Casting oddity on Stanley 5-1/2 plane

[Bill_Houghton]

I picked up a rather raggedy Stanley 5-1/2 at an estate sale this summer.  It's a Type 11 (just before Sweetheart era); at that time, the 5-1/2 had a 2-1/4" cutting iron (as best I can tell, the only bench plane Stanley made with that width of iron).  I finally got around to cleaning it up this week, and found this interesting:

It appears two different patternmakers had different ideas about how to ensure that no one accidentally put parts from a No. 5-1/2 on a No. 4-1/2, 6 or 7.  The one making the frog thought marking it with the model number was the way to go; the patternmaker working on the lever cap thought cutting iron width was better.

I originally thought I'd put it up for sale, never quite having understood why the 5-1/2 when there's the 5 and the 6; but this plane suffered some damage that would affect its market value.  Apparently, it ran, hard, into a wall at some point, leading to scallops on the leading corners of each side:

So I guess I'll hold on to it and see if it earns a place in the shop.

[JimReed@Tallahassee]

I have quite a few 5 1/2s but never reach for them when I am working. At that size, the #7 is my go to guy. I guess to understand the reason for the #5 1/2, we need to look at the family.
4 1/2 at 10 inches long
5 1/2 at 15 inches long
6       at 18 inches long
7       at 22 inches long

Seems like the STW thought a jump from 10 inches to 18 inches was just too much of a leap.

[JimReed@Tallahassee]

More thoughts on the 5 1/2. I think it was a carpenter's plane. The #6 and #7 are too big to carry daily to the jobsite. Carpenters at the time rode streetcars, walked, etc. The 5 1/2 is a great size for portablilty and is also large enough to get most big jobs done.

[Admiral]

Well, the #5 is only an inch shorter. I admit, I tend to grab a #6 over a 5 1/2, but it has its place.

[tshiker]

One of my 5 1/2's has the same combo so i'm not so sure it's too unique. My other, older 5 1/2 that has no frog adjusting screw doesn't.

[Bill_Houghton]

One of my 5 1/2's has the same combo so i'm not so sure it's too unique. My other, older 5 1/2 that has no frog adjusting screw doesn't.

I didn't think it was necessarily unique - hundreds of thousands of those parts were no doubt produced - so much as entertaining that two different approaches were taken on the parts, rather than one consistent one.

[Tony Z]

Over a dcade ago, I had a yearning for a 5-1/2 and bought one from Patrick Leach. It is in nearly new condition, though I don't remember the type, and has not been out of the tool chest in at least several years.

For some reason, my jointer is my favorite plane, the to a variety of smoothers along with a LN low angle jack.

[Admiral]

More thoughts on the 5 1/2. I think it was a carpenter's plane. The #6 and #7 are too big to carry daily to the jobsite. Carpenters at the time rode streetcars, walked, etc. The 5 1/2 is a great size for portablilty and is also large enough to get most big jobs done.

Giving this some more thought, I remember reading somewhere that the 5 1/2 was Stanley's nod to the infill panel planes out of England, wider iron, more mass than the jack and about the same size.  Don't know how true this is but it makes sense.

[EricU]

Lowes was blowing out Record planes about 20 years ago, and I bought a 5 1/2.  Not sure why, never even sharpened the blade.

I was wondering if the idea the patternmaker had was that the blade might be used in more than one plane. So the cap iron should have generic markings.