Question about identifying a plane

[Larry Feltner]

I have an old plane that was my grandfathers and it looks kind of like a Stanley but its not, at least I don't think it is. Its about 7 3/4 inches long and 2 inches wide. It says made in the USA on the steel in front of the wooden handle. The handle has an old label that is almost worn off so the letters are not clear. The letters are red. The first looks like a D but the top part is missing so it could be a U or perhaps even an O. The second almost surely is an L. The middle letter could be almost anything. The fourth is an O and the fifth an N. I just can't figure out what it is. If I can I might try to include a picture of it and maybe that will help. Since it was my grandfathers I just want to figure what it is and maybe restore it if its a good plane. Either way I want to hang on to it. Does anyone have any ideas what brand it could be?

[Johnny Kleso]

I'm guessing there is no name on the blade???
Some times it is hide by rust and if you scratch it with a razor it will show it self..

Any casting marks like letter cast under the lever cap or handles??

The two comanies Stanley used left either a S or a B

[David Keller NC]

There were several companies competing with Stanley early in the 20th century for bailey-style planes after Stanley's patents ran out. Some of the bigger ones were Ohio tool, Miller's Falls, and Sargent. Record also made Stanely copies in the UK that found their way over here. There were many smaller competitors in the late 19th century that are possibilities, including Davis Level and Tool.

Stanley also made a great deal of planes that were marketed under various other brands, including Craftsman.

The most likely possibility is that your Grandfather's plane was a common one, and not worth all that much (except to you as sentimental value), but there is a small chance that it is one of the rarer 19th century planes like Steer's patent and Davis Level and Tool. I'd be very cautious about cleaning/restoring it until you know for sure - some of the 19th century makes are highly collectible and go for a fair bit of money (and in some cases, a huge amount of money) at auctions if they're unmolested.

[Bill Houghton]

There was a Union Tool Company - I don't know much about it, but the length of the name is about right.

[scott spencer]

I think Dunlap and/or Dunbar also made planes.

[Johnny Kleso]

Scott,
If you you got it.. Dunlap!
They made machine tools like lathes and TS for Sears when Craftsman still ment quality tools.

[Larry Feltner]

Thanks for the responses. Here is a picture of the plane. I'm not sure it will help that much but its worth a try. I couldn't get a good shot of label.

[Jim Koepke]

One of the things to help identify a plane is the way the lateral adjustment lever is made.

Stanley had a small fin mortised into the main lever.

Sargent had a folded over end like an upside down U.

Union had a twist.

Miller Falls had a bent over tab.

Not sure about any others, here is the site where there are some pix.

http://www.brasscityrecords.com/toolworks/graphics/plane%20id.html

jim

[Larry Feltner]

Jim, thanks for the link. My plane looked just like the Sargent. After looking at the link I was determined to tear it apart and see if I could find some distinguishing mark. It was difficult to find with all patina but I finally found it on the top of the blade. Its a Fulton. My understanding is that Fulton is a low end plane so it might not be worth refurbishing but since it was my grandfathers it is definitely worth keeping. Does anyone know much about Fulton planes and whether fixing them up is worth the effort or should I visit a few antique store and flee markets and try to pick up something of higher quality. My grandfather was a carpenter and he also dabbled in woodworking. I have his table saw and some of his other tools. I'm just wondering what people would recommend as a good basic set of planes. Thanks

[Bill Houghton]

Clean it up. There's lots of different approaches - myself, I like hot water and an SOS pad, but others use mineral spirits, kerosene, etc.

Wax or oil relevant operating parts, including waxing the sole (note: use furniture wax, not car wax, which is said to contain fine abrasives).

Sharpen the iron.

Try it out.

If it doesn't work well, then it's a nice keepsake (wish I had more of my grandfather's tools than I do). If it does, then you're doubly blessed: a family heirloom that, every time you use it, will make you part of the making-things traditions of your family.

[David Keller NC]

Were it mine (and it were my Grandfather's), I would lightly clean it with a soft cloth a some furniture wax. The solvents in the wax will dissolve away some of the grime, but still leaving the plane looking old. Then I'd put it on the shelf for a hand-me-down to descendants, and buy an inexpensive Stanley that didn't have any personal signifigance. That way, if you one day accidentally push it off the bench and the casting breaks on the floor, you haven't lost a piece of your past.

[Bob Easton]

... I'm just wondering what people would recommend as a good basic set of planes. ...

The basic set:
A "jack" (from "Jack of All Trades), #5, medium length, used for all sorts of work.
A jointer, #7, a long plane, used for making boards flat and for jointing edges.
A smoother, #4 (or #3), rather short, used for smoothing surfaces.

Build from there:
A scrub, #40, for aggressive rough stock removal.
A try, #6, for more gentlemanly scrubbing.
A block, #60, very small, for all sorts of handy trimming tasks.

Then, on to the specialty planes for rabbeting, other joinery, and moldings.

The numbers are common Stanley numbers, which have been adopted by many plane makers. Today, you can find new Lee Valley and Lie-Nielsen planes using the same numbering scheme.

You can also learn more (maybe more than you want to know) at Patrick Leach's site about Stanley planes: http://supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan0a.html

If you haven't seen it yet, Al Navas recorded a session about bench planes at the recent Woodworking In America conference. Deneb Pulchalski, from Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, gives a good tutorial on bench plane basics. The audio is a bit difficult, but the session is well worth it if you can find an audio setting that's comfortable.

Find it at: http://sandal-woodsblog.com/2008/11/21/32-wia-bench-planes-with-deneb-puchalski/