02-28-2017, 04:43 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-07-2017, 10:34 PM by Bill_Houghton.)
This ad's left here for anyone doing future research on what planes sold for.
Millers-Falls No. 14 (size of Stanley No. 5 jack plane) - $20 plus shipping. SOLD at asking price.
As best I can tell, this is a Type 3, made from 1941-49. As you can see from the photos, the tote and knob need some loving attention (note, now that picture's gone: the horn on the tote was broken off and the finish on the knob was pretty ratty), and the plating on the lever cap has suffered; thus the lower price. This has the Millers-Falls two-piece lever cap, which applies pressure in three places on the iron and chipbreaker; many people consider Millers Falls planes superior to Stanley, at least partly based upon this lever cap. I could get an 0.002" feeler gauge but not an 0.004" gauge under the straightedge from about halfway behind the mouth back to the heel of the plane. 2" of iron remains from slot to edge. Iron has been ground and honed without camber, ready for you to hone to your needs.
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Stanley No. 4 - $40 - SOLD for asking price.
Stanley No. 5-1/2 - $50 - SOLD for asking price.
Early Craftsman No. 6 size (Sargent made, I think) - $35 - SOLD for asking price.
The Details:
Stanley No. 4: As best I can tell, this is a Type 7, which would date it to 1893-1899. The frog on a Type 7 does not touch the sole right at the mouth, and I was concerned about whether it would chatter; but I was able to get a baby-butt smooth surface on a piece of maple. I could get an 0.002" feeler gauge, but not an 0.004" gauge under the straightedge at the front of the sole. 1-13/16" of iron left from slot to edge.
Stanley 5-1/2: This is a Type 17 plane, produced during World War II - distinguished by a hard rubber depth adjusting knob. Some folks like the Type 17 planes for their heavier castings; and this type was introduced just two years after Stanley started producing the 5-1/2 with the wider (2-3/8") iron used on the Nos. 4-1/2, 6, and 7. If you need/decide on an aftermarket iron for this plane, it will be easier to find one than with an older 5-1/2. The tote and knob on this are some indeterminate light hardwood. They're both intact, but the finish is kind of ragged. I could get an 0.002" feeler gauge but not an 0.004" gauge under the straightedge for about the first 1" of the front of the sole. 2-1/8" of iron remains from slot to edge.
Craftsman No. 6 size plane: Based on the shape of the lateral adjuster lever, I believe this was made by Sargent. I have a similar No. 6, a gift from a friend years ago, and it's been a good plane. In the early years of the Craftsman line (1927 to the early 30s), the logo was a nifty swoopy "Craftsman." This plane has that on the iron, but in two places (on the body in front of the mouth and on the lever cap) there's a plain, blocky "CRAFTSMAN." I'm not sure what that says about its age, but I suspect it was made in the early 30s. The body is hefty, and the casting is particularly thick right where the frog rests on the body behind the mouth; unfortunately, the casting there was machined at an angle slightly off 45 degrees, so it's necessary to set the frog a hair forward to avoid the iron binding on the body. There's a slight casting flaw down in one of the corrugations, toward the back of the sole. The tote and knob are solid, again of some indeterminate light-colored hardwood, and the finish is a bit scuffed and scratched through on one side of the tote. I could get an 0.002" feeler gauge under the straightedge from the toe to about halfway to the mouth, and an 0.004" gauge under it from the toe back about 2". 2-1/8" of iron remains from slot to edge.
Millers-Falls No. 14 (size of Stanley No. 5 jack plane) - $20 plus shipping. SOLD at asking price.
As best I can tell, this is a Type 3, made from 1941-49. As you can see from the photos, the tote and knob need some loving attention (note, now that picture's gone: the horn on the tote was broken off and the finish on the knob was pretty ratty), and the plating on the lever cap has suffered; thus the lower price. This has the Millers-Falls two-piece lever cap, which applies pressure in three places on the iron and chipbreaker; many people consider Millers Falls planes superior to Stanley, at least partly based upon this lever cap. I could get an 0.002" feeler gauge but not an 0.004" gauge under the straightedge from about halfway behind the mouth back to the heel of the plane. 2" of iron remains from slot to edge. Iron has been ground and honed without camber, ready for you to hone to your needs.
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Stanley No. 4 - $40 - SOLD for asking price.
Stanley No. 5-1/2 - $50 - SOLD for asking price.
Early Craftsman No. 6 size (Sargent made, I think) - $35 - SOLD for asking price.
The Details:
Stanley No. 4: As best I can tell, this is a Type 7, which would date it to 1893-1899. The frog on a Type 7 does not touch the sole right at the mouth, and I was concerned about whether it would chatter; but I was able to get a baby-butt smooth surface on a piece of maple. I could get an 0.002" feeler gauge, but not an 0.004" gauge under the straightedge at the front of the sole. 1-13/16" of iron left from slot to edge.
Stanley 5-1/2: This is a Type 17 plane, produced during World War II - distinguished by a hard rubber depth adjusting knob. Some folks like the Type 17 planes for their heavier castings; and this type was introduced just two years after Stanley started producing the 5-1/2 with the wider (2-3/8") iron used on the Nos. 4-1/2, 6, and 7. If you need/decide on an aftermarket iron for this plane, it will be easier to find one than with an older 5-1/2. The tote and knob on this are some indeterminate light hardwood. They're both intact, but the finish is kind of ragged. I could get an 0.002" feeler gauge but not an 0.004" gauge under the straightedge for about the first 1" of the front of the sole. 2-1/8" of iron remains from slot to edge.
Craftsman No. 6 size plane: Based on the shape of the lateral adjuster lever, I believe this was made by Sargent. I have a similar No. 6, a gift from a friend years ago, and it's been a good plane. In the early years of the Craftsman line (1927 to the early 30s), the logo was a nifty swoopy "Craftsman." This plane has that on the iron, but in two places (on the body in front of the mouth and on the lever cap) there's a plain, blocky "CRAFTSMAN." I'm not sure what that says about its age, but I suspect it was made in the early 30s. The body is hefty, and the casting is particularly thick right where the frog rests on the body behind the mouth; unfortunately, the casting there was machined at an angle slightly off 45 degrees, so it's necessary to set the frog a hair forward to avoid the iron binding on the body. There's a slight casting flaw down in one of the corrugations, toward the back of the sole. The tote and knob are solid, again of some indeterminate light-colored hardwood, and the finish is a bit scuffed and scratched through on one side of the tote. I could get an 0.002" feeler gauge under the straightedge from the toe to about halfway to the mouth, and an 0.004" gauge under it from the toe back about 2". 2-1/8" of iron remains from slot to edge.