Thread: Bought my first "old" tool - Stanley 71 Router Plane

Originally Posted by RedShirtGuy

This wee ripper arrived today after scoring my first ever eBay win. I'd posted my highest bid of $100 in the last few seconds and pipped the previous bidder's high by a single dollar Hope it wasn't one of you

I didn't realise that the fence came with it so I'm super stoked. The Tool Exchange is flogging complete units like this off at around $150 so I feel like I got a bit of a bargain.

From what I can figure, it's not particularly ancient and the oldest that I can date it to with the help of Blood and Gore is 1939. It's in pretty incredible condition with no wear at all on the handles and nothing to indicate that it's even been used other than the slight wear on the blades and a few splinters of wood here and there.

The only problem with it is a design flaw that I stumbled upon today (before mine had arrived) when using a teacher's at TAFE. With this particular one, which has a larger screw for the collar than it does for the depth rod, you can't really turn the collar around so that the screw is on the "inside" of the body when run with the blade in an outboard position. The screw bumps into the depth rod holder and makes it a bit sketchy to tighten without damage.

The teacher and I pulled out a different 71 which had all the same smaller sized screws for everything and the collar screw has a tapered end that helps jam it in place in the notches that the blade post runs in and that worked perfectly.

Either way, I'm chuffed to bits now that it has arrived and I can't wait to use it tomorrow.

RSG,
VERY nice !!!
that screw looks like the wrong one for the plane. ( it might have been supplied with it in error, or replaced from another plane)
It should have the pointed end to engage the "V" slot effectively, and short enough to not foul on the base. I wouldn't hesitate to cut that one down and file a point on it to make it work properly.
A few other comments on the 71
The foot arrangement is a throat closer for working narrow stock. See the original patent.
Patent US865560 - GEORGE HUNTER BARTLETT - Google Patents

I don't believe the shaft is a depth stop, although I often see it called that. The depth is set by the projection of the blade. If that shaft is set below the blade to a depth, the cutter is held above the work, if it faces forward, and if the blade is reversed, the angle is changed dramatically, and won't cut properly....if it set above the blade the shaft will never bottom out.
Although I haven't seen it written anywhere, I use that shaft as a side reference guide with the blade in either forward or reverse position, in front or behind the blade as needed.
Wide blade with the wide part of the shaft, and narrow blade with the narrow step on the other end.
I've also used it, just registering in a narrow trench with the narrow blade in the trench following behind.
Attachment 222404 Attachment 222405
Also the adjuster collar is always shown in all the Stanley catalogues and patent documents with the larger diameter lower, so as to obtain maximum range of adjustment. Or, as the patent says, the collar can be removed for faster setting between different depth settings.
That is a very versatile tool, with experience, it will become a favorite.
Years ago I watch an old-timer doing half lap joints using one. He would cut the waste out with a tenon saw, just shy of depth on the cheek, and carefully to the line on the shoulder, and then slap the router down on the one side and rotate the router around that handle sweeping aside the remaining thickness to be removed, then slid it along the shoulder to take away the remainder. It was used with purpose, and a solid hand...not tentatively like we often approach a hand tool operation. I got a good lesson that day.

Regards,
Peter

Peter,

Great buy! So you're that person that always beats me in the last few seconds...I've won it, I've won it...and I've lost. I also bid late but get nervous that something will go wrong so I end up biding in the last 45 seconds, and a lot can change in 45 seconds (I know you can use online programs to do it for you, but I don't know if I would trust them with my password details).

Cheers,

Camoz

That's a good tool. I also picked one up from ebay about two years ago and in that time I used it over 5 times on different projects. It is a very good tool and faster to setup then the electric router. There is one drawback as it takes longer then the electric router for a deep channel.

Good buy there
I got mine from an antique shop about 6 years ago. It looked just like yours, good chrome, no signs of use. I use it mostly to let in hinges and other hardware, although the little ones can be better suited for smaller stuff. At tafe we had to make an oil stone box with the cutout being done with a forstner bit, chisels and a router plane. Great tools and they can remove a lot of timber if you want them to.

Some nice extra info there Peter. Cheers

Originally Posted by Ueee

At tafe we had to make an oil stone box with the cutout being done with a forstner bit, chisels and a router plane.

That's exactly what we've been doing with them too.


I haven't done much trench work at home because I haven't been able to set a router up to do it easily and accurately without a table and with only an alternating bevel tooth blade in the table saw I couldn't be bothered chiseling or sanding down the left overs for a smooth bottom.

This plane is going to open up a bunch of new things for me to do in the shed that I've been busting to have a go at for ages. Now I just need to find some spare time...*checks eBay*...