Got a 'new' handplane or two

[Alasdair]

Clearing out the workshop I came across a couple of handplanes, both heavily encrusted in dirt and rust and seized solid. So the tidy up got stopped and I got sidetracked. To late into the cleaning up did I think to take pictures so I'll just leave the ones I've taken of what's been done so far. Both are infil planes and I as far as I can tell one is a Spiers of Ayr circa 1890 the other a Mathieson around 1910 but I could be wrong on both counts. To be honest the dates don't matter too much as these are lovely planes to use.

 

[TrimTheKing]

Very nice mate. Do they work well?

 

[Alasdair]

The brass Spiers one is really nice, they both are. However, the steel plane has heavy pitting on the sole which I may take to a machine shop to have skimmed as it isn't as smooth as it could be also the brass screw holding the iron is, I feel, about to break and the irons on both are again heavily pitted to the stage I think they need replaced. Saying that they are both nicely weighted and comfortable to use so possibly just new irons and stop there.

 

[TrimTheKing]

Cool. You going to refurb them into users?

 

[Trevanion]

I wish I could just "find" something like that in my workshop

I'm not so sure about skimming the sole of the plane, unless it's been altered these planes should have a pretty fine mouth opening when the is blade inserted for taking very fine shavings. Skimming any amount from the sole would ruin this mouth opening, as well as nuke the value of the tool to collectors (less important if you don't want to sell it eventually).

 

[novocaine]

Dont skim the sole,it isn't needed and you could ruin what us a fantastic plane by doing it.

 

[Alasdair]

 

[Alasdair]

I wish I could just "find" something like that in my workshop

This is the pile that I've stated sorting through

 

[Trevanion]

The putting isn’t great but so long as it doesn’t affect the front of the mouth it’s actual effect on the usability of the hand plane is negligible.

I’d personally sell the planes but a more skilled individual than I would likely pull out the infills and scrub and boil the sole a few times in water to convert the rust into an inert oxide so that it’s not eating the plane either on the sole or underneath the infills which is likely.

 

[Alasdair]

I toyed with that idea but settled on cleaning instead. Like you say some skill needed there and I don't feel anywhere near that level.

 

[AndyT]

I too am intrigued by the idea of a workshop where you can just find such valuable and useful tools!

Your shelves look well worth a good sort through. There's what looks like another infill on the left hand end of the third shelf down.

I've no idea of your level of experience so excuse me if I'm telling you how to suck eggs, but please don't be misled by some of the YouTube tool restorers who take away every sign of age and produce something that looks fresh from a factory.

Many old planes need little more than a wipe over to remove dirt, a tickle with a small wire brush to remove rust and a good sharpen. If you want more detailed information, the Notes section at https://taths.org.uk is worth a look.

 

[Alasdair]

I just typed out a really long and detailed reply to this and then everything crashed and I lost it

 

[Alasdair]

Short story is that the shop was where I worked with my dad for 25 years. It started as a 3 storey village joiners shop which after I left dad to work elsewhere he converted two floors into a house for him and mum and condensed the rest into a workshop. My dad worked here from the age of 15 in the late 50's till he passed away 8 years ago. I have moved back to the area following the break up of my marriage at the start of 2020 and have come back to the workshop. 6 months ago I got in a 30 cubic yard skip and emptied some of the rubbish out and have now started sorting through the rest. Dad never really altered the place much it was built around 1900 as a joiners shop, benches are original as is the brick floor but one thing dad did do is pull out the machinery I served my apprenticeship on which was installed 2nd hand in 1920

 

[Chris101]

:text-goodpost:
Interesting workshop! Look forward to any updates you might post. Moulding planes seem to have gone up in price in the last few years although I'm about as far from expert as possible. I'd be quite careful about how you treat some of those tools if you don't mind me saying. You may have a few gems in there to collectors possibly, who I believe like to handle any restorative work themselves?
Andy T has already spotted another infi... another lump of rust good for nowt best used as a doorstop. Post it to me Alisdair. I'm going down the scrappy next weekend anyway so I'll do you a favour... etc etc.

 

[Trevanion]

Dad never really altered the place much it was built around 1900 as a joiners shop, benches are original as is the brick floor but one thing dad did do is pull out the machinery I served my apprenticeship on which was installed 2nd hand in 1920

Would've loved to have seen them, being secondhand in 1920 must've made them pretty old!

 

[Alasdair]

They were great to work with, we had 2 24" wide bed thickness/surface planers 1 was old and sat upstairs in the workshop ran from a 3ph motor mounted on the ceiling downstairs and powered by belts and pulleys the other sat near it but was more a 60's/70's machine (still have it but its not working, yet). Upstairs also housed the White spindle moulder (still got that too and working on getting it running just now), we also had a solid chisel mortice machine very similar to the FEC hand mortice in this leaflet.

Downstairs was where we had the other machinery again powered by a single 3ph motor which drove a system of belts & pulleys to turn on a machine you moved a lever to move the belt. That one motor and system of belts ran a 22" table saw, 12" surface planer, 36" lathe, horizontal drill press and 12" bandsaw. It was great to use but not sustainable in a working shop.

