stamp, Craftsmen=Gillet, Hayball, Harris
IMAG1118.jpg

#2 - Maker=Mathiesons, no size stamp, Craftsmen=Nil
IMAG1119.jpg

#3 - Maker=Currie, no size stamp, Craftsmen=Hayball, Hailes
IMAG1120.jpg

#4 - Maker=Nil, no size stamp, Craftsmen=Wm Moss, Burton
IMAG1121.jpg

#5 - Maker=Mathiesons, 7/8 size stamp, Craftsmen=Nil
IMAG1122.jpg