Old Stanley Block Plane

[Jim Koepke]

The old print shop where I found this plane is eventually going to be my new wood shop. So it will be nice to actually use this plane while working in the shop.

Many print shops used wooden spacers to aid in locking up the type in the chase (type holding frame). There were also wooden type and images (or cuts) which were often thin metal mounted on wood.

The plane may have been used for trimming printing components and not carpentry.

jtk

[J. Greg Jones]

Blades that have adjustment slots that go entirely through the blade, like the Veritas and Hock blades, will not work in a knuckle cap block plane. The lever cap cams to tighten on the top (bevel up) side of the blade, and if there are slots on that side, the cap levers on a slot and tries to drive the blade forward. You need a blade that has slots only cut on the back side of the blade. You can see the wear area on this old Stanley blade.

Edited to add, Jim, what is the width of your blade?

7948284F-17D7-4270-86F7-D3DA59444543.jpg

[Tom M King]

Great point! My lever cap planes still have the original irons, so I've never even paid any attention to that detail. The only replacement block plane iron I've ever bought was a Hock. It really is a nice iron, as far as cutting goes, but the square upper corners are a real pain in the palm.

[steven c newman]

I just might have a spare iron that will fit the No. 18....would need an address to mail it to....will let you know....when I am allowed to move around a wee bit better.


Hmmm...I just looked..have 2 such irons I don't need...one is a Craftsman logo, the other has the clipped box Stanley logo....both are 1-5/8" wide. The Stanley logo iron is actually the thicker of the 2..

[Jim Bennett]

"Edited to add, Jim, what is the width of your blade?"

The blade is 1-5/8".
Thanks for the tip on the blade slots, I had noticed the slots only were on the back side, unlike my new Stanley block plane, but I hadn't thought about why.

[Jim Bennett]

Many print shops used wooden spacers to aid in locking up the type in the chase (type holding frame). There were also wooden type and images (or cuts) which were often thin metal mounted on wood.

The plane may have been used for trimming printing components and not carpentry.

jtk

It makes a lot more sense that the plane was used for the printing equipment. Since the shop was in continuous operation since the 1920s, I believe it had about every iteration of printing equipment installed at one time or another.

[steven c newman]

Got to looking around, found a box...
Stanley Block Plane, label.JPG
Inside this box..
Stanley Block Plane, front view.JPG
This one might be a little newer than the OP's...
Stanley Block Plane, side view.JPG
Sole seems to be good enough for the work..
Stanley Block Plane, the sole.JPG


Now, about those irons..
Stanley Block Plane, irons, edges.JPG
View at the edge/bevel
Stanley Block Plane, logos.JPG
And the logos...
Stanley Block Plane, notches.JPG
And the all important notches....
Stanley Block Plane, wood box.JPG
Lid to the box can slide back shut, until this plane is needed, again...

[Jim Koepke]

This one might be a little newer than the OP's...

Yours has the first type of knuckle cap, Jim's has a later version.

The early design has a tendency to slip off at times.

If yours has a patent date on the mouth adjuster it is even older.

jtk