A Real Sweetheart

[Rob Luter]

Here's the little charmer I picked up yesterday during a chance stop at an antique store. After a good bath to get all the filth and paint spatter off she looks pretty good. The japanning is about 95% or better. I still need to do a bit more work on some light surface rust but overall it was $20.00 well spent. The casting and blade date it to a type 13, 1925 to 1928. I hope I look this good at 80.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=92517
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=92516

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=92514

[Mike Brady]

Great find. That truly is a Sweetheart in every sense of the word.

[Phillip Pattee]

Rob,

I think it is a type 12 because it does not have the raised ring around the front knob. Definitely sweetheart era. It also looks like a type 15 or later lever cap has been placed on it. Lever caps correct for the type are easy to come by and that will be a user. Congratulations on a nice gloat.:)

[Rob Luter]

Phillip - I went through the plane dating page at http://www.hyperkitten.com/tools/stanley_bench_plane/dating/ and everything points to a 13 (No knob ring, one patent date, sweetheart blade logo, unplated keyhole lever cap with black japanning around Stanley as described in #1 below. (See Pic). Some mild rust makes it look like a faded red background in some of the pics. Do you use a different dating method?

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=92584



From that page:







Type 13. Planes made by Stanley 1925-1928.

All of the features of the previous, except:
U.S. PAT. APR-19-10 is the only stuff cast behind the frog.
"STANLEY", in a notched rectangle, makes its debut on the lever cap. The original type study doesn't mention it, but there are several treatments of the lever cap, where its finish and the background color of the notched rectangle follow what seems to be a 'style du jour'. I can't date accurately when each of these lever cap treatments occured, but I can list the order in which I believe they were made:
The lever cap is machined and finished as before, with the notched rectangle's background japanned. I believe this to be the earliest since the earliest Bed Rock planes have lever caps of the same treatment (Bed Rock lever caps always had some embossing on them, and the earliest ones have the japanned background). My experience tells me that this lever cap treatment is rather uncommon.
The entire lever cap is entirely nickel plated, including the background of the notched rectangle.
The lever cap is nickel plated, but the notched rectangle's background is painted in Stanley's trademark orange color.
For a short period, with the lever cap nickel plated, the notched rectangle's background is decidedly reddish in color. This may due to Stanley's working relationship with Winchester, whose planes have the same color. Either that, or someone sabotaged Stanley's orange paint supply.
The later planes have a yellow background in the notched rectangle. These planes typically have the rounded iron.

[John Schreiber]

Congratulations on your find. Why do I never have that kind of luck?

[Rob Luter]

It seems the more time I spend looking, the luckier I get :D

[Phillip Pattee]

Rob,
If I had used a type study, the one you used is what I would have used. I was going by memory and got my raised ring wrong. The type 14 is the first with the raised ring and I was thinking it was the 13. You are right and I'm wrong. It did also look to me from the first pictures that the lever cap had the orage background. You've got it right. Nice plane.

[Jim Koepke]

Nice find, the wood sells for more than $20 without the rest.

jim

[Rob Luter]

Rob,
If I had used a type study, the one you used is what I would have used. I was going by memory and got my raised ring wrong. The type 14 is the first with the raised ring and I was thinking it was the 13. You are right and I'm wrong. It did also look to me from the first pictures that the lever cap had the orage background. You've got it right. Nice plane.

No Problemo ;)

[Steve Clardy]

Nice haul.

Yep. Type 13

13's are my user set. #2 through 8

Lever caps can be either the logo or plain cap.

[Clara Koss]

is it gonna be used or just admired...???? how cool!!!

[Rob Luter]

It's already been honed and used and will become my main #4 user. I'll probably peddle my other #4 eventually.

[Jim Koepke]

It's already been honed and used and will become my main #4 user. I'll probably peddle my other #4 eventually.

Before you peddle the other #4, you may consider having one set up for taking very fine cuts and the other set up for taking thicker cuts. One could also be set up with a slight bevel on the front of the blade to change the effective pitch to a steeper angle.

Finally, even if they are set up the same, it may be handy to have a second plane so if one blade gets dull, you are good to go with the second plane.

You can always sell it or trade it later. But once it is gone, it is gone forever.

jim

[Clifford Mescher]

It seems the more time I spend looking, the luckier I get :D
Nice find. You should play the lottery. Clifford

[Phillip Pattee]

Rob,

This should make you shake your head. Here are some pics of my best stanley #3 and #4 users. Recognize them? I can't believe I got the type wrong. How embarrasing.:D

[Rob Luter]

Before you peddle the other #4, you may consider having one set up for taking very fine cuts and the other set up for taking thicker cuts. One could also be set up with a slight bevel on the front of the blade to change the effective pitch to a steeper angle.

Finally, even if they are set up the same, it may be handy to have a second plane so if one blade gets dull, you are good to go with the second plane.

You can always sell it or trade it later. But once it is gone, it is gone forever.

jim


I have a pair of #3 that I intended to use with different setups but I rarely use the second one. I think the same will hold true of a pair of #4. I might try the high angle thing just for grins, but for smoothing I usually use my #4 1/2 or my LV LA Jack instead of the #4. Now if I could just find a second 4 1/2.................:D

[Anthony Fields]

A very nice find and well worth the $20.00 and time to clean it up.

Now, do what it was intended for, use it...:) I want a #3 just for kicks of course...;)