Thread: T shaped rebate plane

Looks like it could be used as a side rebate plane or for getting into the internal corners of a deep box… or both… or neither….

It would be lighter but thats not always a good thing. It uses less wood and box is usually from small thin logs. Thats my stab in the dark as I really cant think of anything else.
Regards
John

I've seen them described as "carriage maker's" or "coach maker's" rabbet planes, with "T rabbet" added sometimes. It may have just been a trade practice thing, or perhaps carriage/coach makers needed to make rabbets on already-assembled components and the T shape allowed them to sneak under an adjacent part.

There are metal-bodied versions, too; so it wasn't just because the right wood was limited in supply/size.

I had out in the stash somewhere a user made small tee shaped rebate.
It was in Oz hardwood from memory with a steel sole.
Quite odd really.
If I can find it I’ll put up some pics.
H.

MA

I don't know, but just looking at it I think shaving ejection would be much easier as the tendency to pack would either not be there or at least much easier to clear by hand. Having said that the skew action of a rebate plane is designed to pull the plane into the rebate and push the shaving out to the opposite side. The Tee plane would offer a better view of the work piece.

Regards
Paul

Hi Paul (and CO and Bill and John and CT). I am strongly leaning towards CT's idea of using it in a corner but the convex base suggests a round shape? Could it be some sort of coopers plane? There are enough examples around to suggest they were somewhat common, produced commercially for a perceived need

Yesterday I received a copy of Hans Brunner’s book “Mathieson Tools” and these planes were listed in their catalogues; although only described by name not by purpose. They are coach-maker’s T-rebate planes and were available with both straight and compass soles.

So we can give it a name at least!

Found the plane I mentioned and it’s a side rebate.77034D97-D61C-4BC2-B6A6-A9BB0F4EA133.jpg6CA4A8F1-8FBC-4C47-A5BE-877C06EBD933.jpegA13E4E11-0A97-4532-A8B3-5EB3A32C57A7.jpegC9ABF018-9D7D-47FA-A873-5F0DB44EB1D8.jpeg
Anyhu here’s a few pics.
H.

I have never heard of them, but it seems that they were invented, or at least patented, in 1884 by a George Mosher and William Ford. Their planes had metal bodies and the blades do not appear to be T-shaped. My source is The Gristmill, the journal of the MidWest Tool Collecting Association, December 2009 at page #43.
mwtca.org › 2019/09 › Issue-137-December-2009

T Rabbet Planes.jpg (Source: The Gristmill)

Unfortunately the article does not say what the T rabbet planes were used for or how they were used.

From different references, apparently they (T rabbet planes) were also known as coach makers planes, carriage makers plans and bat wing planes. I like the latter!

Originally Posted by clear out

Found the plane I mentioned and it’s a side rebate.77034D97-D61C-4BC2-B6A6-A9BB0F4EA133.jpg6CA4A8F1-8FBC-4C47-A5BE-877C06EBD933.jpegA13E4E11-0A97-4532-A8B3-5EB3A32C57A7.jpegC9ABF018-9D7D-47FA-A873-5F0DB44EB1D8.jpeg
Anyhu here’s a few pics.
H.

I have the single iron version of this plane and it is an excellent performer.
As for the T-Rabbet I am inclined to agree with the view that it gives a much clearer sighting of the workpiece while in use. A full width body with such a wide blade would hide the workpiece with its width, especially if reaching inside a curved shape to plane it.
Tom

Henry, your plane looks like a rather clever user-made example, and very much used too - not a lot of blade remaining on the left side, is there?

You've all got me curious about the darned things now, they were obviously meant for some particular trade & purpose, which are both lost to the mists of time (or maybe not, someone, somewhere must know!). I was thinking, every state had its railway workshops and a complement of carriage-makers, and lots of specialty tools, many user-made, came out of such places. Are there any blokes surviving who worked on the old wooden carriages? They might have a good idea of what T-rebates were used for.

Cheers,
Ian

Last bloke I knew who trained as a carriage builder was Les Miller.
Les carked it a few years back now.
H.

Originally Posted by clear out

Last bloke I knew who trained as a carriage builder was Les Miller.
Les carked it a few years back now.
H.

Yeah, I reckoned they would be getting pretty thin on the ground by now.

There was an article I saw somewhere on a bunch of people who were restoring an old carriage used in a royal tour. Does anyone recall that, & where it was? Folks like that might have a good lead on the tools of teh trade & where/how they were used.

Funny you should mention that a mate restored a train carriage for the electronic dick
(aka Dick Smith).
He has it on the ranch as guest accomodation I think.

They built a carriage here in Oz for Liz.

There was a mob at Leichhardt next to the bus depot from memory who built and restored carriages.

The Remington carriage museum in Cardston Ab. has a full workshop for restoring and maintaining their extensive collection.
They have a few the septics are very dirty about, they bought them when cars became king and got them over the border before anyone realised how few were left.
The National Studebaker museum in South Bend In. has a couple of presidential carriages as they survived the transition to the internal combustion engine.
I think we may be getting a tad off topic here
H.