Mysterious Number 5


BonPacific

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I just picked up a couple planes from a garage sale. One was a No 7 Stanley. Which looks to be a type 9. I'll be cleaning that one up soon.

The No 5 though, I've got no idea about. There are no maker marks on the body, except for a "4" cast underneath the tote, and the "No 5" cast at the front. I suspect the blade/chipbreaker/lever cap might have come from a different plane.

Probably a no-name or Frankenstein plane, but wondered if anyone here has seen something similar?

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37 minutes ago, C Shaffer said:

http://hyperkitten.com/tools/stanley_bench_plane/dating_flowchart.php#Types 1-20

From what I see in the photos I can call a maybe for a Stanley type 15. 

There's no "bailey" casting behind the knob, and no raised ring to accept the knob. Also no "made in USA" on the body.

24 minutes ago, James Wright said:

I would love to see the size of the adjuster knob on the frog. the lateral adjuster and tote do not look like Stanley but the back would tell another story. ar there any patent numbers on it anywhere? especially the lateral adjuster?

The adjustment knob is just a hair over one inch in diameter. No patent numbers anywhere on the plane. The tote is definitely a replacement, it doesn't quite sit straight, probably a shop-made replacement.

IMG_20160731_151712.jpg

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7 hours ago, C Shaffer said:

Ok, the raised ring bit threw me because of the coloring on the picture. The castings look quality. It very well be a Frankrn plane. Old and war year planes often are missing some dates and patents etc. Have fun with it. 

I played with it a bit, before doing any tune-up, and seems like a solid performer. Good deal all around.

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It looks a decent plane. Machined pads on the base casting at the frog connection look good. The yoke looks solid too. I've seen a lot of pressed steel yokes in the past that have made the tools poor.

You may have a good one there. Enjoy it.

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With a little more digging, I think this is a Union plane. The Frog looks identical to this one in an ebay listing (as trustworthy as that is) including the twisted lateral adjuster. I was able to dig out a few pictures of Union frogs, and they definitely look like mine. The comparable Stanley's have a slot in the bottom for a ridge on the plane body, and a notched relief in the top for the lateral adjuster, neither of which appear on the Union frogs I've found. 

There aren't a ton of pictures of the body out there, but it looks like they kept their branding to the Cap and Blade, which seem to have been replaced/switched on my plane. It seems that they shared a lot of compatible parts with Stanley, even before they were bought out.

 

Edit: Here's a nice comparison image. My frog definitely looks like the middle design. Though it may date into the early years of the Stanley buyout, given the body markings. Seems there isn't really a type study on Union planes, since they aren't as big or desirable as Stanleys.

 

2882430

https://timetestedtools.forumchitchat.com/post/information-on-typing-union-bench-planes-7539560?&trail=30

 

Edited by BonPacific
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