RVA Posted February 13 Author Report Share Posted February 13 4 hours ago, henrim said: Fascinating stuff. That twisted adjuster is a brilliant design, in terms of cost-effectiveness. Simple to make and uses only one piece of material. Not the most elegant solution but does the job just fine. Could it be that they reverted to a simple and cost efficient design during the war time? Don't know, but there is a whole page about lateral adjusters here: https://www.timetestedtools.net/2016/01/26/quickly-identify-your-hand-plane/ Excellent find. I don't think mine is a wartime build. I think they lacked a brass adjustment knob and rosewood totes. I am almost certain my totes are rosewood and it has a brass knob and tote caps. I think they went to steel for many of the brass parts during the war and used a different wood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrim Posted February 15 Report Share Posted February 15 This appeared in my feed and I found it interesting. Total overkill for a hand plane sole but I’m a sucker for hand scraping metal. A skill I hope to master someday. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professor Woozle Posted February 16 Report Share Posted February 16 You've got to admire his dedication, but I can't help thinking abrasive paste on a sheet of glass would do the job just as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrim Posted February 16 Report Share Posted February 16 10 minutes ago, Professor Woozle said: You've got to admire his dedication, but I can't help thinking abrasive paste on a sheet of glass would do the job just as well! Yes, like said a total overkill for a plane sole but this technique is still valid today for machine beds and other surfaces that need high accuracy. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted February 17 Report Share Posted February 17 9 hours ago, henrim said: Yes, like said a total overkill for a plane sole but this technique is still valid today for machine beds and other surfaces that need high accuracy. Not to mention that a Made in England Stanley is a cheap practising platform. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVA Posted February 18 Author Report Share Posted February 18 (edited) The Stanley is done. Please do not judge this as a restoration. I already got carried away by lapping the bottom flat except for a .001" gap behind the mouth, and being dissatisfied this it did not look machine clean. I coated the wood with 3 coats of Tru-Oil and buffed it out with Maguire's fine cut cleaner and then swirl remover using a Milwaukee M12 polisher/buffer. The only thing left to do is sharpen the blade Edited February 18 by RVA 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted February 18 Report Share Posted February 18 5 hours ago, RVA said: Please do not judge this as a restoration. It now looks like a tool and that's what I figured was the intention. After sharpening she'll serve you for decades to come! Personally I don't understand why you should make any working tool to look better than new and then put it on the shelf to gather dust, wearing cotton gloves so your fingertip sweat won't leave marks... That said I fully understand not using a reconditioned blade tool for removing semi-cured glue or other cleaning jobs but isn't that something such tools should never be used anyway? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrim Posted February 18 Report Share Posted February 18 Looking good. Just sharpen the blade and shave on! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVA Posted February 25 Author Report Share Posted February 25 The Sargent is ready for duty 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted February 25 Report Share Posted February 25 Nice job, looks like you concentrated more into getting a workhorse than a shiny decorative item on the shelf. The almost vertical two streaks on the sides look strange, I had to take another look to assure myself that it's not about a photo being reversed. Do you have any idea what has caused them? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVA Posted February 25 Author Report Share Posted February 25 3 hours ago, Bizman62 said: Nice job, looks like you concentrated more into getting a workhorse than a shiny decorative item on the shelf. The almost vertical two streaks on the sides look strange, I had to take another look to assure myself that it's not about a photo being reversed. Do you have any idea what has caused them? Thank you. Yes, those marks appeared after I took it out of the rust remover. They did not dissappear after the subsequent sanding with 320 grit. There was a similar line on the sole that did dissappear during the lapping process, so I assume they are faint scratches that I could sand out with a bit more effort, but as you said, I was not going for show piece. BTW, the metal on this Sargent is considerably softer than the Stanley. The sole gave up the metal much easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVA Posted February 28 Author Report Share Posted February 28 (edited) My dad parted with another vintage tool. I guess he was happy with my work on the others. The cap iron was repaired with a brass weld. This one is unlabeled except for Made in USA. I do believe it is a Stanley. The investigation begins! Edited February 28 by RVA 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 This might be of interest: https://www.lumberjocks.com/threads/hand-plane-with-no-name-any-idea-what-it-is.62377/ And further: https://timetestedtools.wordpress.com/2014/03/01/quickly-identify-your-hand-plane/ which has further links to brand specific identification. The links for other TimeTestedTools articles don't seem to work as such but using the title in their search engine may reveal interesting results. Plus there's lots more on their site. For the obscurities to potentially help identifying, the frog being held by just one screw seems to be rare. Also the depth adjuster screws being just knurled without grooves is something to look at. This Samson looks surprisingly similar for the details that are visible: https://www.etsy.com/fi-en/listing/1478851183/vintage-samson-8-inch-hand-plane-tool-do. Unfortunately I couldn't find any information about the Samson brand but the light grey paint, the Made In Usa behind the tote and an unbranded blade and no cast brand on the lever cap... What do you think? That said, if it really is a 'Samson', who is the actual maker? