Thread: Old Bailey No. 3 plane question

I don't believe your no. 3 is a "pre-lat" (ie. Before the introduction of the lateral lever) judging by the casting details in your photo and the frog design.

It is most likely what is now referred to as a "type 7" which apparently dates between 1893 and 1899. Pre-lat Stanleys are known as Type 5 and date between 1883 and 1885.
Type 7s had the S cast on the sole and/or the frog and sometimes also the levercap.

Here's a link to the Stanley Benchplane type study:
Plane Feature Timeline

Here's my own type 7, No. 4 (with lateral adjuster which has three patent dates stamped and possibly its original iron with patent date 1892 stamped on it) with the same S casting on sole and also the levercap:
IMG_20210828_073724-2304x1296.jpg

This other illustrated Type Study is quite useful for seeing the visual changes across the types:
The Valley Woodworker: Bob's illustrated Type study of Bailey bench planes. Part 1 The collector's models years

The Types Studies are all limited to what is retrospectively observed changes to these planes - features, patent numbers, etc. but are definitely not set in stone.
For instance my Type 7 No. 4 frog has the casting nib supposedly from a Type 6, instead of the S casting.
I believe Stanley would have had parts bins with some older parts mixing with new parts during factory assembly on occasion, so we certainly see overlap of type features.

V

Originally Posted by dubrosa22

...This other illustrated Type Study is quite useful for seeing the visual changes across the types:
The Valley Woodworker: Bob's illustrated Type study of Bailey bench planes. Part 1 The collector's models years...

I've not seen that website before. I use the Rex Mill guide, but I don't seem to be able to get into that site at present (otherwise I'd have put up a link).

As for the broken frog - if you want to use the plane and find the missing lateral a pain - finding a replacement type #7 frog may be difficult. As a temporary (or permanent) fix, a few models either side of the type #7 will have interchangeable frogs.

But one tip worth noting is that Stanley carriage rebate planes No.10, No.10 1/4 & No.10 1/2 never changed to later types of frogs. So if you can find a broken No.10 etc - even one made into the 1960s - the frog will fit your No.3 (note this is one area Record did not copy Stanley - Record No.010 and No.010 1/2 planes have the later style frogs that will not fit your plane).

HTH.

Cheers, Vann.

Another couple of quick ways to check if a plane with a broken frog was prelateral is if there are any Patent dates in the adjusting wheel and whether it’s right or left hand thread.
with a right hand thread you are turning it to the left to advance the iron which I guess they figured out was counterintuitive.
Heres a few photos of my pre lat 5. Type 4 I think.
I had 2 thru 8 prelats when I was a collector but this is a really nice user I picked up in Saskatoon in ‘92.
H.

Thanks for your feedback guys.
The adjuster has a left hand thread and there are no markings on the adjusting wheel.
Attached are further pictures of the frog. It seems to me to have been the lateral adjuster type. I will just have to make do with what I have.
20210828_101759.jpg20210828_101810.jpg20210828_101817.jpg20210828_101833.jpg

There was a few days ago a spare frog for a no. 10 or 10½ for sale on fleaBay which, as Vann says above, is a good replacement for your broken frog, but it seems to have been purchased already as far as I can tell.

You could try toolexchange.com.au
V