A couple weeks ago we were talking about Stanley block planes and at some point the topic took a turn from the #60 and to the #62. Well, it seemed like a perfect segue that was too easy to pass up. If any of you were wondering (or not), I really don’t have any specific plan/outline/agenda in terms of what plane I feature, and when I feature it. I was just sort of hoping that one thing would lead to another and a logical flow would simply occur. Sometimes I’ll choose a plane to feature because I’m using it out in the shop, or I read something about it, or it came up in conversation here or in another thread. Anyway, there’s really no rhyme or reason to it.
Stanley #62:
This is probably one of Stanley’s best and worst designed block planes. Yes, it’s a block plane! Although it’s 14” long like a common jack plane and it kind of resembles a bench plane, it’s still a block plane. The cutter is bedded at about 12 degrees and it has an adjustable throat giving it the basic characteristics of a block plane. Notice that it also has a pressure cap holding the iron in place versus the double iron/lever cap configuration found on most bench planes. The low angle and adjustable throat combine to make it a great tool for slicing end grain on larger work pieces, and for performing other larger scale block plane related applications.
The problem with the #62 is its throat. The sole immediately behind the point where the cutter protrudes through the bottom of the body tapers to practically nothing. With the low bedding angle to accommodate the iron, that section of the sole just behind the cutter is really thin. Taking too deep a cut and then accidentally getting a shaving jammed between the iron and the sole is a guarantee for that back section of the throat just behind the iron to crack right off. More than half of those I’ve seen are cracked or chipped in the same general location. Unfortunately, for that reason alone, the #62 is probably not a plane that one would want to use. They’re just too expensive to risk cracking and ruining. Even a user quality #62 will be relatively costly, so be careful, set the iron and throat for a really light pass, and take it easy. Make absolutely sure the iron is super sharp so that it cuts easily and you're not forcing the plane across the surface of the work piece as may happen when the iron gets dull. A dull iron tends to dig into the work piece creating a lot of extra downward force which translates to additional downward force on the throat of the plane just below the iron itself. That's another reason they crack.
Other aspects of the #62 that make it unique are some of its parts. Notice the front knob is seated on a nickel plated disk with two little nubs protruding from it. Those nubs fit into corresponding indentations in the bottom of the knob itself. By slightly loosening the knob, the disk turns with the knob (because the nubs and indentations fit together) taking pressure off the throat adjustment lever, thus allowing the user to open or close the throat. The nickel plated screw holding the knob also threads through the disk into a boss in the front section of the sole. So, just by twisting the knob counter clockwise to loosen, and clockwise to tighten, no tools are needed and adjustment is easy. Here’s where doing some research is helpful before buying one of these……Know that the front knob, the cast nickel plated disk, and the throat adjustment lever are all unique to the #62. The same can also be said of the rear tote. Notice how short its foot is when compared to a standard tote take from a #5 jack plane. The foot is short intentionally, so that it doesn't interfere with the iron adjustment mechanism/screw. On most other block plane designs, the iron adjustment is at the very rear of the tool, and there's nothing nothing behind it to obstruct its use. Don't buy a #62 that's damaged in any way, and/or is missing any parts. Individual parts for a #62 are tough to come by! If you're going to spend the money, get one that's 100% complete. Don't fool yourself into thinking that the parts will be easy to find.
The #62 is theoretically one of the best planes Stanley ever made in terms of its intended functionality. The trouble is that it was too fragile to stand up to the test of time. Stanley produced the #62 from 1905 to 1942. The example depicted below was probably manufactured somewhere around 1923.
Jim C.
