Millers Falls Buck Rodgers planes - why doesn't any one make modern versions?

[Richard Shaefer]

I love these planes. They're genuinely innovative designs, aside from the fact that they were never really meant for fine work.
Of all the various 'collector' plane designs that have been copied over the years from the big names like L-N and Lee Valley, how come no one ever made a modern versions of these buggers?

[Jim Koepke]

Maybe woodworkers don't want plastic handles on a premium plane?

Second question would be why would a serious woodworker want a plane that was "never really meant for fine work?"

If a tool can not match my ability, then it isn't likely to coax money out of my wallet.

jtk

[Rob Luter]

These look pretty "Buck Rogers" to me.


http://www.leevalley.com/us/images/item/Woodworking/Planes/05p7001s1.jpg

[Bill Houghton]

Innovative makes sense if the result of the innovation is improved performance.

[Mike Manning]

I love these planes. They're genuinely innovative designs, aside from the fact that they were never really meant for fine work.
Of all the various 'collector' plane designs that have been copied over the years from the big names like L-N and Lee Valley, how come no one ever made a modern versions of these buggers?

How about posting some pics of these Miller Falls Buck Rodgers planes? Please!

[Richard Shaefer]

I love these planes. They're genuinely innovative designs, aside from the fact that they were never really meant for fine work.
Of all the various 'collector' plane designs that have been copied over the years from the big names like L-N and Lee Valley, how come no one ever made a modern versions of these buggers?

'never meant for fine work' in that they have a fairly generous throat for a high-end tool. Something easily remedied in a new plane. It's not like they were cheaply made. And maybe it's my personal taste, but I don't feel plane makers experiment enough with handle materials that aren't wood. Brese has made some stunning planes with composite handles, for example.

You look at the plane, and there's some good ideas in it. It's got a beefy casting with a nice heavy toe and a raised knob. The adjuster wheel in the back is huge, which probably jumps out to any of us with order small wheel Stanley planes. And the handle is a steel plate with the composite grip over top. that's never going anywhere. The designer of this plane spent a lot of time thinking about it instead of jsut copying an old Stanley plane or even an older infill plane.

sorry for the large pic. grabbed it off this thread elsewhere.
https://forum.canadianwoodworking.com/forum/tools/hand-tools/vintage-hand-tools/1181418-millers-falls-714-i-never-knew-i-wanted-one
the original product photos don't do it justice.

https://forum.canadianwoodworking.com/filedata/fetch?id=1181459&d=1524442439

[Zach Dillinger]

"No bucks, no Buck Rogers".

[Brian Eaton]

I’ve never seen these before reading your thread but they look really cool! Even if they weren’t good users they’d be anice talking point in a hand plane collection. Too bad the ones I just looked up on eBay are WAY out of my price range!

[Bill Houghton]

Buck Rogers, actually; no "d." And you can find pictures lots of places, including here: https://oldtoolheaven.com/bench/buckr.htm

[Tony Zaffuto]

I believe I have at least one of each Buck Rogers tools made, including planes, push drill, rasp sort of thing, etc., and I disagree with the premise these are not made for fine work. The mouths may be a bit wide, however, there is no reason why you can't set the chip breaker for a fine cut. Also, none of mine are for sale!

[lowell holmes]

Here is what I have and use.399051

Call Rob Lee

[Jim Koepke]

Speaking of Rob Lee, does anyone else notice a slight resemblance between the profile of the Buck Rogers planes and the line of Veritas bench planes?

jtk

[Richard Shaefer]

Speaking of Rob Lee, does anyone else notice a slight resemblance between the profile of the Buck Rogers planes and the line of Veritas bench planes?

jtk

I always felt that the Lee Valley planes were influenced by the short run Stanley Gage series of planes

https://virginiatoolworks.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/gage-plane.jpg

[Richard Shaefer]

I’ve never seen these before reading your thread but they look really cool! Even if they weren’t good users they’d be anice talking point in a hand plane collection. Too bad the ones I just looked up on eBay are WAY out of my price range!

and that's what bugs me. Every other 'rare' or 'gotta have it' plane on the collector market has some premium maker version. Stanley, Record, Preston, and Sargent certainly have plenty of imitators. I'd probably shell out Lie Nielsen or Veritas money for an homage to one of these buggers.

[Jim Koepke]

I always felt that the Lee Valley planes were influenced by the short run Stanley Gage series of planes

Wow, those have never caught my attention. They always seemed to be more for collectors than for users.

It is kind of a sexy and slinky race car kind of design.

Who knows, maybe the Buck Rogers planes caught a little bit of design inspiration from them.

The frog and the tote on the Buck Rogers design especially have a similar look to the Veritas design.

jtk

[Frederick Skelly]

https://forum.canadianwoodworking.com/filedata/fetch?id=1181459&d=1524442439

They ARE kinda pretty, in a retro way. I'd buy one if I ran across one here.
Does anyone who actually uses theirs have discomfort from the screws that attach the handle?

I've never seen a Stanley Gage until this post - you can sure see the resemblance to the LV Custom.