 

[Trevanion]

Downstairs was where we had the other machinery again powered by a single 3ph motor which drove a system of belts & pulleys to turn on a machine you moved a lever to move the belt.

I didn't think there was anyone left alive in Britain that had ever actually worked in a workshop that used that kind of line shaft set up with all the belts flopping around!

Very interesting!

 

[AndyT]

I didn't think there was anyone left alive in Britain that had ever actually worked in a workshop that used that kind of line shaft set up with all the belts flopping around!

Very interesting!

When things get back to normal, you need to come and visit the docks maintenance workshop at the Underfall Yard in Bristol.

Dating back to the 1880s, it had everything needed to maintain Bristol Docks' machinery, pumps, cranes, gates etc.
The heart of it has a planing machine made by Whitworth, drilling machines, lathes etc, all worked by lineshafts from a steam engine. There is some newer kit from the 70s alongside it. Uniquely, the workshop is still used for real work, though the older machinery is now looked after by a bunch of volunteers. They have got the lineshafts working again and in normal times you can see it in action.

http://www.underfallyard.co.uk/2019/12/ ... ion-tours/

Some of the staff on the paid side have worked there for quite a long time, and if they don't quite remember using it, they nearly do!

 

[Alasdair]

I didn't think there was anyone left alive in Britain that had ever actually worked in a workshop that used that kind of line shaft set up with all the belts flopping around!

Very interesting!

When things get back to normal, you need to come and visit the docks maintenance workshop at the Underfall Yard in Bristol.

Dating back to the 1880s, it had everything needed to maintain Bristol Docks' machinery, pumps, cranes, gates etc.
The heart of it has a planing machine made by Whitworth, drilling machines, lathes etc, all worked by lineshafts from a steam engine. There is some newer kit from the 70s alongside it. Uniquely, the workshop is still used for real work, though the older machinery is now looked after by a bunch of volunteers. They have got the lineshafts working again and in normal times you can see it in action.

http://www.underfallyard.co.uk/2019/12/ ... ion-tours/

Some of the staff on the paid side have worked there for quite a long time, and if they don't quite remember using it, they nearly do!

That would be great I spent years on those machines filling oil bottles and fixing broken belts, I was sorry to s them go.

 

[AndyT]

I found some of my own photos from past visits.

 

[Alasdair]

Wow stuff we had was not as big as any of that

 

[Lons]

I love the 2 infill planes Alasdair, especially the bottom one, lucky guy I'm green with envy. :mrgreen:

By coincidence I've aquired a few over a number of years all in very poor condition and they've been stuck in boxes on a shelf. Up until Christmas I had a no 4 and no 5 which I've had as long as I remember and in good working condition but in the last few weeks I've been cleaning up most of the old ones and with the No 78 just done today I'm up to 10 all nicely cleaned, sharpened and usable, they seem to be breeding like rabbits. :?

The 078 has a chunk broken off the handle so I'll have to have a go with some epoxy putty or JB Weld

 

[Trevanion]

I found some of my own photos from past visits.

Gah, why couldn't we have great industrial heritage like this here in the west? Nooo.... Our heritage has to be sheep, coastal murders and being so stuck in the past that we still celebrate the Julian New Year...

 

[MartinF]

Off topic but, regarding Andy T’s mention of Bristol’s Underfall Yard, if anyone is interested, during January and February, there will be live virtual tours of the Underfall Yard organised by the charitable Underfall Yard Trust. The free virtual tours are said to be of interest to all interested in history, boats or old machinery. To quote from an e-mail I received:

“The tours enable you to explore the Victorian buildings on Bristol’s Harbourside and discover the elegant Georgian engineering that created the Floating Harbour and continues to perform an essential (and largely hidden) role in water management and flood prevention.

The next virtual tours are on:

• Tuesday 2nd February, 11am-2pm
• Thursday 11th February, 11am-12pm
• Saturday 20th February, 2-3pm
• Wednesday 24th February, 11am-12pm

These tours are all free, however, donations will be gratefully received via the Underfall Yard Trust’s Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/theunderfallyardtrust
To book a place on one of the tours click on the link below to register, then you will be emailed a link to access the tour.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tour-of- ... 4646032909

Also for further info and some pictures:

https://bristolmum.com/2020/12/30/free- ... ull-swing/ “

Now back to the topic.

 

[AndyT]

Martin, good call on the virtual tour. Well worth a look, either because you can't visit in person, or to persuade you to visit when you can.
Trevanion, re Welsh industry, I'll start a new thread to avoid any further topic drift away from the ever-interesting topic of old planes. Alasdair, I reckon you have the planes for sash work there, including a counter-check plane on the top shelf, which I believe was a distinctively Scottish speciality, seldom seen elsewhere.

 

[Dovetaildave]

And I thought i was the only one who spotted the golden aura on the lower shelf !


Peaked my curiosity with the "Counter-check wood plane"...............googled cant find much on it.....*bay one going for $73, and looks like blade sharp on three edges ! ? :?: