Please help with history of plow plane *LINK*

Re: Please help with history of plow plane

Todd Hughes

>Now THAT is a Beautiful Plow Plane !...I'm not home to check my "American Wooden Plane" book but I believe N.Chapin was one of the Chapin family of plane makers of which most worked out of Baltimore Md. in the early to mid 1800's.Going by memory and could be wrong, I'll double check tomorrow....While I am sure Steve K. makes a serviciable plane I think when you can get a beautiful plow plane like this Boxwood chapin easly for less then $50 it illustrates one of the problim modern plane makers must face when they try to compete with vintage tools.....Todd

Re: Please help with history of plow plane

John Aniano in NJ...

>Frank,

I have a similar boxwood plough plane, but made by Greenfield Tools. It too has an out of square fence. I corrected this by gluing a thin strip of cherry to the fence and tapering it by planing and making it parallel to the metal skate. It really does make the tool easier to use and I'd really recommend doing this unobtrusive alteration.

John

Re: Please help with history of plow plane

fmutchler@adelphia.net

>Todd, I also think it's a beautiful piece. I've tried to get a wooden plow any number of times but have been unsuccessful until now. I do think I was somewhat fortunate to get a nice one like this for less than $50.00. Being able to examine one up close & personal, so to speak, takes a lot of the mystery out of these planes. I guess I'll just add making one of these to my roune-tuit list.

Re: Please help with history of plow plane

fmutchler@adelphia.net

>Thanks for the suggestion, John. The more I think about it the less I'm inclined to use this old soldier. The head of one of the threaded adjustment pieces has a crack that might give way in use. The part of the bar/rod that is screwed to the fence is where the crack is. I could repair it but for now I'll just let it be. It's reward enough to just be the current custodian of this piece of history.

More info

Todd Hughes

>Looking in my book American Wooden Planes i see that Nathanial Chapin started making planes using his name in 1838 in New Hartford Ct., in 1847 he moved to Westfield Mass. I think this was where your plane was made as his other stamps have new Hartford on them. By 1850 he had 6 hands working, used water power to power his machinery and made 8,000 planes a year. Don't know when he went out of the business but he died in 1876....kind of interesting....You know I'm not sure but looking at the photos of the plane it looks more like it is made out of Fruit wood and not boxwood, not positive but I think more likey.

Saw an English plow today at the flea market in an antique shop not near as nice as this one and fellow had $385 on it! Of course he was on the moon with that price.I know the guy and he Asked me what he should put on it and I told him try to get $70 and come down from there. Didn't like to here that but he was so happy when i bought that nice open handle brass back saw off him for $15 he gave me a rare 1800'd leather shooting pouch for nothing...Yea clean living pays off again.............Todd

Nice Plane Frank

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native in FL. Exile :~(

>I've really got to agree with Todd, for less than $50 you got yourself a decent gloat. any signs that it has been cleaned, or do you think it just didn't get much use? I hear ya' on being the current custodian of this piece of history, but I think that as custodian you should at least do the minimum repairs to get it functional again. to me a non-functional tool is about as useless as ta-ta's on a bull. bvut hey, that's me, and I ain't passing no judgement or nothing. Congrats again.

BTW, Todd, YOU SUCK! ;~)

Todd O.