Interesting Coffin Plane

[Dave Beauchesne]

Hi Gang:


Was over a a buddies this afternoon and he has been on the tool hunt; he scored a sweet tiny coffin plane ( albeit without a blade ).
I did not throw a tape on it, but the one of me holding it gives scale to some degree. The beech body is decent with very nice ray fleck, no makers mark. I tried to talk him out of it, I would love to make a blade for it, but, for now, he declined. No slot for a chip breaker fastener.

Has anyone seen one this small, and does it have some value??

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

No help for your questions, but it sure is purty! There's a bit of a shadow in the second picture - is the bottom compassed or round or anything?

[Dave Beauchesne]

No help for your questions, but it sure is purty! There's a bit of a shadow in the second picture - is the bottom compassed or round or anything?

No Joshua. the bottom is reasonably flat - AND, it is sitting on an Oliver 24'' jointer that is pristine ( so we know that it is sitting on ' flat ' ) funny shadow I suppose - it has seen better days, but it is purty! I see Mr. Leech has a six inch version for sale this month - with blade, this one is more like 4-1/2'' and a lot prettier piece of lumber.

[Steve Voigt]

I would love to make a blade for it, but, for now, he declined. No slot for a chip breaker fastener.


I imagine it would have had a single iron originally, no chip breaker. Wouldn't be too hard to make a new blade.

[Dave Beauchesne]

I have access to suitable O1, so, no, it wouldn't be too bad.
Now, can I talk my buddy out of it????

[george wilson]

Lovely eyes on that plane. I have one much like that one I made from boxwood,but never finished.

[Chris Hachet]

That is a cool looking wooden plane. So sorry that old street tool works isn't accepting new orders. I would love to own more wooden planes, just in the process of buying a wooden Jointer from another wood worker.

[Mike Olson]

Oliver 24'' jointer
:eek: I'd give up all my hand planes for that! granted it's probably bigger than my whole shop.

[Duncan Ainslie]

I've got a very similar plane from my Grandpa's tool chest. No chip breaker, just an iron in it.

I've certainly never used it (and he says neither has he). It's always seemed more of a curiosity (or toy) than a tool to me, does anyone know what such a small plane would be used for - trimming down small inserts for boxes and things perhaps?

[Tony Shea]

Instrument makers use these small planes a lot in their trade. Typically their planes have curvature to their soles but a small flat bottom plane is also useful for their work in shaping braces and such. I'm sure george has a little experience with small planes, ok maybe a lot of experience.

[george wilson]

I actually have made dozens of small planes without taking pictures at all.Back in the 70's,I got popular with some Early American Industries guys,and they were regularly ordering small planes to collect. One guy even had a glass top coffee table made. It was a display case for the small tools he was always ordering from me.

Back then I had a very tiny shop,about 6'x10'. Between the lathe and the workbench,thee was no more than a 2' wide walkway to stand in and work. I made only small projects in there.

[Jonas Baker]

It looks like the wedge is actually from an old molding plane, or maybe it's just got that kind of shape? I love little wood planes like this. I have a few that I got on ebay, one is 3 inches long with a 1 inch wide plade. It's british, made of beech with a 50 degree angle for the blade. The other is about 5 inches long and it's american beech, just 45 degree angle.

Both of mine have blades that are not tapered, and also not laminated as far as I can tell. I prefer tapered blades, and I also prefer laminated steel blades. Neither of them have a name, so I suppose they are likely user made.

I'd definitely would like a boxwood version. I'd love to see the one you made George! I have had plans of making one myself. Was even thinking of making a small one from ebony or rosewood, though they do seem to chip more.

[Dave Beauchesne]

:eek: I'd give up all my hand planes for that! granted it's probably bigger than my whole shop.

Inappropriate on the Neanderthal Forum, but you still need your hand planes Mike, even with this brute.
BTW, not mine!!

[george wilson]

That's the same model Oliver that have in the millwork shop in the museum. Theirs is a 16". Their knife grinding attachment had gotten so worn,it was producing knives that made wide boards QUITE convex!! For a 12" board,I'd say about 1/8" convex. I took their attachment,and re machined it back to new condition.

It didn't do much good,though. I had introduced them toy the Dispoz-a- Blade system I was using on my planer and jointer. They soon switched to it. The attachment has sat unused since then!!:)

[Dave Beauchesne]

George:

I had never seen a 16" jointer before, much less a 24".
My buddy mills and sells live edge slabs in Western Maple, Douglas Fir, Yew and others from local wood here on the West Coast, so a 24" jointer is almost a necessity. A rare but wonderful piece of American iron.
He is the same buddy that owns the original item from this thread, hence the picture of the plane posing on the old Oliver.