My latest plane addition

ByPaul Sellers

I bought another really great plane recently, one I didn’t ever expect to find. As a boy, my then mentor/master George Mycock from Stockport owned a Woden 4 1/2 smoothing plane. In over 40 years I haven’t seen one ever and there I saw one on eBay. How amazing is that!

Bidding was straight forward and as I like to buy planes for future filming this one was one I really wanted and here it is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Woden Plane

I had a little bit of flattening to do, which many people do not realise that at some point every plane no matter the maker or the age, must be flattened and, depending on how much and on what the plane is used, will likely need several flattening sessions throughout its lifetime. Plane soles wear. If you plane narrow wood, and we all do, more than flat, wide boards, the center part of the plane wears more than the outer wing sides do, so this must always be corrected.

5 Comments

  1. Paul

    I have been following all your vids on you tube, my farther had a 41/2 woden which I flattening at the moment, question is do you have to get all the blemishes out for it to be true, maybe i am being too precious after looking at loads of Lie-Nielsen planes at the weekend and their very shiny surfaces.

    Regards
    Robin

    1. Blemishes make little difference but flatness does. You can flatten most planes in about twenty minutes and dips and rusted patches removed make no difference at all.

  3. Hi Paul. A friends widow gave his Stanley #4 and it is still in its original box. The label on the end says BAILEY
    SMOOTH
    2 IN. CUTTER
    9 IN. LONG and it was made in New Britain Conn.
    In a previous blog I think I read that you would not buy a modern day STANLEY and I guess I am asking what the time period was that they started making inferior planes. This one does cut very nicely after I put a good edge on it per your sharpening instructions naturally.
    I’m just guessing but looking at the box I would place it in the 1940’s or 50’s.
    Thanks for being here for us, Tom Dowling

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