Winchester planes

[Reed Gray]

I picked up a Winchester plane the other day at an antique store. Worst thing about it was that some one tried to flatten the frog with a bench grinder..... ARGH! One feature it has on it, that I think should be on all hand planes, is a line on the sole of the plane in the middle of the throat/blade opening. One problem I have had with learning to use these tools is figuring out when my blade is square to the sole. That line doesn't make it perfect, but it gets it a lot closer to where it needs to be. Just siting down the sole of the plane to see the blade and fix it just doesn't work well for me. Maybe I have to raise the blade up higher. One other strange thing about this plane is that the advance/retract knob turns in the opposite direction of all my other planes...

robo hippy

[Jim Koepke]

It would be helpful if you could post an image or two of this plane. Look inside the depth adjuster wheel to see if there are any patent dates.

I've looked at a few Winchester planes (at least they had a Winchester lever cap). There was a #3 sized one last week in a shop in town. I do not recall any of them having a line on the sole. Could it be something done on purpose or accident by a former owner?

My recollection is Winchester planes all had normal adjusters, i.e. left hand threads. My knowledge on Winchester planes is very little.

More information here > https://www.timetestedtools.net/2016/02/21/winchester-planes-2/

For me sighting down the sole also doesn't work well. For me it is easier to have a piece of scrap held in a vise with the blade retracted then adjust it slowly until it just starts to make a shaving. Then the lateral can be set until the shavings from the left and right sides are equal. It goes pretty fast.

jtk

[steven c newman]

There was indeed a time when planes had a right hand thread for the adjuster knob....Older Stanleys did.
Much like Master Quality Planes....one of the big makers would build planes for others to sell.

Side Note: After WW1, Winchester needed a way to make money, as the demand for Firearms suddenly "tanked". Soooooo..

( I do have a tri-square with the Winchester logo on it.)

Then WW2 came along, and Winchester was back in the Firearms Business....and forgot all about making tools....

[Rafael Herrera]

I've a Winchester, the size of a no. 7. The depth adjuster is right handed. Mine was made by Sargent, it has a four digit model number on the casting. It's a Bailey pattern plane. Stanley made them for Winchester too, but I believe the design of those is the early Bedrock. No lines on the sole.

[James Spangler]

The "W" series of Winchester plane models were made by Stanley in the 1920's using the Bedrock Type 4 design. For a view of one of these see this link (https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?304055-Winchester-W5-Jack-Plane-(like-Bedrock-605)-%96-Restored-Tuned-Up-amp-Ready-to-Use).
You may also note that the Keen Kutter "K" series planes, made by Stanley in the same era, are virtually identical to the Winchester W planes - it seems that only the identifying number at the toe of the plane differs.

[Reed Gray]

I did find one image that showed the sole of the plane, and I couldn't see the line across the throat. Must have been an add on. I am still considering doing that to several of my planes.

robo hippy