Thread: Stanley Bailey No4 Plane Made in England

https://home.comcast.net/~stanleypla...ing/typing.htm

This is a US website that goes through the ages of the planes and has many pictures. Although it covers US planes the UK ones will date pretty much the same I expect.

Another excellent source of info is Patrick's Blood and Gore (Google is your friend here).

I would normally add these sites via hyperlinks and give even more credit to the site owners but I'm doing this via a tablet and they don't seem to like me very much, plus I can only type single fingered on the damn things.

Stanley didn't start making planes in the UK until after they bought out JA Chapman in December, 1936. So your plane is newer than that.

I don't find the US Stanley dating info to be much use for UK (nor Aussie) Stanleys. The first UK Stanley planes were USA type 16. From there on it's hit-and-miss.

The "Q" is the mark of Qualcast, the foundry that cast the plane parts for Stanley UK and Record. Record cast their own iron parts until the late 1950s - then went to Qualcast. I suspect Stanley also initially had their own foundry (JA Chapmans'), but I don't know for sure - and I don't know when they changed to Qualcast, but I believe they were using Qualcast before Record were.

The other numbers mean nothing to me. I'd guess they are pattern numbers.

A few photos would help get a feel for the approximate age (but you may not be able to attach photos until you've done a few more posts).

HTH.

Cheers, Vann.

Thanks Vann,
Its amazing how much you forget.
I was a keen collector of all things Stanley back in the 80s and 90s and knew about Chapmans, but for the life of me I couldn't recall their name.
I guess the handle material whether Rosewood or painted wood or plastic would give a ballpark date.
The only English made planes I had were the cabinetmakers 90,92 and 93.
Plus of course user block planes 60 1/2 and 9 1/2.
Wasn't the quality, I think they were year for year up there withe US and declined at about the same time.
Over here in Oz the best were the Stanley Titan, once they bought Turner and used the die cast frogs they were junk.
I was the education officer for NSW for Stanley in 1980 and had a pocketful of cast Y levers and lateral adjusters to give to TAFE teachers as soon as I walked in the door.
That way they knew I had some idea of what the problems were.
H.

Originally Posted by Vann

Stanley didn't start making planes in the UK until after they bought out JA Chapman in December, 1936. So your plane is newer than that.

I don't find the US Stanley dating info to be much use for UK (nor Aussie) Stanleys. The first UK Stanley planes were USA type 16. From there on it's hit-and-miss.

The "Q" is the mark of Qualcast, the foundry that cast the plane parts for Stanley UK and Record. Record cast their own iron parts until the late 1950s - then went to Qualcast. I suspect Stanley also initially had their own foundry (JA Chapmans'), but I don't know for sure - and I don't know when they changed to Qualcast, but I believe they were using Qualcast before Record were.

The other numbers mean nothing to me. I'd guess they are pattern numbers.

A few photos would help get a feel for the approximate age (but you may not be able to attach photos until you've done a few more posts).

HTH.

Cheers, Vann.

Hello Vann,

As suggested by Chief I went to have a look at the US website dealing with American made planes. Very comprehensive but quite difficult to follow for a novice! Thank you both for your answers

Cheers Yvan