Mystery plane, again

[steven c newman]

Was out on a Rust hunt the other day. Spent about $12 on two old rusty planes. One is a PARPLUS #5. I'll use that for working down old barn wood. The other plane was missing the iron, chipbreaker , and the lever cap. Figured it for a "Parts Plane". Now I'm not so sure. Tote has been stamped for a Large supply company down in Dayton, Ohio called "W.H. KIEFABER CO" The red frog looks a little firmiliar, though..246836246837246838Looks like a Millers Falls, don't it? It has that single bend on the lateral, and that big old solid wheel. Frog has a "7A' stamp, and a "406*" stamp. Base is just a hair over 9" long, and has ridges down inside the ring for that high knob. Thinking maybe a good clean-up, find an iron/chipbreaker, and a plain lever cap? Gray paint MIGHT stay. Those handles are NOT painted, though. M-F used a red kind of wood for a while. As for the clean-up? 246839 I guess I had better get started....:D

[Archie England]

Has the characteristics of a late Millers Falls #4; but the tote nut might date it a bit earlier than later. Now that an amateur has weighed in, the "sperts" can speak.

[steven c newman]

Making a wee bit of progress today..246884246885246886and here it is beside the "other" plane 246887 I have cleaned it up as well. Put a nice big camber on the iron, as it will be used to rough in some Barn Wood..246888246889just over 13" long...

[Brian Cameron]

Parplus was made for Metal Works of West Haven Conn. by a company called Peck, Stowe and Wilcox and after 1957 by Stanley...another of the many generic type planes on the market.

[steven c newman]

The red handled plane seems to say "Millers Falls". Tote and knob nuts are steel, not brass. Big old adjuster wheel is a plated steel, as well. Thinking maybe a plain lever cap? Would the chipbreaker HAVE to be a Millers Falls one, or could I slide a Stanley in there? Going to try and clean that Gray paint up. Don't want to strip it off. The ring around the knob isn't so much a ring, as it is a "ramp". Haven't found any markings on the base, other than the "MADE IN USA" behind the frog.

[Jim Koepke]

The ring around the knob isn't so much a ring, as it is a "ramp".

Another marker of the Millers Falls planes.

Not sure if a Stanley cap And chip breaker will work or not.

jtk

[Archie England]

If the Parplus has a stamped steel frog, then please "put it down and step back..." I've had nothing but problems with stamped steel planes (along with a few Handyman planes) and heartily recommend that you forgo the challenge. However, you should be able to salvage any 4 or 5 blade for what appears to be a Millers Falls. Now, chip breakers and lever caps can be a problem. I've solved this issue by cutting (drilling then squaring in the chip breaker) a receptacle for the lever adj. nub to fit the receptor plane. Vintage Sargent planes (those I have experience with) had a different placement on the chip breaker from the Stanley and MFs. Since the metal is soft, it's not a terribly difficult task. Hence, you might be in business rather quickly. OTOH, buying a premium chip breaker and blade from (LN, LV, or Hock) might really help improve the planes performance. What I like about my MFs is their flat metal machined frog faces. However, the one you have appears to be later than the 900 series and is toward the tail end of quality workmanship. That, however, is a generalization and not going to be true of every later-production plane. For instance, I learned on a Corsair #4. It had plastic handles and had to be a 60's or 70's (or later?) plane. But it worked like a charm. I'm sorry that I was not able to buy it from the elderly church member. Post a WTB on the Lever Cap for a MFs (I don't have one) and perhaps someone can help you out. I want to emphasize one truth I've discovered here--a handplane is only a jig to hold the blade. The blade quality is most important!

[steven c newman]

Yep it does have a steel frog. It is also for roughing in old, nasty Barn Wood, before any of my better planes touch the stuff.

I've had two Corsair planes, long ago. Both were new in box, at that. Seemed they were a pita to keep set up,seemed to be a bit loose. Still have a handle from one.


The red handled plane will get so "generic' parts" just to get it working. May keep it, may just sell as parts. The old "List a frog here, a base there, set of totes over here" sort of thing. My current set of #4s includes a Stanley type11, #4c, a Union #4G, a Sargent made Craftsman #4H, and a Handyman #4. Getting a might crowded.....

[Jim Koepke]

I want to emphasize one truth I've discovered here--a handplane is only a jig to hold the blade. The blade quality is most important!

The blade can be of the highest quality but if the "jig to hold the blade" is not up to the ability needed, it isn't going to work.

A few of us have purchased the $3 Buck Brothers sold at the big orange box. It is far from a premium blade, but it can leave an unrivaled surface on wood and wears fairly well.

I have also seen some blade holders that couldn't be made to properly hold a blade. Some of them were Stanley/Bailey models from the post WW II era.

A thread running concurrent to this one:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?195108-Anant-45a-Multiplane-Quality&p=2013902#post2013902

The best blade in the world wouldn't have made a difference in this plane.

jtk