A Jack, or a Fore?

[steven c newman]

While cleaning up and sorting through the hand planes in the shop...
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Needed to be cleaned...
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At one time, there appears to have been a front knob? Rather useless fot this type of plane..
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That be a Millers Falls No. 15 Jumbo Jack beside it. Iron is 2" wide. Chipbreaker is missing it's bolt.. Body is 18" long.....

Hmmm...

[Scott Winners]

I have a 5 1/2 Bailey I use as a fore plane, with a 5-6 inch radius in the iron. Works good for me between scrub and jointer. What is your plan for this one?

[Luke Dupont]

I still don't understand the difference between a jack and a fore... Some claim that it's just the curvature of the iron that defines them, but I don't know.

It looks like what I'd call a jointer, but then I'm always using rather short planes.

I have a #3 and a #5 1/4 and select the length and the blade curvature (I have a few spare irons and swap them out) that I need at the time... My needs are quite limited though.

Anyway, that's a really nice looking Chinese plane that you have! Always wanted to try them but I think I'd be constantly busting up my knuckles on nearby tools or pieces of work, knowing myself. I'm also confused as to why there'd be a knob.

[Derek Cohen]

Look at the HNT Gordon Trying Plane for comparison. This is a Chinese-Malay style, high angle bed.


http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReviews/The%20HNT%20Gordon%20Smoother%20and%20Trying%20Pla ne_html_48f9a168.jpg


http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReviews/The%20HNT%20Gordon%20Smoother%20and%20Trying%20Pla ne.html


I use mine as a short jointer, great for edges.


Regards from Perth


Derek

[steven c newman]

Have tried it a few times...index fingers go along side the iron, and thumbs go behind the iron. Thumbs give the power to move forward, index fingers guide....other 3 fingers are to pull the plane back to you after the cut is made....

Took me about a weekend to build this one.

Ok, spares box shows there IS a bolt for the chipbreaker....Once that Tool Cabinet Rehab is done, I might refresh this plane.

They are/were rather fun to make.....even with just hand tools....I'll have to check the edge of the iron (later) and see IF it does have any camber to it....

[Rafael Herrera]

If someone has the Salaman dictionary handy, you can look at the entry for Jack Plane. It was called a jack in some trade and fore plane on another, they were the same plane. This is regarding the ~15-17" long wooden bodied planes. If your plane is some Chinese pattern, it'll have a name in Chinese which could be translated into something in English, jack, fore, plane, etc.

[Cory Newman]

https://youtu.be/Cokh4rYxx_A

Mortise and Tenon did a video on it...