Help ID'ing which type my Stanley plane is...

[Brian Atkinson]

Hi All,

I'm sure this will be an easy question for the plane experts, but I'm confused by this plane I just picked up. I've checked the blood and gore website as well as the Hyperkitten and Rexmill websites with the various plane type studies and I still can't pinpoint this plane's type.

Characteristics from toe to heel...

It has Bailey at the toe. A raised ring for the knob. Made in the USA right behind the knob. The frog seat is the type that started with type 9 (i.e. the bearing service, a ridge, across the width of the sole at the rear of the seat and a rib going down the mid line towards the mouth). Also note that the bearing service is not continuous but is milled out in the middle, above the frog adjustment screw. The area behind the frog is completely empty of text (no patent dates and no made in the USA obviously since that is behind the knob). No 5 appears behind the tote. There are no raised ridges at the toe or heel.

So the frog seat type seems to have started with Type 15 and gone through type 18, when the seat changed to the Y shaped ribs. The fact that there are no raised ridges at the toe or heel points to a type 15. But the type 15 type studies say that Bailey should be cast behind the knob, whereas this plane sole has Bailey in front of the knob.

I haven't included any info on the frog since I assume it could possibly not be original to the sole, but if it helps, it is the frog style with the ogee shape on either side of the lateral lever. The lever also has STANLEY horizontally on the top side. So this frog type seems to have started with type 16.

Any help pinpointing this plane type would be appreciated.

Thanks all!

[Jim Koepke]

Brian,

Welcome to the Creek.

It sounds like your plane may be between types. This is common as old parts were blended with new parts in the manufacturing process. Stanley had no idea people would be trying to reconstruct the history of their plane making years later.

There is also the possibility that your plane may have been put together from parts that were from different years after the fact. This happens a lot if the tool spent time in a high school or even in a private shop with different planes being cleaned and reassembled at the same time.

To really be able to tell much more, pictures would likely be needed.

What really matters is if it is working well for you.

jtk

[Brian Atkinson]

Hi,

A few shots of the plane. I have a few others if there is a feature that is missing that would help.


180402180403http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/misc/pencil.png

[Greg Wease]

Keep in mind that the Type studies are for the #4 and there are subtle differences for the other size planes. Your #5 sure looks like a Type 15 to me.

[Mike Brady]

I agree on the type 15 guess. The frog is the newer type and might be later / replacement.

[Brian Atkinson]

Thanks guys. Really appreciate your help! I'm not a collector, just a hobbyist woodworker who is slowly doing more and more work in the shop with hand tools. So I was really just curious. Good to know, but what's important is that I am having a blast using it!

On a side note (hijacking my own thread), the reason I'm starting to use more hand tools is that my oldest child is 7 now and loves to watch me work in the garage and wants to help out and build some things himself. There was no way I was going to have him use a router or table saw, etc. so we've been building small projects with hand tools and we (I!) have loved it.

[Jim Koepke]

I'm starting to use more hand tools is that my oldest child is 7 now and loves to watch me work in the garage and wants to help out and build some things himself. There was no way I was going to have him use a router or table saw, etc. so we've been building small projects with hand tools and we (I!) have loved it.

These are the good years, don't let them slip away and they will last a lifetime.

jtk