Hello hand plane enthusiasts! I hope everyone enjoyed a great end of the summer and the one or two days of autumn weather we had. Was it just me, or did we skip fall altogether? Here in the Midwest it went from summer to winter over night. Winter weather makes me want to go out into the shop and get a project going. Of course that gets me thinking about using old woodworking machines, tools and hand planes. Last night I started roughing out some lumber for a bed. That means starting with a scrub plane. You’ve heard me say that my shop isn’t very big, so most of my planes are puzzled together on shelves or in boxes not necessarily according to their pattern, or frequency of use, but purely in a manner that most efficiently utilizes the space I have to store them. So many times, a user quality block plane (or scrub plane in this instance) can find itself sitting right next to a top notch, collector quality plane. There’s no rhyme or reason to it. My organization is based on available space. I just need to be careful when I’m reaching for one plane, not to accidently pull another one off the shelf with it. Anyway, that brings me to the plane (actually scraper) I’d like to feature today. I picked it for the thread because it just so happens to sit right next to my favorite scrub plane.
Stanley #85:
If you’re not familiar with this tool, just giving it a quick glance might make you think that it’s a bench rabbet plane. It’s very similar in size to a #10 ½ bench rabbet plane and obviously has rabbet sidewalls for getting right into the corners of a work piece. Well, there’s a lot more going on with this plane that might not be obvious without really studying its features. First off, it’s really a scraper, designed to make fine lace-like shavings one would expect from any other properly tuned scraper. What makes this one unique is the fact that its knob and tote can be adjusted to tilt either to the right or left while the tool is being used to make a pass in a ninety degree corner thus saving the craftsperson’s knuckles/fingers from getting in the way and/or getting chewed up by the vertical portion of the work piece itself. I’m not sure why, but I’m fascinated by the mechanism Stanley used to securely attach the knob and tote to the main body casting, allowing them to tilt in either direction with the simple adjustment of a screw.
The main casting was made to include what I’ll call a “tunnel” that was located beneath the front knob and the rear tote. Those tunnels run parallel to the length of the main casting. On the top of both tunnels, a perpendicular slot/arc was added. That slot accommodates a screw that runs through the respective knob or tote into a cylindrical metal dowel-like anchor that fits into the tunnel. The dowel-like anchor has a threaded hole in it that accepts the threaded screw that holds the knob or tote to the main casting. Loosening the screw head at the top of the knob or tote allows the user to adjust them into any side-to-side position desired. Tightening the same screw heads then hold the knob and tote in place by pulling the dowel-like anchors into the top of their respective tunnels. Also notice the knurling on the anchors. I’m guessing that adds a little extra bite once the anchor and tunnel come into contact while being tightened together. I feel like a lot of thinking went into that whole design! Pretty cool. But things didn’t end there. Since the knob and tote each sit on those tunnels in the main casting, their bottoms can’t be flat like they are on most other planes. As a result, the bottoms of the knob and tote had to be contoured to match the arc of the tunnels themselves. Once again, I’m impressed by the thought that went into this design.
The frog mechanism is functional but includes an adjustment that could prove to be a design flaw. I’ll address that issue below. What I do like about the frog is its ability to provide solid support to the cutting iron as the scraper is being pushed into the cut. The iron is inserted into the scraper through the sole of the main casting, up into the frog, where it is sandwiched between two pivoting sections. A knurled screw located at the top rear section of the frog, when tightened, pushes the top of the iron into the top front section of the frog. By pushing the top of the iron forward, the bottom of the iron is canted back towards the heel of the main casting slightly opening the throat thus allowing wood shavings to escape without clogging the throat. It’s a good design that works. That being said here’s where things can go wrong. If you take a look at how the frog attaches to the main casting, you’ll see two common frog screws running through the oval shaped slots in the base of the frog down into the main casting. That’s nothing new. Now take another look just behind those two frog screws. See that little slotted set screw centered between the frog screws? If the user loosened the frog screws and advanced that set screw, he/she could slightly change the iron’s pitch, perhaps achieving a more aggressive, or less aggressive cut. The problem with advancing that set screw is that it no longer allows the base of the frog to sit flat on the base of the main casting. Essentially it creates air space between the two flat surfaces. Now if the user over tightens those two frogs screws, well, the base of the frog is going to crack somewhere between the frog screws and the set screw! That would be an extremely frustrating and expensive mistake to make.
When looking at a #85 for your collection, or to use, be very cautious and inspect all of its components carefully, preferably with a magnifying glass under good lighting. Check the arches on the rabbet sidewalls, the tunnels on the main casting, and the frog for cracks, and make sure the knob and tote are correct, original and undamaged. I’ve seen more than one #85 with homemade knobs and totes, and more than a few with cracked frogs. Most of the parts on this particular scraper are unique to it. I’d be reluctant to buy one, even in user condition, that was incomplete and/or damaged in any way. Parts for the #85 are scarce and costly if you can even find them.
Stanley produced the #85 between 1905 and 1934. The example depicted below is a Type 4, manufactured between 1921 and 1934. From a collector’s point of view, it includes some desirable extras, those being the visible remnants of the “Stanley” decal on the rear tote and a Stanley logo stamped on the iron. The tote decals are typically worn off and most irons I’ve seen are unmarked. I got lucky with this one! Now that doesn’t mean I didn’t pay for a nice scraper with a few extras. I bought it from another hardcore collector several years ago. He certainly knew what he had and priced it accordingly. Like I’ve said so many times before, if you’re considering adding a #85 to your collection, make sure to do your homework and know what you’re looking at. Even a user quality example can be pricey.
Jim C.
