4 new (to me) planes

[Paul Saffold]

I picked up 4 planes today for $30.00. Found them on craigslist and they were only 8 miles away.

The block is a Fulton. The blade adjusting knob looks like Bakelite. This is the first Fulton I've seen.

There are 2 mystery planes comparable to a # 4 and # 5 (9" & 14"). Neither one has a throat adjustment screw, but both frogs look well made.

The # 4 has "Made in USA", "Gold Seal" on the iron, "302" cast in the frog support, "307" on the back of the lever cap. The tote is mystery wood and is cracked but not broken.

The # 5 only has "409" and "411" on the back of the lever cap. No other marks that I can see. Maybe more will show up after I clean them up. The tote is in good shape and looks like the same wood as on the # 6. Rosewood maybe? I'm not sure what Stanley used on their early planes. The knob is missing. Japanning is 99% gone.


The Stanley # 6 has one patent date, no ring at the front knob and a SweetHeart blade. Type 13, I think. It appears well used and cared for.

The 3 bench planes had their blades in bevel up. The # 6 is still sharp and was full of wood dust (one can't have saw dust in a plane, right?).

I welcome any information on the 4, 5 and Fulton.

The seller also has a transitional that he didn't have listed. A Stanley "Liberty Bell" about the size of a 5 or 6. I didn't measure it.
The blade adjusting lever worked and it appeared decent to me.
He is asking $15. I know nothing about transitionals and have more than enough rust in planes and saws that need TLC.
If anyone is interested he is in Martinsburg, WV. I'm willing to go back and get it if there is someone who wants this. PM me.

[David Weaver]

i'd guess the second from left plane is a millers falls. does it say anything along the bottom of the left cheek?

[Mel Miller]

The jack plane is a Sargent 411 (same width as the 409). These were Sargents equivalent of the Stanley 4 & 5 planes.
Handles are usually mahogany.

Mel

[Paul Saffold]

Thanks David & Mel,
Nothing on the cheeks of #4.
Paul

[george wilson]

Personally,I think those transitional planes are ugly.



Where I first taught shop,across the hall from me was the shop for the older students. Their toolroom was just chock full of transitional planes,wooden spokeshaves,the whole 9 yards.

I never gave it much thought,but one day,they came and carted away all the old tools and replaced them with new ones. I have no idea what happened to the old ones.

This was in 1963,ages before I ever heard about any tool collecting,and probably before they were worth much. I wonder what they'd be worth now? Those old tools mostly looked new,with the nice,golden glow of old,clear finishes on them.

Their shop had a TILTING TABLE fay & Egan table saw that was very old. It was an occasion when they had to tilt the blade!

They had an old 36" crescent thickness planer. Just about all of our wood was mahogany. It was gotten as back boards from nearby veneer mills. Backboards are what the machines had to have to grip while veneer was sliced off.

We had so much mahogany,we called it "manogany" because it got monotonous ! There were plenty of planks over 2' wide.

There used to be lots of wood industry around Norfolk. All gone now.

The music store across the street rebuilt pianos,and had horn shaped mandrels for hammering out dents from brass instruments. I did all their guitar work on weekends. What music shop does that now ?

The shop I had inherited had only the machines. I had to order everything new.

[Andrew Gibson]

Yep I agree Millers falls and Sargent.
http://www.brasscityrecords.com/toolworks/graphics/plane%20id.html

[Mel Miller]

I'm not sure about the #4 size. That looks like a 2 layer pressed steel adjusting fork sticking up in the pic. Don't recall seeing that on a Millers Falls, and they are normally marked on the sides.

Mel

[Paul Saffold]

Good eyes on the fork, Mel.
Andrew, thanks for the link. I've bookmarked it.

The # 4 also has left hand threads on the adjuster.

I'm not sure that I want to take the time to clean and fettle either of them or the block unless you think they have any resale value. Of course it wouldn't take much to get my investment back :D.
The Stanley 6 is what I wanted.

Paul

[David Weaver]

I'm not sure about the #4 size. That looks like a 2 layer pressed steel adjusting fork sticking up in the pic. Don't recall seeing that on a Millers Falls, and they are normally marked on the sides.

Mel

I think all but the type 1 MFs had stamped yokes. They are a nice working plane, but they did do a couple of things cheaper than stanley - the yokes, the use of paint, and the corrugations aren't quite as nice.

That said, I have had a bunch and they were all nice users. I like the trick lever cap (which isn't present on that one, it looks like a second tier or third tier plane). I don't know if it really does much, but it's substantial and interesting.

I think their castings are a little softer than stanley, they've been easier to lap. I don't have any proof, though, that's just subjective.

(the checkered wheel, the lateral adjuster and the retaining ring on the front knob all scream millers falls, as does the lever cap. MF's third lines had painted lever caps of various colors).

[Erik Manchester]

Mel, Paul,

IIRC some of the cheaper lines of Millers Falls bench planes did not have the stamping on the left cheek. This is likely the case with the one that you have. Despite being any economy model, the MF planes are well made and tune up nicely. I admit to being a sucker for cocobolo, the red frogs, and the jointed lever caps of the premium Millers Falls bench planes.