suggestions for newbie with stanley 45 plow

Hey there handtoolers. I just picked up a Stanley 45 off ebay in decent condition with a few cutters with it. Can anyone suggest a good website, or maybe a book on 45 and 55 planes, their history, (how to tell how old it actually is vs. how old they said it was, and of course using it? I saw Roy Underhill with a similar one and had to have it. I've since learned since buying it that it isn't great with molding cutters, which is kindof a drag, but still amazingly useful! I just would like some hints--I know its missing a piece or two-the "knicker" I think its called? its a triangular shaped 1/2" wide or so? I have the basic idea but definitely lack skills... HELP!

Check out ALF's site for a variety of info on plow and combination planes.

Regarding the molding cutters. Keep in mind that you'll get the best results with those, or with a traditional molding plane, by insuring you're only using well behaved wood with straight grain.

michael, thanks so much for the site. I see hours of unproductive,....err well spent time reading and learning the history of my new purchase......

I bought a Wards Master 45 (produced by Stanley but branded for Montgomery Wards) this past Summer, and have had good luck using it as a plow and rabbet plane. The key to getting good results (for me, at least) has been to use a three step process:

1. Take a light cut to start with in order to establish a good, square cut.
2. Move the iron down a bit to hog down close to your finished depth a bit more quickly.
3. Finish with light passes to clean things up until the depth stop engages and things stop cutting.

If I try to start too aggressively, I have a tough time keeping the fence firmly engaged. If I take little teeny weenie shavings, cutting a rabbet takes forever (not that that's necessarily a bad thing... 45's are fun to play with. Sometimes I like to finish a project, though ;) ).

Two of the most important lessons I learned in using mine:

1. Check that the fence is parallel with the body of the plane. If yours has the fence with the fine adjustment - a thumbscrew at the center, front to back, of the fence body, on the side opposite the fence itself, with the fence mounted on rods that slide back and forth on the fence main body; and another thumbscrew at the front to clamp one of the rods - you can fine tune it to be parallel by moving the fence a bit on the fine adjustment and then pulling it parallel and tightening the front clamping thumbscrew.

2. Start at the far end of the board and plane a short run; back up a few inches and plane through to the end of the board; repeat until you're doing a full-length run. For reasons I don't fully understand, this will establish your cut better than starting from the near end of the board. Once you've done this, you can go to town planing.

Like all tools, it has a learning curve. Like all good tools, it will repay time spent learning how to use it.

Alf's site, mentioned earlier, has downloadable manuals. Another good source of information is the book "Planecraft," a reprint of a British book touting Record planes, which includes their clone of the 45. About $12 at Woodcraft, and well worth it.

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Originally Posted by Nathan Hawkes

Hey there handtoolers. I just picked up a Stanley 45 off ebay in decent condition with a few cutters with it. Can anyone suggest a good website, or maybe a book on 45 and 55 planes, their history, (how to tell how old it actually is vs. how old they said it was, and of course using it? I saw Roy Underhill with a similar one and had to have it. I've since learned since buying it that it isn't great with molding cutters, which is kindof a drag, but still amazingly useful! I just would like some hints--I know its missing a piece or two-the "knicker" I think its called? its a triangular shaped 1/2" wide or so? I have the basic idea but definitely lack skills... HELP!

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Cutting molding shapes with a #45 is actually pretty easy. You just have to make a separate cut for a bead and one right next to it for the flute to make an ogee. Check the Stanley tools site for plane parts. I was looking there the other night and they have beading blades and fluting blades listed again.

To tell the age of your plane would be easiest with pictures, but a simple time line goes something like this. Types 1-4 1884-1894 no adjuster for the blade and no rose wood on the fence. Type 5 1895 had the first adjuster, still no wood on the fence. Type 6 1896 rosewood fence. Up through this time, all of the #45s had a wooden knob on the front of the main casting. All of them used rods that threaded into the main casting.

