Old wooden plane info. pics

[Dave O'Nan]

I just got this plane. It's 22" long, and has Owasco Tool stamped on the iron and front. I think it is in good shape, a little sharpening and it worked well for me. I know very little about handtools but want to learn more. I hope that ya'll here might have more information about it for me. Here's a few pics.:

http://ncwoodworker.net/gallery/files/5/1/Woodjointerplane006.jpg

http://ncwoodworker.net/gallery/files/5/1/Woodjointerplane007.jpg

http://ncwoodworker.net/gallery/files/5/1/Woodjointerplane008.jpg

Thanks for any insight or advice that you might offer. Dave:)

[Chris Barton]

Great looking plane! I don't know the maker but, you may want to check the sole for flatness using a good strait edge. If it is not flat, some sandpaper and a pure flat reference surface (easiest to come by is a piece of 1/4" plate glass) will fix that. Then just keep a nice coat of good paste wax (I would have said J&J in the past but, I can no longer find it so consider Minwax or another brand) on it and you will enjoy its service for many years.

[Roger Bell]

Pollack, the standard reference on American wooden planes, lists Owasco as a trade name used by the Auburn Tool Co., which existed from 1864 to 1893, when it was acquired by the larger Ohio Tool Co. Auburn was a huge outfit and planes under their name are very common, as are the Ohio's.

Owascos are not terribly rare as I see them regularly and own a couple of matched pairs of Owasco hollow/rounds in two of the smaller sizes. Yours is a long(er) fore or a short(er) jointer plane, depending on whose definition you choose. It looks to be in pretty nice shape with a reasonably tight mouth.

I use similar wooden planes for roughing down stock prior to using the Stanley-type planes. I have the iron set rank on mine and they are great for removing mill marks from rough cut stock. I don't bother to joint them flat normally, but you may need to if you want to use yours for finish work.

[Dave O'Nan]

Thanks for that info. I had no idea it was as old as that. That is really cool. The sole is as flat as my CI tablesaw top, which is hopefully my best point of reference. I got it as a user, so it I am not concerned about it uniqueness. Roger Bell what is a rank set iron, this one is currently set bevel down??? Thanks for everyone's info, I really appreciate it. Dave:)

[Roger Bell]

Bevel down is the correct orientation for the iron. "Rank" set refers to having the iron set (or extended) so that a thicker shaving is taken. Having the iron set rank is helpful in removing a fair amount of stock rapidly....for example....as in planing to a scribed line when squaring up a piece of stock, or in removing material from an edge rather than rip-sawing it off.

[Dan Forman]

Cool tool! It's nice to use such things, knowing they have been used by generations of other craftsmen.

Dan