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVA Posted February 28 Author Report Share Posted February 28 1 hour ago, Bizman62 said: This might be of interest: https://www.lumberjocks.com/threads/hand-plane-with-no-name-any-idea-what-it-is.62377/ And further: https://timetestedtools.wordpress.com/2014/03/01/quickly-identify-your-hand-plane/ which has further links to brand specific identification. The links for other TimeTestedTools articles don't seem to work as such but using the title in their search engine may reveal interesting results. Plus there's lots more on their site. For the obscurities to potentially help identifying, the frog being held by just one screw seems to be rare. Also the depth adjuster screws being just knurled without grooves is something to look at. This Samson looks surprisingly similar for the details that are visible: https://www.etsy.com/fi-en/listing/1478851183/vintage-samson-8-inch-hand-plane-tool-do. Unfortunately I couldn't find any information about the Samson brand but the light grey paint, the Made In Usa behind the tote and an unbranded blade and no cast brand on the lever cap... What do you think? That said, if it really is a 'Samson', who is the actual maker? You are an amazing detective! I agree about the Samson similarities and will research the brand. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVA Posted February 28 Author Report Share Posted February 28 (edited) This was in the Etsy ad you posted. Nice find! The Samson Smoothing Plane #8 was manufactured by the Samson Tool Company in Kenosha, Wisconsin¹. The company was founded in 1902 and produced hand tools until 1949. Edited February 28 by RVA 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 Heh, I didn't read the full story, just looked at the pictures. Very little can be found about the company, though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrim Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 3 hours ago, Bizman62 said: Heh, I didn't read the full story, just looked at the pictures. Very little can be found about the company, though. Maybe their new CEO didn’t know a plane from a plane? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samson_Switchblade 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 3 minutes ago, henrim said: Maybe their new CEO didn’t know a plane from a plane? Plainly so. A plain plane could easily land on a plane plain, such a roadable aircraft even more so. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professor Woozle Posted March 2 Report Share Posted March 2 (edited) Hijacking this thread for a moment, ages ago I picked up an old block plane smoothing plane blade in a job lot of woodworking tools, found it again the other day and gave it a clean today, will resharpen it then fit it in the 12" block plane. As you can see from the make, it's too good to be left to rust... Edited March 2 by Professor Woozle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrim Posted March 2 Report Share Posted March 2 Maybe we should have a hand plane thread I don’t know much about British steel (apart from that Judas Priest album). How’s these? I have two of these try (jointer) plane blades from old wooden planes. I think I have used the other one long ago but can’t recall anything about it. I guess I should just sharpen them and find out but, if you guys know Sheffield steel, please tell. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVA Posted March 3 Author Report Share Posted March 3 52 minutes ago, henrim said: Maybe we should have a hand plane thread I don’t know much about British steel (apart from that Judas Priest album). How’s these? I have two of these try (jointer) plane blades from old wooden planes. I think I have used the other one long ago but can’t recall anything about it. I guess I should just sharpen them and find out but, if you guys know Sheffield steel, please tell. " ‘J Jowett, Royal Albion, Sheffield’. It is 2 1/8 wide. Jowett were recorded as manufacturers in Albion Street Sheffield in 1911 in Whites guide. So plane will be approx 100 years old." https://barrys-woodwork.blogspot.com/2012/12/ Sheffield Edge Tool makers.pdf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVA Posted March 3 Author Report Share Posted March 3 2 hours ago, Professor Woozle said: Hijacking this thread for a moment, ages ago I picked up an old block plane smoothing plane blade in a job lot of woodworking tools, found it again the other day and gave it a clean today, will resharpen it then fit it in the 12" block plane. As you can see from the make, it's too good to be left to rust... Very nice!! Hijack away! Please post your progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professor Woozle Posted March 3 Report Share Posted March 3 Old Sheffield tools tended to be made from crucible steel (hence the warranted cast steel stamp on my plane blade) which they made by first packing bars of best Swedish wrought iron into stone chests full of charcoal dust, sealing the top with a mixture of clay and grinding swarf then baking for an extended period, They then took these bars (known as blister steel), cut them up and melted them down in crucibles, and cast ingots out of it, hence the name crucible steel. It's a high-carbon steel (around 1.2% IIRC), and takes a damn good edge, though it doesn't hold its sharpness quite as well as modern alloy steels. As an aside, the vitrified cinder formed by the clay-swarf sealing is known locally as "crozzle" - Sheffielders still describe almost burnt bacon as "crozzled", though I couldn't say whether that was in usage before the steelmaking process or whether the name applied to the red-black cinder got attached to well-cooked bacon due to their similar appearance. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professor Woozle Posted March 4 Report Share Posted March 4 Also, there's the Hawley collection of Sheffield-made tools http://www.hawleytoolcollection.com/index.php?sheffield-tool=hawley-gallery, held at Kelham Island Museum in Sheffield - https://www.sheffieldmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/hawley-tool-collection/ - I've not had a proper look at the Hawley Trust's website but there's likely to be a lot of good information there. The museum is also well worth a visit, particularly when the River Don Engine is up and running! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVA Posted March 4 Author Report Share Posted March 4 On 2/25/2024 at 3:22 AM, Bizman62 said: The almost vertical two streaks on the sides look strange, I had to take another look to assure myself that it's not about a photo being reversed. Do you have any idea what has caused them? I figured out what those 2 vertical streaks were...partial submersion in Evapo-Rust, and then a flip to do the other half, so 2 marks. I decided to research it when it happened a second time with the Samson plane. They are not easy to get out, but it is possible. LKesson learned: do not partially submerge things in Evapo-Rust! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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