Thread: Seeking help to identify four wood planes

Originally Posted by woodybuzz

I have received four wood planes as part of an estate and I would appreciate any help that you can give me in identifying them. All that I know is that they are part of a carpenter's toolkit.

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details

1) a large Bailey No. 7 plane

a "jointer"? Correct

2) a medium sized Stanley brand plane, No 10 on the body

a "rebate" plane? Also correct.

3) a small Bailey brand plane, no identifying number Looks like a No 4 on the toe. Nominally a smoothing plane for finishing work

4) a small wooden plane, nothing to identify it, the remains of the maker's label on the side? Could be a wooden smoother if it has a tight mouth. If a large mouth and a radiused (curved) cutting edge on the blade, then probably a scrub plane

I would appreciate any information about them that you can give me.

Cheers
SG

That is a good set to be starting with.
The 7 is as you said a jointer and can also be used to flatten large boards or panels.
The 10 is a carage makers rebate and they are not so common. Can be used as a bench plane and will cut rebates too. Will be worth more than the others.
The other steel plane looks like a 4 and is usually set up as a smoother but can be used as a general purpose bench plane.
The wood plane is a German (style)jack. A general purpose plane. A pic of the underside showing the mouth and how the blade is shaped will give a clue as to how it has been used.
Regards
John

I thought the small Stanley was a No. 3. The number is there, right on the front edge of the plane, in the corner next to the knob, and looked like a "3" to me.

The No. 10 is also called a carriage makers rabbet plane.

The three Stanleys look like they date from somewhere between WW II and the 1960s or so.

Geez you guys are fast. I was expecting to have to wait for days to get an answer (if it ever came at all). You are really on the ball. I spent ages on the internet this afternoon just to glean the bit of information that (I thought) I had.

I am glad that I came to ask the experts.

Thanks a million - really!

Just a little more background info on the tools. They originally belonged to my grandfather (a carpenter by trade) and got passed on to my father (a fitter and turner - mechanical not wood). They have now been passed on to me (a non tradesperson who barely knows which end of the hammer to hit the nail with).

I might take a few more photos tomorrow and post them here to get some information. I spent this afternoon going through the tools and tryjng to label them for future reference - it took forever. The wood planes and saws were the worst for me - a saw is a saw is a saw - trying to identify which was which was tough.

I think that I will post a few more photos of various tools to get your advice. Also, I would be grateful if you could point out any useful info (e.g. it's hard to come by, valuable, not produced anymore etc).

As far as I am ckncerned these tools are

Originally Posted by woodybuzz

I might take a few more photos tomorrow and post them here to get some information. I spent this afternoon going through the tools and tryjng to label them for future reference - it took forever. The wood planes and saws were the worst for me - a saw is a saw is a saw - trying to identify which was which was tough.

I'll take some saw pictures all day long

... It'd be different if I had a life ... or so I've heard ...

Paul

Originally Posted by Colin62

The No. 10 is also called a carriage makers rabbet plane.

Yup, rabbet or rebate. Also called a jack rabbet - as it's the length of a jack plane, while the shorter No.10½ is sometimes called a smooth rabbet.

Originally Posted by Colin62

The three Stanleys look like they date from somewhere between WW II and the 1960s or so.

I can't quite tell from the photos, but the depth adjusting wheels look to be plated steel (not brass). If that's the case then they date to the late 1960s or early 1970s.

Cheers, Vann.

Originally Posted by Vann

Yup, rabbet or rebate. Also called a jack rabbet - as it's the length of a jack plane, while the shorter No.10½ is sometimes called a smooth rabbet.

I can't quite tell from the photos, but the depth adjusting wheels look to be plated steel (not brass). If that's the case then they date to the late 1960s or early 1970s.

Cheers, Vann.

Thanks Vann, I meant to add that someone who knows more than I would probably be along shortly, and (if I'd remembered to) I'd have been right.

Originally Posted by Colin62

Thanks Vann, I meant to add that someone who knows more than I...

I only know that because my first Stanley was purchased in 1973 and it had the steel adjuster. Since then I've kept an eye out and noted that they went back to brass adjuster by late 1970s.

Cheers, Vann.

Originally Posted by Colin62

I thought the small Stanley was a No. 3. The number is there, right on the front edge of the plane, in the corner next to the knob, and looked like a "3" to me.

The No. 10 is also called a carriage makers rabbet plane.

The three Stanleys look like they date from somewhere between WW II and the 1960s or so.

Jeez Colin, your eyes must be way better than mine (quite likely! ) but I can't read that number to save myself. To me it could as easily be a '3' as a '4'. I would have gone for a #4 like SG, because by its size relative to the tiles & comparing with the #10 in the previous frame, they seem to be about the same overall width, which would be too wide for a #3. However, I wouldn't bet even half a stubby that I was correct....

A date somewhere in the 60's to early 70's looks about right to me, the totes seem to be a mix, some are wood, but the '3/4' looks like plastik, all ok for the era, I think....

As someone else said, a very nice starter set - wish I'd had something like that when I began woodworking in earnest.

Cheers,

G'day.
your wooden plane looks one I have with a sticker still in fair nick. Mine is a Tigre brand from Czechoslovakia. Seems to be good steel. Makes a good scrub plane.
cheers,
Virg.

As promised, a few more bits from the collection.

I think that I have suitably identified everything else but these things I am not really sure about.

You guys have saved me HOURS on the internet. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. These things are heirlooms as far as I am concerned. Not for sale, but I'd appreciate it if you can identify anything of value/importance.

I know that it is a Cheney hammer.

The saws, Disston, types of saw I'm really not sure about.

The other steel thingamajigs I have no idea about.

Thanks guys. I appreciate your help.

maybe i was pushing my luck by asking about the other stuff.

just looking to identify (with some degree of certainty) the types of saw, and what the other things are.

thanks again for your information guys.

For the saws google "distonian institute" you should get a hit on a site that will give you all you need, they are good saws and the little tenon saw is quite handy. The hammer is a roughy, reasonable brand but usually the claws are worn out and the face flogged to death, if not it will be quite useful. The hole saw I wouldn't worry to much about and the little guage looks quite interesting.

Originally Posted by woodybuzz

As promised, a few more bits from the collection.

The first saw is a D8 ... looks like a shorter panel saw ... 4 saw nuts ... 24" maybe?
The nuts are brass, so the medallion probably says "Disston * Philada" (1896-1917) or "Disston * Phila" (1918-40)
If it hasn't been sharpened away the original points-per-inch (ppi) will be stamped in the bottom corner under the handle.

The 'plastic' handled saws are Disston 95s (1935-55). You can read about them on the website jc quoted.
I haven't held one of them yet. I have seen them selling on ebay for about $90+ for fresh ones.
Your 5-1/2 point one will be a rip-saw.
The other will most likely be a 7/8/9 point crosscut saw.

The steel nuts and ordinary handle on the tenon saw roughly put it at ??? 1960s+.
It is a good, solid, simple kinda working tool.
The teeth look like they might be very fine ... are they more than 15ppi?

Cheers,
Paul