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Cox & Luckman Hollows & Rounds Moulding planes Tool Makers

Cox & Luckman

Cox & Luckman Hollow and Round half-set
Cox & Luckman began making planes on Darwin St in Birmingham in 1839. In 1876, however, the firm became known as Cox, Luckman, & Son. The company was a well-known manufacturer of planes and tools , but also of fire-iron and fenders. From 1855 they are also listed as producing weighing machines and bedsteads.

According to the Furniture Gazette published March 10, 1883:

The firm of Cox, Luckman, & Son, Birmingham, fire-iron manufacturers has become dissolved by the retirement of Mr. George Luckman. The business will however be continued…. and the style of the firm will be Cox, Luckman, & Sons”.

Cox & Luckman Hollow and Round half-set
Cox & Luckman Hollow and Round half-set
I was recently offered a complete half-set of hollow and round planes, stamped with the former name, ‘Cox & Luckman’, dating these planes between 1839-1876, which is a pretty wide spread. I’d love to know a bit more detail about this firm if anyone has access to more details, ideally narrowing the date when these planes might have been made. The planes are in excellent condition, coming from a carpenter’s workshop and having been stored in dry conditions. Great to find a complete half-set from another renowned Birmingham maker, they are as good, if not better, than the Routledge set I found.

Categories
Chisels

New list of chisels for sale

IMG_6669
Hello all, I’ve just added some new chisels to the list, please take a look if you’re looking to buy. New mortice, sash mortice, firmer, bevelled and pig-stickers. Cheers! (SOLD)

Categories
Bench planes Marples & Sons Restoration Smoothing planes

Marples X4 Smoothing Plane

Just a quick post about a Marples ‘X4’ plane I recently found. I couldn’t find a lot on the web about this plane, so hopefully this will show people some of the details of what, to me, seems like a fantastic tool.

The Marples X4 smoothing plane, which went into production in 1954. Production was short-lived, due to the high production costs of the plane's design.
The Marples X4 smoothing plane, which went into production in 1954. Production was short-lived, due to the high production costs of the plane’s design.

 

This view shows the distinctive wavy shape of the lever cap release. When you use the plane on it's side, on a shooting board for instance, your fingers have a much better hold with this grip. It's much less awkward than trying to shoot holding a plane with a standard lever cap.
This view shows the distinctive wavy shape of the lever cap release. When you use the plane on it’s side, on a shooting board for instance, your fingers have a much better hold with this grip. It’s much less awkward than trying to shoot holding a plane with a standard lever cap.

 

With the blade removed, you can see how Marples was clearly taking a design lead from the finer British infills available. The production on those planes pretty much got unsustainable around this time, so as the quality dropped slightly on those, Marples hoped to capitalise. Unfortunately, this plane suffered the same fate, and was short-lived.
With the blade removed, you can see how Marples was clearly taking a design lead from the finer British infills available. The production on those planes pretty much got unsustainable around this time, so as the quality dropped slightly on those, Marples hoped to capitalise. Unfortunately, this plane suffered the same fate, and was short-lived.

 

Another thing I love about this plane's design is the rounded top on the iron. Again, very distinctive.
Another thing I love about this plane’s design is the rounded top on the iron. Again, very distinctive.

 

This is perhaps the most interesting thing about the X4. An adjustable throat! By releasing the front two bolts, you can move a big hunk of metal back and forth, effectively opening and closing the throat, just like smaller block planes. The block is very well made, and mates well with the base.
This is perhaps the most interesting thing about the X4. An adjustable throat! By releasing the front two bolts, you can move a big hunk of metal back and forth, effectively opening and closing the throat, just like smaller block planes. The block is very well made, and mates well with the base.

 

Here you can see the block fully forward, so the mouth is open to maximum, but it could come right back if need be.
Here you can see the block fully forward, so the mouth is open to maximum, but it could come right back if need be.

 

I haven't even tuned this plane, I just spent a few hours removing sixty years of filth, but already it's taking feather shavings on the first few passes.
I haven’t even tuned this plane, I just spent a few hours removing sixty years of filth, but already it’s taking feather shavings on the first few passes.

At Hackney Tools, we buy old, good quality woodworking tools. If you have any tools you would like to sell, please get in touch using the contact form on the home page.

Categories
Carving Marples & Sons

Marples ‘153’ carving set and other carving chisels

marplescarvingset153
Up for sale now, in the ‘Carving Tools‘ section. Lovely little Marples set, and the chisels look unused to me. *NOW SOLD*

Categories
Hackney London Planes

Planes for sale

newplanesapril
It’s a lovely day in Hackney today. After a stroll along the canal enjoying the sunshine, I finished cleaning a batch of vintage planes. These will all be up for sale on the site tonight. They’re all good planes and will make excellent users, a couple are collectable, if you’re into that sort of thing. Cheers. *ALL NOW SOLD*