Richard Line
07-23-2014, 8:01 PM
While wandering through some antique shops in Lancaster Co., PA I saw a number of interesting tools, mostly planes. This one was enticed to follow me home, for $12. It is a Sandusky Tool Co. skewed rabbet plane, 1 in. wide. It looked in pretty good condition, so I went for it. The first several pictures show it with only a light cleaning (wiped down with a wet paper towel, and dried). I haven't found a way to date it, but I suspect it is from near the end of Sandusky's life, 1926. The body, wedge, and fit of the blade all looked good. The blade had several spots of pitting, but not into the cutting area of the blade. It definitely has been used, but not a lot, and looks to have been used by someone that knew how to use and care for it. An internet search on Sandusky Tool Co. disclosed they had their wooden planes made by prisoners, via a contract. The company name is stamped in a double curve with a line below it. There is also a model no. (?) 146 stamped on the front.
Once I got it into the shop I found a couple more spots of rust, but nothing that couldn't be cleaned up to use. The body still looked good, no warping, twist, splits or anything. The wedge was very solid and fits nicely. The biggest problem was the sole. It was flat and not twisted, but the back part, from the blade back was almost 1/32 lower than the front. That was quickly fixed with some sandpaper on a flat surface. Next was some light sanding of the rest of the body and wedge to clean them a bit. Then a liberal application of blo.
The blade cleaned up and sharpen pretty quickly. It had a micro bevel and the side was beveled, so those were crisped up also.
On to a test rabbet. It worked better than I did. Need to tune up the operator. The blade is a little out of square with the bottom of the plane; not too badly and is usable as is, but I'll try to square that up. As the picture shows, it can produce nice curlies, and it is faster than my Stanley 78 rabbet plane, and easier to keep the plane cutting parallel to the surface than the Stanley. Fortunately I had used a similar plane at a class on making moldings at the Port Townsend School of Woodworking last year, so I wasn't a complete newbie at using this type of plane.
I'm happy with this latest acquisition.
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Once I got it into the shop I found a couple more spots of rust, but nothing that couldn't be cleaned up to use. The body still looked good, no warping, twist, splits or anything. The wedge was very solid and fits nicely. The biggest problem was the sole. It was flat and not twisted, but the back part, from the blade back was almost 1/32 lower than the front. That was quickly fixed with some sandpaper on a flat surface. Next was some light sanding of the rest of the body and wedge to clean them a bit. Then a liberal application of blo.
The blade cleaned up and sharpen pretty quickly. It had a micro bevel and the side was beveled, so those were crisped up also.
On to a test rabbet. It worked better than I did. Need to tune up the operator. The blade is a little out of square with the bottom of the plane; not too badly and is usable as is, but I'll try to square that up. As the picture shows, it can produce nice curlies, and it is faster than my Stanley 78 rabbet plane, and easier to keep the plane cutting parallel to the surface than the Stanley. Fortunately I had used a similar plane at a class on making moldings at the Port Townsend School of Woodworking last year, so I wasn't a complete newbie at using this type of plane.
I'm happy with this latest acquisition.
293630293631293632293633