Plow plane (here I go again..)

[steven c newman]

Road Trip today. Picked up a plow plane, for about $13.50+ sales tax. Missing the cutter. Settings are controled by wedges. Seems to have been from "Cinc. OH." Unable to read the rest of the name, though. IMAG0009.jpglooks like the cutter might be a 1/4" or smallerIMAG0010.jpgIMAG0011.jpgSomeone had lathered on the varnish. Might ake awhile to clean things up/off. Question being: Good source for a cutter? I can make a new wedge for it. Intention is to set this up for 3/4" thick stock, and set it there. Maybe a 1/4" groover? Iron skate will take a bit of clean-up....

[Jim Koepke]

How wide is the wedge mortise?

This is a bit different than most I have seen.

Here is a post with an image of the kind of blades most plow planes from the 18th & 19th century used:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...53#post2178853

I think most of the plow planes could handle blades up to 1/2 or 5/8". It depends on how wide the mortise is for the wedge.

jtk

[steven c newman]

Mortise is 1/4" wide, all the way through. may have been a single purpose plow? Fine with me, saves my 1/4" router bits....

[Ron D Davis]

Sounds like a good deal to me, I can not for the life of me find tools locally. Good Luck with the new tool.

[Tom M King]

Irons insert from the bottom up, so the tops will fit in the mortise, and the bottom can be wider. You can always find irons individually, or in sets, on ebay.

[lowell holmes]

Take it from someone that has tried to marry a set of Ebay irons to an old wooden plow plane.

It is difficult if not nearly impossible to do successfully. The skate and the ramp in the body must be absolutely aligned.

The wedge shape of the irons must also be compatible with the skate and the ramp. The v groove in the underside of the iron must also be compatible with all of the above. Sometimes the v groove is not parallel with the the surface on the iron.

It can be done (I guess), but (in my experience) it is not straight forward.

[steven c newman]

I guess I could make an iron for this. Finally starting to see a name of sorts on the end. "G_ _ ROSEBOOM" of CINC.O

Ring a bell?

Got the fence off (FINALLY) to find that wedges are shaped a bit.....different. They start narrow back at the head of the wedge, then taper wider? To loosen, one would have to hit the head and drive the wedge in? To tighten, just hit the other end.

Tearing it down, have a LOT of varnish to remove. Ain't patina, it is varnish to "preserve" it. LOTS of it. Everywhere!

Will try to widen the screw slots a bit, and clean them out. Then try to get the skate off. Then I can check to see just how pitted it is.

Have an old chisel that might be long enough. Were these bevel up, or bevel down? What angle does the edge need to be? I can see where the "V"groove is to go, as the rear skate has a > on the end.

This is going to be fun....

[Jim Koepke]

Got the fence off (FINALLY) to find that wedges are shaped a bit.....different. They start narrow back at the head of the wedge, then taper wider? To loosen, one would have to hit the head and drive the wedge in? To tighten, just hit the other end.

This is common with old plow planes. This keeps the wedges from getting lost or falling out when loose.

Most likely a bevel down plane. With a bevel up, it would impact the edge with the "V" slot.

jtk

[steven c newman]

Try again. Found a H-F 1/4" chisel. Got the plastic handle off and ground the rest to match the chisel. Seems to fit, just need the dremel to cut the v groove on the backsideDSCF0043 (800x600).jpgDSCF0038 (800x600).jpgDSCF0040 (800x600).jpgAlso had to take my Wards #78 and clean up the bed a bit. Highly worn in front of the iron. Got it flat and straight. DSCF0042 (800x600) (2).jpgNow< jus cut a v groove in the back of the iron, and make a new edge for it. Skate will be next, a VERY RUSTY skate, at thatDSCF0041 (800x600).jpgMaybe those screws will come out???

[Pat Barry]

... Finally starting to see a name of sorts on the end. "G_ _ ROSEBOOM" of CINC.O

Ring a bell?

I think that is likely Gus Roseboom. I believe Gus was a well known west Pennsylvania Amish tool maker. I think I recall his full name was Gustavus. Turn of the century thru early depression era.

[steven c newman]

Thank you, Pat!

[David Weaver]

For cincinnati, the book American Wood Planes has G&WH Roseboom as Garrett and William Roseboom around 1860. There is a G. Roseboom (just garrett), but it looks like your mark has more characters than that.

I can't tell how wide the wedge is, but you probably won't find a standard plow iron that fits it. I'd study the level of curvature (or lack of) and probably cut and file one out of O1 stock to match what's needed, but if you dont' have O1 stock, you can try the chisel instead but the plane deserves a decent iron matched to it and the ability to file or chisels the skate groove appropriately.

[Joe Bailey]

I personally would advise against trying to take that skate off.

[steven c newman]

Reason being??

[Derek Cohen]

This is common with old plow planes. This keeps the wedges from getting lost or falling out when loose...
jtk

One could glue the wedge in - that would also prevent it coming loose and getting lost.

Interesting that the mortice is 1/4" wide. Typically, this is 5/8" for all the blades, with the rear remaining 5/8" and the blade section narrowing progressively from 5/8" down to 1/8".

If you are serious about a plough plane, look for a traditional design that uses traditional blades. Save this one for the mantle. And glue the wedge in before you lose it!

Regards from Perth

Derek