Type 7 1896 is the most prolific of all the #45s. It retains the "floral motif" on the main casting, but there are some major changes. The rods are now held in to the main casting with screws from the top of the casting. The depth adjuster now has a threaded system for setting. The knob now sits on the top of the front end of the fence and is usually missing. The distinguishing mark between the type 7, 8 & 9 is the fence. The type 7 has 45 inside of an oval. the type 8 says Trade 45 Mark on the fence and still has more of a leaf pattern on the fence arms. The type 9 has no pattern on the fence arms. The type 10 looses the floral pattern on the main casting. The type 11 is the first one to have a micro adjustable fence. The early type 11 had the locking screw above the adjustment screw and is undesirable except to a collector who wants one to fill a collection. I believe the type 11 is where the casting was changed above the blade locking bolt to add a hump. That was the last major change about 1911. After that, most of the difference is in the logo stamped on the back right hand side of the skate.

Here is a bit more information with pictures:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...76704#poststop

Jon and Bill mention some good tips to avoid frustration. Remember, you do not have a sole on the bottom of this plane to help guide it in a single plane. Go slow and be deliberate when you set the plane on the work to line it up, then make a smooth steady stroke. Don't plan on building a copy of an 18th century master piece with it as your first project to try it out. You also need to make sure the fence is parallel to the skates. It should also be at right angles to the plane defined by the skates. Then, keeping the fence square to the edge of the wood should help to keep the skates true to their task.

Your blades are likely dull, or they were never really sharp. Get the back smooth first. Then if they are straight plow blades, hone the bevel. Beading blades have a bevel at the sides than needs sharpening. The skates have to ride in the "shadow" of these bevels or they will drag on the sides or the bead. You will need a slip stone to sharpen the curve of the bead cutters. Fine sand paper on a dowel can work.

Have fun with the toy, they can do a lot of things. Just don't try to make a bead all in one pass.

jim

Roger Nixon's Traditional tools website has manuals for several different planes available.
http://traditionaltools.us/cms/index...viewforum&f=11

The first Stanley 55 plane I acquired is so old, these are the original instructions that came with it, maybe that is why they were not very popular to begin with.

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Originally Posted by harry strasil

The first Stanley 55 plane I acquired is so old, these are the original instructions that came with it, maybe that is why they were not very popular to begin with.

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The thing that bugs me is trying to remember the cutter numbers for the standard shaped cutters. Some of them are even numbers and some are odd. If all the standards were even or odd, it would be a lot easier to figure out if you wanted to buy on at a flea market, yard sale or on line auction.

jim

there is a fella by the name of Dave Heckle I believe who is a member of MWTCA that has reproduced 45 instructions for the different types shown in the type study in the back of John Walters book, and he also has some parts for sale, I got the instructions and a couple of the thumb screws for my type 2 45 from him.

There was an auction a long time ago that had the other 4 boxes of cutters for the 55, boxes, 5 thru 8, but they started them at $1k and eventually they got $4.5K out of them, they were mostly unused and the green lables were pristine. to rich for my blood.

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Originally Posted by harry strasil

There was an auction a long time ago that had the other 4 boxes of cutters for the 55, boxes, 5 thru 8, but they started them at $1k and eventually they got $4.5K out of them, they were mostly unused and the green lables were pristine. to rich for my blood.

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Yes, they do go for a high price.
I have dreams of some day stumbling on a set for a song.

Actually got lucky and got half the set, 2 boxes without the boxes, when buying a couple of #45s.

Saw a set of the #55 extra cutters disappear real fast on eBay when someone had them with a "Buy it Now" price at $680.
They didn't even last long enough for me to beg the wife to let me buy them.

jim

I bought my first 55 for $400 in Greensburg, In. It was in a handmade box, but I got the original box sans lid and one complete set of cutters 1-4, and a few short of another set 1-4 all in their original boxes. I was offered $125 for the box as I was leaving the steam show grounds, then my wife realized I was not crazy. LOL We had taken our grandson back to his mom and were then going to willyberg, and I got to see the Seaton Chest which was on display, but at that time I had no idea how important it was.

Then when my kids gave me another 55 sans cutters, I had a set for it too. gloat, gloat

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I was offered $125 for the box as I was leaving the steam show grounds, then my wife realized I was not crazy

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Doncha just love those moments?

I have also bought a few things from Dave Heckle including a couple copies of his #45 book so I could give one to a friend.

jim

Your choice of stock is important, even for practice. If you just throw a piece of scrap something on the bench you'll probably become frustrated very quickly. Choose straight grained wood, and pay attention to any grain run out. All the other advice here is spot on in my experience. Have fun. I used the 45 to make these beads.http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=36250