"Bailey" - What do I have?

[Jim Eller]

Disclaimer - I am not a hand tool guy. I'm sure this will be obvious.

I was going through some boxes of stuff I have from a move a few years ago and came across an old hand plane that was given to me years ago.

It is a wooden base, 3"Wx22"Lx1-11/16"H. The only identification I can find on the thing is the word "Bailey" in a half moon shape on a metal plate just in front of the front round handle.

Can anyone tell me any thing about this plane or point me in the right direction?

I would post a pic but never took the time to learn how.

Thanks,
Jim

[Michael Faurot]

It is a wooden base, 3"Wx22"Lx1-11/16"H. The only identification I can find on the thing is the word "Bailey" in a half moon shape on a metal plate just in front of the front round handle.


It could be one of the transitional planes. However that's just a guess.



Can anyone tell me any thing about this plane or point me in the right direction?
Blood and Gore (http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan4.htm) might have something on it.



I would post a pic but never took the time to learn how.
For those that know these planes better, having a picture would make it easier for them to help you. Here's the info on how to post pictures (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/faq.php?faq=vb3_reading_posting#faq_vb3_attachment s).

[Jim Eller]

Well Michael, if this works, you should have two pictures.

If it does, thanks for the lesson. If it doesn't, shame on me.

Jim

[Jim Eller]

Let's try this again.

[Dominic Greco]

Like Michael already guessed, it's a transitional plane. From the length you mentioned (22") it looks like a No30. So it's the same size as a No7 Jointer. Take a look at the front of the plane. There should be a number stamped into the wood.

Many (including Patrick Leach) will tell you that they're worth dookie. But I actually like using the larger Transitional Jointer planes (26 to 34). They just slide right over the wood!

[Richard Dooling]

I have a Sargent transitional plane in that size range that works well although it's still teaching me how to best use it. Wood or metal is largely personal preference. What's really important is a reasonably flat sole, a properly sharpened (and shaped) blade/chipbreaker and the correct mouth opening.

Give it a whirl; you and your wallet might be pleasantly surprised.

[Bill Houghton]

but didn't keep it. The wood had warped to the point that it would have been about right for smoothing airplane propellors. Check yours before you put too much energy into it:

1. Take a couple of straight sticks (don't have to be wood - pieces of aluminum stock, plastic, anything, as long as they're straight and pretty rigid) 12" or so long, and, propping the plane upside down, put one stick across the sole of the plane near each end. Now, squat down so you can look along the length of the sole. If the plane's warped (twisted), you'll see the sticks pointing off in different directions.

2. Take a good straight edge of some sort, like a yardstick, and hold it along the length of the sole. Sight from the side and see if you can see daylight anywhere. Some gap's probably inevitable and easy enough to fix if small, but if you can read a newspaper through it (joking), you've got a problem.

Either of these can be fixed, more easily with the wood than with a metal plane; but if it's severe, it may be more work than it's worth to you.

[Richard Dooling]

Well I checked my Sargent transitional plane last night and it is actually 26”. As Bill says, there is a lot that can be pretty easily be straightened with a jointer or hand planes but you will have to decide how much work is too much work. Also, some people just don’t like the feel of wooden planes.

Something else to consider is that these planes are adjustable in some ways that metal planes are not – at least for the majority of shops. For instance the sides and bottoms on many metal planes are not absolutely square. Flattening a plane sole is one thing but I wouldn’t want to try to square up the sides and bottom on a metal plane. It’s not such a big deal for a wooden body.

In flattening and straightening my plane I have opened the mouth more than I like. This is a result of removing stock from the bottom. I think most folks glue a thin piece of very hard wood to the entire sole and then cut a new mouth. I imagine you would have to be sure that this piece is not so thick as to reduce the useable blade length, especially if it’s an older blade that is already a bit short.

For mine, I plan on making an adjustable mouth similar to a wooden Primus smoother I have, but that’s another story.

Good luck!