Hand Planes

[Branson]

It's not pretty, but I can tell this one's going to be a real nice worker.
Jim C.

Makes me think of the old adage, "Beauty is as beauty does."  Looks like this one will do plenty.

[Jim C.]

I think you're right Branson.  The plane will be "beautiful" when it's working again.  It's solid and although the iron is a little short, there's still some steel left for another re-grind and sharpening.  The cutting edge has a few nicks, so I'm just going to start over and put a fresh profile on it.  I'm hoping to test it out and make some shavings this weekend.

Jim C.   

[Lewill2]

E. W. Carpenter was a Lancaster County PA Cabinet maker, toolmaker, plane maker and practitioner of medicine. He was born in 1791 and died in 1856. He was awarded several patents, his second patent #594 was issued February 6, 1838 for improved arms design on plow planes. His design was to thread the body of the plane and attach the arms to the fence so they were able to turn yet stay attached to the fence arm mounts.  His improved arms patent planes bring a premium price in the collectable plane market. I feel lucky to have 3 examples of Carpenter improved arms patent planes in my collection. The first one that I will post is the handled version of the plane. Things to note in the pictures. The arms spin freely in the arm mounts, the large knobs on the ends of the screw arms allow you to turn the arms. The body is threaded so the nuts on the arms are used to lock the fence to body/skate adjustment in place. The nuts on the outside of the plane have brass rings around them adjacent to the body. (This is a Philadelphia area detail not found on plane makers outside of this region.) The small rectangles on the top of the arm mounts are rosewood wedges that hold the arms in the mounts. Carpenter used Rosewood and Boxwood in many of his improved arms patented planes. Carpenter also had an unusual design for the handle and handle mounting. The use of brass mounts for the handle are shown in the pictures. 

[Lewill2]

One more view

[Lewill2]

This is the Fillister version of the improved arms patent by E. W. Carpenter.

[Lewill2]

One more of the Fillister stamp.

[Jim C.]

Hi All,

Sorry for my absence during the last month or so.  Work unexpectedly got crazy (two days off in the last 30 days) and I fell a little behind on maintaining this thread.  I'm hoping for things to return back to normal in the next couple weeks.  Hang in there, I still have a lot more hand plane content to post.  Also, big thanks to Les (Lewill2) for picking up my slack and posting the GREAT Carpenter plow plane write-up and photos.  I hope you're all having a wonderful summer! 

Jim C.     

[Art Rafael]

Beautiful planes, Les. 
You have a wonderful collection - and in pristine condition. 
How do you treat them to keep the wood in good shape?   Ralph

[Lewill2]

I usually just use something like Howard's Feed & Wax, it has orange oil and bees wax in it. It will loosen and soften old grime slowly. Some I have were already cleaned when I purchased them.

[Lewill2]

One of my favorite English made planes is a Cowell and Chapman Gun Metal, Rosewood and Boxwood Plow Plane. Cowell and Chapman worked in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne England 1869 to 1890. They made other planes including regular English Plow Planes but this is one of their rare ones. The best I can find out there are less than a dozen of these known to exist. I acquired this one about 9 years ago. That Fall I took it to the Brown's Antique Tool Auction and there were 2 others that dealers had there for sale. One of the others had a depth stop screw like mine just a simple slotted screw. The other one had an elaborate fluted knob with a stud that was used to lock the depth stop in position. The skate is steel that is set into the Gun Metal body assembly.

[Lewill2]

A few more Cowell and Chapman pictures.

[Art Rafael]

Wow, Les!  That is a real beauty.   Ralph

[Lewill2]

One of my finds at a local auction house was a J. W. Pearce screw lock slide arm plow plane. Pearce worked in Rohde Island 1853 through 1879. He is one of a few Rohde Island plow plane makers. His planes are often made from a mixture of woods and most of his plow planes are of the screw lock slide arm style. I also have one of his screw arm plow planes in my collection. The Pearce plow planes are easily recognized by the turned up slipper nose on the skate. One of his maker marks is made up with his name stamp arranged in a triangle with stars placed on the corners of the triangle and around the triangle arrangement. The year it was made is also usually stamped within the triangle as this one is stamped 1856. The woods in this one are what I believe are Lignum Vitae screw locks and wedge, Burl Cherry body, Beech arms and either Maple or Sassafras double ended fence. The skate has a brass reinforcing strip. Take note of the brass tips on both ends of the arms. Cross wedges of Rosewood or maybe Ebony hold the brass tips in place.

[Lewill2]

Additional J. W. Pearce pictures.

[bear_man]

     Jim C., in post #388, p. 26, you wrote, "I'm reluctant to use a wire brush and/or wire wheel on my grinder because I don't really care for the finish those leave on the surface of the metal.  Sometimes it's unavoidable and such measures must be taken.  Fortunately not this time."
     Some years back my nearest welding supply-house displayed some 6" dia. brass-bristled wheels and I bought 2, brought them home and used one immediately on something-or-other.  (Perhaps on something brass?  I disremember.)  I just checked and the makers-mark is something like an acorn — but NOT.)  Anyway, I recall being quite pleased with the results.  Your thoughts on this/these wheels?
     Lewill2: Thanks very much for your posts showing some of your collection in detail.  It took me just long enough, evidently, to become a user/affecionado of handplanes but I'm most definitely there now.  "Unnecessary detailing" like that found on the fences and wedging you've shown pickle me tink.  Them WERE the days!