Dunlap plane *LINK*

Re: Dunlap plane

Jim in Burlington Ontario

>Terry just out of curiosity did you wieght the two planes? Wonder how close it comes to LN planes.

Re: Dunlap plane

Todd Hughes

>Dunlaps were cheap planes sold by I believe Montgomry Wards.I see lots of Dunlap tools of course not only planes but braces, drills etc. In my experance these planes are not made near as good or machined as well as older Stanleys, Sargents, Unions etc.This is probably why the casting is thicker on your Dunlap just like the castings on a WWII era Stanley can be thicker because it is not machined as well as a pre war Stanley Plane. Personaly I would pick a higher quality plane that has a better milled thinner casting over a cheap plane with a thicker casting .....Todd

Re: Dunlap plane

Dave (Arlington, VA)

>Hi Terry -

I have a Dunlup #4 and it does have thicker castings than either of my Stanley #4s (one pre-War and one modern).

The handle on mine is a bit loose (I'll tighten it up with a shim some day), but the real disappointment was/is with the blade. When I got the plane there was no rust on the blade, but there are four irregular-shaped "depressions" on the back of the blade about the size of the fingernail on your pinky finger. Two of these "depressions" are close enough to the cutting edge that they need to be eliminated in order to SS the blade. I have tried several times to flatten it but have given up in defeat - as the depressions (which were not visible when I bought the plane) have been too deep. I'll keep working on the blade (over time) but I suspect this (and the loose handle) are part of the less-than-top-quality issues that Todd mentioned that can effect the Dunlops. However, that being said I seem to recall someone here at Wood Central (or was it Badger Pond) (Don Thompson???) who swears by his Dunlop (IIRC).

Let us know if you run into any problems with the blade as you sharpen it. I'm quite curious to see if that's just my plane - or if it might be a wider problem with Dunlop plane blades.

Regards -

Dave

I think it'd be Sears.....

cooper suter

>.......not Monkee Wards. Wards line was Lakeside.

From what I see, Craftsman was Sears best tools, while Dunlap was decent, but more homeowner grade.

It was a piece O'crap dunlap #5 that kinda got me going in old tools. Picked it up for a coupla bucks last day of a neighborhood estate sale. It's been all downhill since.

Coop.

Re: Dunlap plane

Terry S

>Thanks for the info, Todd. I had figured that the Dunlap had been built with a little less care than the Stanleys. Unlike Dave's, the blade on this plane is fine. The inside of the casting, however, was not crisp and clean. The frog didn't seat well at all. I suppose that's why I originally thought that maybe the frog and body were from different planes.

It was in pretty good shape - little rust and pitting - and it cleaned up well. That's why I have been fooling with it quite a bit. It's the equivalent of a Stanley #3 but about 1/4" wider because of the heavy casting. Seemed like a chance to have a "Stanley 3 1/4," huh?

After a few sessions with the files, I have the frog seating well. The plane seems to cut well. Certainly nothing a collector would want, but it's a decent user now.

Jim, when I get a chance, I'll weigh it. But the LN are made from a special alloy, aren't they?

Re: special allow

William R. Duffield, on the Cohansey

>The L-Ns are made from a different iron than the older manufacturers'. The Stanleys, etc., were cast from grey iron. L-Ns, and also Lee Valleys, are cast from ductile iron or nodular iron, which has a much higher tensile strength, and thus very unlikely to break if dropped, even from the top of a moving car onto the road. L-N uses magnesium bronze on some planes, and another bronze alloy (a phosphor bronze, IIRC from the FTJ ads I've seen) on some very special planes. The magnesium bronze is a gold color, while the phosphor bronze looks more the color of silver or nickel.

Re: I think it'd be Sears.....

Ernie Miller Topeka

>That sounds like a plane you would want to gold plate with rustolium! Seeing as it saved you from spending your money on dangerous viceses

Agree...

Jorge Casta�eda ~ East Penobscot Bay

>Dunlap planes were sold by Sears Roebuck and they were manufactured by Millers Falls, they are identical to the Millers Falls, castings, totes, knobs, frog, lateral adjuster, except for name on the cap and iron, also the markings on the side where MF puts the size numbers are diferent.

I have both, if anybody is interested I could take a picture side by side and and post it. They are better than the Craftsman in my opinion.

2�

Jorge

Millers Falls - Cap Iron Question

Dave (Arlington, VA)

>Hi Jorge -

I've got a question for you: my Dunlap #4 has a single-piece cap iron. My Millers Falls 22 (fore plane) has a double-piece cap iron. I thought the double-piece cap iron was one of the distinctives of a Millers Falls bench plane. So, if Millers Falls did manufacture the Dunlaps for Sears, why did they go with a single-piece cap iron rather than their standard double-piece? Any ideas?

I appreciate your background on the Dunlaps. I always enjoy learning more about the tools I own.

Regards -

Dave

Also.....

Dave (Arlington, VA)

>It is interesting to note that the Dunlap does have its model number (4DBB) written on the plane sidewalls in the same place as my Millers Falls has its written.

Regards -

Dave

P.S. My Millers Falls is an 18, not a 22. Oops.

Re: Also.....

Jorge Casta�eda ~ East Penobscot Bay

>Dave,

Yes the markings on the side are in the same spot, But the Dunlap says 4DBB where the MF says Millers Falls 9.

Millers Falls numbers are roughly the lenght of the plane, the notable exception is the 8, equivalent to the Stanley #3, which is 9 1/4" same as the 9 but it is narrower.

The hinged caps were only in their top of the line planes, and at some point they droped them, the late planes have a plain cap and the markings on the side say Millers Falls 9B on mine. They had a third line, even cheaper, the Mohawk(?) There is another difference with the Dunlap, all the caps in the MF lines were chromed, not so in the Dunlap.

I have a number of Millers Falls, 1 8, 3 9, 1 10 (4 1/2), 2 14, one of them corrugated, 1 18 and 2 22, the 24 has escaped me so far, Of the Dunlaps i have an 8 DBB and a 9 DBB. One of my MF is a 9B and has a non hinged cap.

Take care

Jorge

Very interesting!! Thanks!!

Dave (Arlington, VA)

>

Thanks

Terry S

>I found out more in two days from you guys than I did in the past two months on my own. Thanks.

Re: special allow

Joe Rogers,Northern Virginia

>Sir Will... IIRC the bronze alloy is the plane body that survived the moving car drop test.(Thanks Bob Key) Thom L-N has heaved the ductle iron bodies as high as he can and let them fall onto concrete floors with no damage other than some dent burrs. The iron bodies have also been attacked with sledge hammers with only bent sides for reward. All and all superior materials for planes.JR

BTW sorry you couldn't make the trip down Saturday.

Re: Millers Falls - Cap Iron Question

Roger Nixon

>I've seen several rebranded Millers Falls made planes. I had some Fultons with a 4 digit number on the side were MF made planes for example. All of the rebadged planes I've seen had single piece cap irons and no frog adjusting screw so they were not equal to the top Millers Falls lineup.

Good Point!

Jorge Casta�eda ~ East Penobscot Bay

>Roger,

A quick check and sure enough, right you are! That point escaped me, they do not have the frog adjusting screw, and they have the one piece cap. My 14C is like that too and that is a Millers Falls, so yes they did have the top of the line, a mid grade and then the Mohawks.