Category: Bench planes

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Bench planes Millers Falls Restoration

‘Millers Falls No.14’ clean-up

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A quick clean up of a great plane, with some ‘before and after’ shots. I love the Millers Falls brand, with many a plane passing through Hackney Tools Towers. Mostly, I’ve regretted selling them on, and if I find any more in good condition, I’ll probably hang onto them.
One recent acquisition was a rather sorry-looking ‘No.14’, I think a Type 2 from 1936-45, with what looks like the stained handles, rather than solid rosewood.
[notice]Tool Nerd Alert! I might be wrong on this, it does have the 1868 date inside the cutter logo, but I know this was brought back for a while on the Type 4?[/notice]

I did a fairly normal clean-up on this plane, which only took about an hour. I’m really pleased with the results and I know I’ll end up using this one. I’m also very pleased I got to the plane before the rust was irreversible, as it was, it cleaned off, but I think it only had a few more months in that shed!

Before and after shots:
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I buy second hand, good quality woodworking tools. If you have any Millers Falls tools, or other tools you would like to sell, get in touch with the contact form on the home page.

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Bench planes Stanley

Stanley No.7 Jointer for sale

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Another addition to the for sale page, a great jointer from Stanley, straight from an old tool chest. Now 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
Bench planes Practical techniques Restoration Spiers

Spiers repair

Spiers Ayr 13 1/2" Panel Plane

Spiers Ayr 13 1/2" Panel Plane
I sold this plane to a chap on eBay a while back. When I sent it off, I didn’t quite register the name I wrote on the parcel. A couple of months later, browsing the website of David Barron, I was very pleased to see the SAME PLANE! With it, David had photographed and written a lovely blog post about repairing the broken spur on the plane. Well worth checking out the post and indeed David’s whole blog. He’s a fine craftsman and furniture maker, and his enthusiasm shines through.

Funny how things go. I’m very pleased to see the plane went to such a good home, and I’ve learnt something myself, seeing how David goes about a good repair. Some good tips there.

Categories
Bench planes College Millers Falls

College course: Day 8

Feels like time is fast running out to get this little cabinet up and on it’s legs, but hopefully it will be standing by next week.

I did quite a bit on the connecting rails this week, to join one side panel to the other, but spent the rest of the time smoothing the panels with a nice ‘Millers Falls No.18‘ bench plane.
Millers Falls No.18 bench plane
This plane came in a job lot of tools I bought from a gentleman in Romford last week. A fascinating chap, who used to be a pattern maker for the Ford Motor Company in Dagenham. We spent a good couple of hours chatting and he did me a great deal on a bunch of nice tools.

I ended up selling the plane to a colleague on the course who likes Millers Falls, as I already have a large Stanley jointer, and a Stanley 4 1/2. During the course of the day, Alex sharpened up the iron on the Tormek and got the plane cleaned up. I was lucky enough to have a go with it on my cabinet, and I have to say, it was one of the nicest planes I’ve used. It had a really good heft to it, and with the razor sharp blade, was taking fantastic shavings.

Think I’ll end up looking for another one of these at some point. Millers Falls have been on my radar for a long time, but being US-made, whenever I see one for sale, I usually get put off by shipping charges. Quite how this one ended up being used by a craftsman in Romford, I don’t know. I should have asked!