Re: How rare?
John Aniano in Central NJ
Nice find! Best of luck with it!
I too, have a later Spiers cast plane, but mine is a straight-sided smoother. I think mine is from the ~1930's. Needs some work, but it's all there. It's waiting for its time to be restored. Any day now...
John
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My bowmaking web site I have done some sort of woodworking since I was 6 years old. In 5th grade I tried, with my father's help, to make a pine violin. It hangs on the wall in my shop. Later in middle school I had basic wood shop class. No project I can remember that survived from then! In high school, I took wood shop I and II, and metal shop I and II. This along with the usual college prep courses - my counselors thought I was nuts! I made a number of clocks during high school, maybe 2 dozen altogether, including wall clocks, shelf clocks and a pocket watch with wooden case, some of which I still have. I began to collect, restore and use old wood working tools. I especially like 19th century English tools. After graduation, I made a grandfather clock which is now on the landing of my home staircase. I made the metal dial and metal hands as well. In college, I studied Industrial Arts to be a shop teacher. I made a number of projects including a multi-wood specie flax-style spinning wheel and a walnut tool box. In 1978 I began to make stringed instrument bows, self-taught at first. After graduation, between 1982 and '83, I worked for William Salchow, who, at the time, was the best known bow maker in New York City. I stopped bow making in the mid-80's to attend college again, this time for ceramic engineering. Got married in 1988 to my wife Debbie. With her help (although I did a lot of the cooking, hey, I had the time!) I pursued a BS and MS in ceramic engineering. Worked for ~12 years as an engineer in the field of fiber optics (I have one patent to show for it). In 2002 I switched back to making and repairing bows. In 2006 I won a gold medal at the Violin Society of America's International competition. Later, in 2010, I got a second gold medal. Not easy for 50+ year old eyes! I continue to do some general woodworking - dovetailed drawers, frame and panel work, restoration tasks for our 260+ year old home - things like that. Mostly hand work. I have only a few power tools - a tiny 7" blade INCA table saw (which never gets used), 6" Atlas Jointer, 14" Rockwell bandsaw, a circa 1943 Delta 768 10" bandsaw, a 9", 3 foot Southbend metal lathe, Rusnok milling machine, a no-name wood lathe, and Jet drill press. I am a member of the Central Jersey Woodworkers Association - I was the vice president for the CJWA a few years back. I took Mike Dunbar's class in the late '90s and made a sackback chair. Back in ~2010 I outfitted a new, passive solar shop space for bow making and general woodworking. New benches, tool racks, etc. Still working (ever so slowly) on my 10 foot long Roubo-style bench. As of November 2018, the four pieces of ash that will comprise the top need to be milled and fitted, but the base is ~95% finished. Absolutely the largest and heaviest item I've ever made. It has been a fun journey so far!