Hand Plane Mystery

[donald.woolley]

I have a plane that I have exhausted my information sources on, so I was hoping that someone else may have seen something like it. As far as I can tell, it started out as a pretty normal German-style wooden trying plane—about 22 inches long with a Goldenberg marked double iron about 2-3/8 wide. (Goldenberg et Cie was a tool maker in the Alsace Lorraine region.) It has a rather unusual diamond shaped strike button and the grain of the tote runs about 90 degrees off from what you would ordinarily expect, but all in all an average try plane.

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The sole has been replaced, but that is not that unusual either, though it tapers from 3/16” at the toe to ½” at the heel. The part that is confusing to me is that ½” thick caps have been added to the heel and toe, making it about 23 inches long. Then the top and both sides were covered in veneer. The end grain of the caps is covered by the veneer on the sides.

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I realize that this is a French-made, German-style wooden plane probably made over 100 years ago—but has anyone seen anything like these caps and veneer on a plane? Or at least hazard guesses as to why it was done? My best guess is that it was to hide the new sole.

 

[Bill Clemmons]

Donald, I'm definitely not an authority on old wooden body planes, although that's never kept me from voicing an opinion on anything. :gar-Bi

Anyway, to be more serious, you are right about this being a French made plane if it was made in Alsace Lorraine. That area was part of France until the late 1800's, when it was transferred to Germany as part of a treaty to end a war. But I'm not sure about the "German style". Most German planes I'm familiar w/ have a horn on the toe and a slightly rounded over heel to rest the back hand on. This appears to have an English style tote in the back.

I've seen the diamond shaped strike button on a few other planes, but never gave it much thought. I just assumed it was someone w/ too much time on their hands and wanted to impress his fellow craftsmen. :dontknow:

 

[donald.woolley]

I had originally thought the same about the tote, but apparently the horned planes are mostly jacks, smoothers and scrubs. I showed it to Roy Underhill a while back and while he had never seen anything veneered like this, he did note that the escape was cut in a German style. If you look at it in comparison with my Auburn jointer below, the cheeks do not have the curved chamfers (I think that these are called eyes, but I could be wrong) and the front of the escape leading to the throat is cut much more steeply.

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I have wondered if the diamond shaped buttons might be a some sort of trademark or logo for Goldenberg wooden planes, but every other Goldenberg plane I have seen was a post WWI Bailey copy so I don't have enough samples. I am glad that you have at least seen some with a diamond, so maybe I just need to look harder.

 

[bluedawg76]

did you post on sawmill creek -neanderthal forum? lots of informed folks there as well.

 

[Jeff]

What an interesting journey that got my interest so, naturally, I started poking around as a nosy scientist. Not much help here addressing your original questions but I did find some interesting stuff that may be of help if you haven't already found it.

The diamond strike plate appears to have included a maker's mark from the craftsman who made the plane at Goldenberg et Cie. "Au Sabin de' Alsace" is a male family name: "Sabine of Alsace". Your strike plate may be so worn that there is no identifiable inscription on it or it was replaced along with the new sole. The company history is chronicled within the link discussion.

http://forums.finewoodworking.com/fine-woodworking-knots/hand-tools/french-plane

Goldenberg et Cie had a 347 page catalog published in 1883, but I can't find a US or European source for a copy if you were interested in purchasing a copy and having selected portions translated.

http://books.google.com/books/about/Album_de_Goldenberg_et_Cie_Zornhoff_prè.html?id=rk0ImQEACAAJ

I know nothing about wooden planes but your post hast prompted me to explore. We have a wooden plane that was given to us many years ago by my wife's great uncle who was a carpenter. It measures 16"l x 2 7/8"w x 2 1/2"h. The iron is 2 1/4"w and is stamped "Sandusky Tool Co." What is it and any advice for restoration?

 

[donald.woolley]

Thanks for the information! And in return:

The Sandusky tool Company was one of the two big Ohio tool makers, along with the Ohio Tool Co. They were based out of Sandusky Ohio between 1869 and 1925 and they made a lot of planes, both wooden and iron bodied. From the proportions that you gave, I would bet that yours is one of their models of jack planes. I am guessing that it has an open tote and looks something like this:

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This one is not a Sandusky jack, but it has the general form. Does it have a single or double iron? Wedge adjusted or does it have a lever cap and some sort of adjusting mechanism? I once saw (and could not afford) an old reprint of a 19[SUP]th[/SUP] century Sandusky catalog and I seem to remember lots of variations of their bench planes—you can do that in wood.

 

[Jeff]

The pic is exactly what I have. The front knob looks like it was roughly chiseled off so it's pretty much a nub. What was its function and purpose for being there?

The iron looks like it was supposed to be bevel down with a chip breaker on top. It is wooden wedge adjusted and I have no idea how to use it even it was usable.

Refurbishing a family heirloom could be fun and interesting in its own right. The blade and chip breaker faces are pitted to some extent but the business ends look pretty good so they can probably be reground and honed with patience and care.

Recommendations on where to start and how to proceed are appreciated. And thanks in advance.

 

[donald.woolley]

I have seen Ohio Tool wood bodied bench planes with a front knob, so I suppose that Sandusky would make them as well. Either way, it would not be common. Are you sure that the nub is the base of a knob and not the battered remains of a strike button?

You need some sort of hammer (or two) to adjust it. A metal hammer is not the best idea, but a plastic or wooden mallet works well. I use my wife’s National Honor Society gavel. Hold the plane by the tote and either tap the strike button on the front top of the stock with the hammer or, if there isn’t a button, give the end grain at the heel a good whack. This pushes the body down and/or forward, while the iron’s inertia is shifting it up, taking the wedge with it. After a few taps, you should be able to take the wedge and irons out.

To put them back in, lay the iron on the bed, about where you think that it should be, and tap the wedge back in (with the wooden mallet). Take a pass over some wood and figure out if you are getting the shaving that you want. If the shaving is too thin, gently tap the top of the iron down a bit and then reset the wedge. This is where I use a second hammer. I have a tiny metal tinsmith’s hammer for tapping irons down. If the iron is cutting more heavily on one side than the other, then tap on the same side of the iron that is cutting deep, but at the top. Increasing the depth of cut and laterality are all taken care of by gentle taps on the top of the iron. To decrease the depth of cut, you go back to hitting the strike button or the heel and then re-setting the wedge. I think that I can get better results for small upward adjustments using the strike button, but that may just be my wishful thinking—more often than not I just end up starting over.

You may have to flatten the sole or close in the mouth up a bit, but probably not if you plan on using it as a jack. Those are both things that people worry more about with smoothers and jointers. Considering the plane’s age, the cutting iron is probably going be all steel, but there is a chance that it is iron with a steel cutting edge welded on. In either case, sharpen it like any other plane iron (or chisel), except if you plan on using the plane as a jack, you will want a slight camber to the cutting edge (say an 8-10 inch radius).