Old plane mysteries

Re: Old plane mysteries

Neal (San Jose)

>Pollak's "Guide to the makers of American Wooden Planes" doesn't have a listing for a G.B. Gillet, but does have one for A. Gillet - they may be related. A. Gillet was making planes around 1790 - 1810, possibly in Newbury/Newburyport, MA. The only listing for Hancock is even more sketchy, with one plow and four molding planes known from about 1800. It is possible that there was some sort of collaberation. This is my only source, perhaps others on the board will have more info. It is also possible, of course, that this plane is English or European.

It sounds like you have a rather scarce professionally made Razee Jack, a very useful plane. The back was relieved such that it resembles the razee deck of a sailing ship (maybe if you get really far back and squint, LOL), thus the name. The purpose was to lower the center of gravity and the center of force as you push the plane, and some thought this made it easier or more accurate. The handle shape is appropriate, and there would have been no dowell.

All things considered, I think you should sharpen it up, patch the mouth and put this 200 year old veteran back in service. HTH Neal

Re: Old plane mysteries

Stephen Kirk in Quakertown PA

>Wow, that is far older than I thought it could be. I will certainly not just let it sit, and I think I should get some picks up for any interested parties.

Thanks for the information.

Re: Old plane mysteries

Ed Mulligan, Cape Cod

>There's a listing for Hancock Tool Co in The EAIA Directory of American Toolmakers. Working date is circa 1857. It may be a replacement iron.

Ed

Re: Old plane mysteries

john jesseph

>Did they use double irons that long ago?

Yep

Neal (San Jose)

>According to Garrett Hack "the Handplane Book", double irons were introduced sometime in the late 18th century. I've read other authorities that state that double irons were becomming pretty common around this time (1780 or 1790).

In re-reading my previous post, I realize that I probably left the impression that the plane was 200 years old. I meant to say that it is POSSIBLE that it is that old.

Re: Old plane mysteries

Todd Hughes

>With out seeing a photo or a better description of the plane I don't know if it is a razee type plane. I took it to mean when he said the back was carved out for the handle that it was just carved out for the handle to set in like you see on most wooden planes with a tote and not having the entire back of the plane cut lower then the front like on a Razee. I don't think Razee style planes date as far back as the early 1800s . In my experance too most Razee planes, which are a common type of plane, are user made.

With out seeing it and having more info it is just guessing in the dark anyway. When I see hoof prints I look for horses and not zebras. My guess is that it was a user made plane probably from mid to late 1800s.... made by a guy whose first name was George ....Todd

How about a pic 

Stephen Kirk in Quakertown PA

>

Pic of that name 

Stephen Kirk in Quakertown PA

>

Re: Yep

Stephen Kirk in Quakertown PA

>I fully understood that it was POSSIBLY 200 years old. Sure is fun to look into them, though. Hope the pics help, I can take more if they're needed (finally figured out how to scale down some images to fit!!!)

Yup, a razee jack

Kent in Emmaus, PA

>

Zebras everywhere you look!

Neal (San Jose)

>Todd, you probably see more razee planes in a day than I have ever seen, but all I've seen have been professionally made. Are the user-made ones factory-made planes that were originally full height in the back and modified by the user, or were they completely user made? Very interesting.

By 1872, Greenfield (the earliest catalogue I have) listed a line of razee planes (altho they called them ship planes) consisting of a smoother, a jack, a fore and a jointer for a slight premium over their standard planes. I know Ohio Tool made razee planes pretty early in their existance (they claim establishment in 1823, but 1851 seems more reasonable), but I don't have an early catalogue of theirs.

Alvin Sellins in his "Woodworking Planes" states, under a picture of an 1877 Sandusky razee:

"The razee or cutaway jack plane is indentical in function and in general size to the common jack plane except for the lowered position of the tote. It would appear to the writer that lowering the tote allows a better balance and therefore more precise control of the tool. It is surprising that the razee did not become the more common of the two types."

Neal, blowing the dust off of some of his reference books!

Re: Zebras everywhere you look!

Todd Hughes

>I have certainly seen professionaly made Razees but maybe because of where I live [right on the Chesapeake Bay] more of the ones I have seen it seems were made by wood workers. This style plane was apparently esp. popular with boat builders and I think many of the ones I see were made by them. Is interesting but it is pretty common for me to see them made out of Lignum Vitae which also leads me to think thet were made by shipwrights.

...After seeing the photo the plane is of course a Razee, but sure doesn't look to me to be any where near as early as the begining 1800s. Looks more like a common as dirt 1860-1900 plane to me. Does look to be factory made but the name stamp looks to be a prior owners but both of these are hard to tell.

Looks like the hoof prints might have turned out to be mules, eh?....Todd

Re: Zebras everywhere you look!

Stephen Kirk in Quakertown PA

>I always thought mules were more reliable than horses, anyway. If I can tune it up make it take shavings again, then it's a good tool. I've needed a jack plane anyway.

Re: Zebras everywhere you look! HIJACK

Dale Stansbery

>Todd, I'm glad you mentioned the use of Lignum Vitae for plane bodies. The only one I ever saw was at an auction about a year ago (in Ohio), and couldn't imagine why they'd use such a dense hard wood, except that the bottom was severly worn, even though it was Lignum. The other unusual feature was that it was a "circle" plane, in that if you looked straight down on it, the body was curved, to follow a curve laterally as you pushed. Overall a very interesting plane.

Re: Zebras everywhere you look! HIJACK

Todd Hughes

>Sounds like a coopers [barrel maker] sun plane. A plane used to level the top edge of barrels....Since made out of LV wood is interesting to speculate if it had anything to do with ship coopers like those that worked on Whaling ships....Todd