Fred

[Kory Cassel]

They ARE kinda pretty, in a retro way. I'd buy one if I ran across one here.
Does anyone who actually uses theirs have discomfort from the screws that attach the handle?

I've never seen a Stanley Gage until this post - you can sure see the resemblance to the LV Custom.

Fred
My very first plane was a plastic handled big box item and it shreds the skin from your hands around the screw holes. Can't say about the Buck Rodgers planes, but I have a bias against plastic handled planes.

[Jim Koepke]

Does anyone who actually uses theirs have discomfort from the screws that attach the handle?

They look like they would be more uncomfortable for a left handed person than someone who is right handed.

Reading the right up on this says the frog is made of aluminum. My question would be is if the screws are likely to strip out if someone takes the plane apart to clean it a few times.


My very first plane was a plastic handled big box item and it shreds the skin from your hands around the screw holes. Can't say about the Buck Rodgers planes, but I have a bias against plastic handled planes.

+1 on the bias against plastic handled planes.

jtk

[Allen Read]

If you want "Buck Rogers" style planes, look at the Lazarus planes. Priced out of the reach of most of us, but amazing designs.

http://www.lazarushandplane.com/shop/

[James Baker SD]

For those criticizing plastic handled planes, remember when this thing was first hitting the tool store shelves, that bright colored plastic for the common man was a novel idea just as Buck Rogers space travel was. Who wanted boring, brown wood handles if you could have shiny red plastic. Even I, lover of beautiful hardwood handles (just ask Dave J. or Konrad S.) succumbed to the Buck Rogers drill about 15 years ago on eBay. Came with a pretty neat set of bits in the red handle to top if off.

[Kory Cassel]

For those criticizing plastic handled planes, remember when this thing was first hitting the tool store shelves, that bright colored plastic for the common man was a novel idea just as Buck Rogers space travel was. Who wanted boring, brown wood handles if you could have shiny red plastic. Even I, lover of beautiful hardwood handles (just ask Dave J. or Konrad S.) succumbed to the Buck Rogers drill about 15 years ago on eBay. Came with a pretty neat set of bits in the red handle to top if off.
It is a striking design, clearly differentiating a uniquely MF product from a Stanley copy. That's all I the compliments I can bring myself to offer to a plastic handled plane. I had a bad experience, trauma inhibits future trust.:D

[Andrew Seemann]

I think part of the reason you don't see modern copies of Buck Rogers planes and similar tools is that hand tool woodworkers tend to be Romantics, and the time period they tend to romanticize is usually that late 1800s to WW2 era, and not the modernist 1950s with its technology and space travel inspired designs. The late 1800s to WW2 timeframe also coincides with Stanley-at-its-prime, and thus most reproductions tend to be of the Stanleys. Plus most Stanley-at-its-prime designs don't really have much improvement to be made on them, other than maybe less fragile casting materials.

Note, not all hand tool woodworkers romanticize that late 1800s to WW2 timeframe, some are into Colonial era, and some even earlier, but that prewar time seems to be quite popular.

[Richard Shaefer]

I think part of the reason you don't see modern copies of Buck Rogers planes and similar tools is that hand tool woodworkers tend to be Romantics, and the time period they tend to romanticize is usually that late 1800s to WW2 era, and not the modernist 1950s with its technology and space travel inspired designs. The late 1800s to WW2 timeframe also coincides with Stanley-at-its-prime, and thus most reproductions tend to be of the Stanleys. Plus most Stanley-at-its-prime designs don't really have much improvement to be made on them, other than maybe less fragile casting materials.

Note, not all hand tool woodworkers romanticize that late 1800s to WW2 timeframe, some are into Colonial era, and some even earlier, but that prewar time seems to be quite popular.

kind of agree, but you wouldn't know it from the auction bids on the planes.

[Jim Koepke]

kind of agree, but you wouldn't know it from the auction bids on the planes.

Those are collector prices.

If the Buck Rogers series had caught on and were flying off the shelves, there would likely be more than two sizes.

jtk

[Andrew Seemann]

The other odd thing about hand tool woodworkers, is they tend to value the less common tools, and often far more than the original users of the tools. There is a reason all those rare planes are rare. Collectors do this, but that is the nature of collecting. Take the now popular low angle jack plane. It was never a common plane "back in the day" and was intended for rough work. Then a few years ago, it became the plane that everyone needed to have, with current woodworkers coming up with all kind of uses the original users of the tool never did. High angle frogs were another one, as were scraper planes. People seem to be looking for that "secret" tool, that has been lost to time, that will unlock woodworking prowess. Every few years, a new old tool comes back into popularity, only to be replaced by the next new old fad. I still think it goes back to the Romantic side of hand tool woodworkers that draws them into hand tool working in the first place:)

That said, those Buck Rogers planes do look cool, and they have a neat juxtaposition of old (hand tool woodworking) against new (space age design).

[steven c newman]

399176
The 1/4" version....spent $5 on it...handle was full of drill bits...
399177
#100 Push Drill....
399178
Also with 6 bits in the handle...