Very cool mini plow plane whatsit

[James Taglienti]

I found this at the tool show today... looks like a one of a king mini plow plane. The cutter is at a very high angle and scrapes a 1/8" flute into wood. A friend said it might be a leatherworker's tool for cutting a groove for blind stitches. I have no idea what it is. It looks confusing. The shorter section of the sole i am assuming is the front and it is in a right hand configuration. The cutter is hard to see but it is highly polished and the captured nut moves it up and down. The aluminum knob locks it, and the Standard Rule looking nut locks the fence. I think it is a woodworking tool because the cutter is adjustable- if it was for leatherworking, just one setting would be sufficient for a deep cut. But this is all speculation. Have you guys ever seen anything like this?

[Jeff Burks]

I have seen leather planes before for edging and channeling work. I don't remember if I have ever seen one in a plow plane format.

89,754 (http://www.google.com/patents?id=DsdDAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&dq=patent%3A89754&as_drrb_ap=q&as_minm_ap=0&as_miny_ap&as_maxm_ap=0&as_maxy_ap&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false)
185,281 (http://www.google.com/patents?id=bR9hAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&dq=patent%3A185281&as_drrb_ap=q&as_minm_ap=0&as_miny_ap&as_maxm_ap=0&as_maxy_ap&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false)
Joseph Dixon Plough Gauge (http://www.barefootleather.co.uk/scripts/prodView.asp?idProduct=906) is similar for leatherworking. - 2nd link (http://www.barefootleather.co.uk/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=855)
Leather Slitting Cutter (http://www.mainememory.net/bin/Detail?ln=16983) by C.S. Osborne - usually referred to as a Leather Draw Gauge. If you do a Google Image search for C.S. Osborne you will see a lot of photos of these tools. Often mistaken (http://lumberjocks.com/Blake/blog/10411) for woodworking items. This blog entry (http://brucejohnsonleather.com/blog/?tag=twist-handle-draw-gauge) about it is informative.
T. Dixon & Sons Leatherworkers Plough (http://www.oldtools.co.uk/tools/edge_tools/other/other.tools.et646.php#)

It kind of reminds me of the Record No 043 (http://images.google.com/images?q=Record%20No%20043%20Plow%20Plane&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi)

[James Taglienti]

it made me think of a stanley 278

[Rick Markham]

Wow! That's really neat!

[Jim Koepke]

There are so many specialized tools for so many industries that it could be almost anything.

1/8" seems too wide for an inlay plow. I wonder if this thing may have had interchangeable blades.

Could it be for cutting a groove to instal a seal of some kind?

Also curios as to whether or not the aluminum knob is original or a replacement. If original, it could help to date the tool.

Another thought is to the fence. It looks to have holes to allow for the installation of a wooden guide piece.

Can you post some detail pictures of the blade?

jim

[James Taglienti]

Here's an exploded view and some cutter closeups jim... you can see how polished the thing is... the "cutting edge" is a nice crisp angle and it cuts (scrapes?) pine alright, haven't tried anything else yet. Put a picture of it next to a block plane for size reference too.

[Jim Koepke]

One thing about the design is it would be great for cutting stopped grooves.

It just can cut deep grooves.

It doesn't look like it would cut deep enough for the slot around screen doors for securing the screen with the "rubber rope."

If you ever find out what it is made to do, let us know.

jim

[george wilson]

The knob does look just like aluminum. there are traces of file work on the various parts,and traces of tempering only near the cutting edge of the blade.

These things make me wonder if it was a one-off tool someone who had access to,or worked in a foundry made. The pattern making was also a bit on the crude side,too.

Could have been for pattern making ? Possibly a patent model ?

There is no place for the chips to go as far as I can see. That adds to the one-off possibility.

The rope knurling is a definite clue that this tool has a bit of age to it. I have a collection of such old knurls,but it's been many years since you could buy knurls like that. I wish I could see a dead on side view of the threads,showing their form. They seem rather large and shallower than modern threads,another indication of age,if they are shallower than today's threads,and of a thread angle nearer to 90 degrees than 60 degrees.

Thus far,I'm thinking pre World War I. Aluminum was first refined in 1887. Used in airships by 1893.

[James Taglienti]

Hi george,
The knurled brass screw was taken off of a Standard Rule bench plane and predates the mini plow by decades I'm sure. I think the aluminum screw is the same vintage as the little guy though. The maker probably had the decorative brass one and decided it was the nicest one he could find, so it went in. I want to say some time in the 30's.
The mouth in front of the cutter is about 1/8 and shavings get clogged in it.

It's by far the nicest Cast Iron Miniature Fluting Plow Scraper Plane i've ever seen. :confused: