Stanley #32 plane

[Jason Buresh]

I was at a local antique store and they had a Stanley#32 plane there for $7 and it looked so cool I couldn't leave it there. The only thing wrong with it is the back handle has a piece missing, other than that it appears to be in good shape. Does anyone know anything about these? Is there a way to date them? I really liked the look of the thing so for $7 I don't mind displaying it in my shop.

[Jim Koepke]

Patrick's Blood & Gore mentions that plane was made from 1870 to 1934.

There are a few things that could put a narrower time period on it.

One would be the logo stamped on the blade if it is the original blade.

Here is a page with blade trade marks and the dates they were used:

https://www.antique-used-tools.com/stantms.htm

Another would be to look at the lateral adjuster leaver if it has one. Early lateral adjuster leavers have patent dates. The first ones just had the end bent up to engage the blade. In 1888 the engaging end was changed to a disk.

If the blade advances by turning the depth adjuster to the left, counter clockwise, then there are likely a couple of patent dates stamped inside the brass depth adjuster.

If there isn't a lateral adjuster that puts it before the 1880s. If there is a lateral adjuster without a patent date then it is after ~1903.

The fine points of one, two or three patent dates on the lateral lever are another story.

Depending on what is missing from the tote, it shouldn't be too difficult to repair it.

jtk

[Jason Buresh]

Thanks for the info Jim! According to the stamp on the iron, if it's original, based on the chart you sent it looks like my iron could be from 1872-1874. That's cool! I will have to see if I can lightly clean it and look a little closer

[steven c newman]

Might have another date stamp....right on the chipbreaker.

I have the slightly smaller No. 31 in my shop.

[Jim Koepke]

Thanks for the info Jim! According to the stamp on the iron, if it's original, based on the chart you sent it looks like my iron could be from 1872-1874. That's cool! I will have to see if I can lightly clean it and look a little closer

Your welcome, does your plane have a lateral adjuster lever?


Might have another date stamp....right on the chipbreaker.

I have the slightly smaller No. 31 in my shop.

That one slipped by me.

jtk

[Jason Buresh]

Yes. It has the lever. It appears to be the bent style that you mentioned. I am having trouble finding any numbers on it though. Is there a specific place to look? There is nothing obvious on the top or sides. And the tote is missing the upper part where the horn normally is.

[lowell holmes]

I have a wall cabinet with a glass door with hand planes in it. I have one of the planes. I never sharpened it because I just display it.

I have several planes in the cabinet.

The cabinet was made at a Paul Sellers class when he was at Homestead Heritage in Waco Texas.

[Jim Koepke]

Yes. It has the lever. It appears to be the bent style that you mentioned. I am having trouble finding any numbers on it though. Is there a specific place to look? There is nothing obvious on the top or sides. And the tote is missing the upper part where the horn normally is.

If you find the STANLEY stamp the patent dates should be stamped above and below giving three lines of text. If the lever has been sanded a few times to remove rust, it could have been sanded away.

Here is a page with a type study and pictures of Bailey style planes:

http://www.rexmill.com/planes101/typing/typing.htm

Look at the type 5 pictures for how the lateral levers on Bailey style planes were stamped. There is some indications of the transitional planes having lateral adjusters before their being added to metal planes.

Bailey was supposedly a touch piqued at Stanley over the transitional planes. He felt it cut into his royalties on the metal planes.

Fixing the handle shouldn't be much harder than finding the correct wood to make a patch.

jtk

[Jason Buresh]

Jim,

When I get home tonight I will look to see what I can find on the lever. It is pretty rusty but there might be something under there

[Jason Buresh]

So I took some fine steel wool to the chip breaker and I was able to make out a patent date of Dec. 24, 1867. Sure enough there is an ST on the lateral lever but it's kinda pitted and hard to make out anything else. Should I use some steel wool and see if it cleans up or would that take the numbers off? They are stamped kinda light

[Jim Koepke]

So I took some fine steel wool to the chip breaker and I was able to make out a patent date of Dec. 24, 1867. Sure enough there is an ST on the lateral lever but it's kinda pitted and hard to make out anything else. Should I use some steel wool and see if it cleans up or would that take the numbers off? They are stamped kinda light

You may be able to clean it up. You will never see what may be seen if it is left rusty.

jtk

[Rob Luter]

I had a similar transitional some time ago, although a Jack as opposed to a Jointer. It was a very smooth operator and worked quite well.

414490

[steven c newman]

I use this as an avatar on another site...
414536
Stanley No. 31, with the pile of shavings it had made...