Bailey Wood Plane with Steel Bottom

[tzins]

I would appreciate any information members could provide about this Bailey wood plane. I have never seen one with a steel plate attached to the bottom like this one has. Length: 15", Width: 2 5/8", Heigth of main block: 1 5/8", Blade width: 2".
Is this design relatively rare? About when was it made?
Thanks for your help.

[scottg]

It was never made in the Stanley factory.
Not with a steel bottom anyway.

A craftsman of long ago put that one there.
And it wasn't easy.
It was not a new plane when he did it either. If you look close you can see the nose and such dented up where the steel overlays.

It has always been traditional to extend the life of a wood bottom plane, especially when they get worn,  with a covering of steel.

Part of the psychology of wood bodied planes has always been cost. For the most part they were much less expensive than metal planes (at least as far back as the dark ages).
Putting a metal bottom on one would blow that budget sky high, for any factory.
  yours Scott 
   
    yours Scott 

[tzins]

It must have been quite a challenge to cut a narrow rectangular slot in the middle of a steel plate about an eighth inch thick.
Thanks for your comments.

[Branson]

Scott wrote:  "Part of the psychology of wood bodied planes has always been cost. For the most part they were much less expensive than metal planes..."

There's another part, though.  The old (first published in 1923) Audels Carpenters and Builders Guide, vol. 1 shows metal, transitional, and wooden planes, but the section on tuning, adjusting, and using bench planes is illustrated only with wooden planes.  (I've always liked the old Audels, not the least because the writer is  a  crusty old galoot.)  I can't find the passage I remember, but at some point the author says that the only use for a metal plane is to true the soles of your wooden planes. 

[johnsironsanctuary]

Everything that I have read online says that transition planes are crud. There is a website that shows a picture of a large bonfire using transition planes for fuel. What is the deal? I have a few that I use and I like the feel of them. They are a joy to look at, but I am a sucker for any tool that is made from wood and iron. They don't seem overly pricey on Ebay compared to all steel planes.

[scottg]

Transitional planes were once, and to some extent still are, nearly worthless on the collector market.

In the early 1970's, when tool collecting began to take off in earnest, the collectors where most of the tools come from (within a few hundred miles of Mass),  found themselves up to their necks in tools for nearly free. They collectively decided transitionals were inferior to the iron tools they were picking up by the wheelbarrow load whenever they wanted. 
Since the parts of transitionals wouldn't easily fit the iron tools (that were so common to them they could barely resell for any price at the time),  the trannys were piled and burned for sport during tool get to-gethers.
To some extent the prejudice still exists.

Transitionals were cheaper when made. Beechwood instead of rosewood handles and no iron body to cast, season and then machine etc. meant Stanley could sell them for less.
They are also less brainlessly usable. You have to work on them some when you get one, and use your noggin as you do.
  Trannys have a moveable frog to set the blade opening in the body, just like iron planes. But you can't just slide the frog forward to close up the mouth. If you do you'll have 1/2 the blade suspended in mid air and it will chatter to beat the band!  You have to shim the wooden bed to compensate. Thin wood or heavy veneer in the proper thickness works a treat though, and Stanley suggested to use ordinary cardboard!
The handles need attention to keep from squirming in heavy use. The mounting hardware was a looser fit. For myself I will mix up epoxy putty and generously coat the hardware and frame with grease. Then pack the handle and screw it on. When the epoxy cures it will only adhere to the wood and make an exact interior mold of the hardware, which it won't stick to and can still be removed. 
Squirm no more!!

Its always good to remember that the immortal Studley packed his own "most desirable toolchest ever made" with transitionals. His were custom cast brass frames instead of iron but still...........

Here is my own recreation of a Stanley #29. This is the size of a #2 iron plane. It has a rosewood body (SE Asian rosewood) and a very thick tapered blade. The throat is tight.
Considerable work was done on the chipbreaker to eliminate backlash in the adjuster.
yours Scott

   


   

[tzins]

I thank you very much ScottG. You've given me quite an education and I really appreciate it. I looked closer at the mounting screws used on the steel plate. The countersinks are inconsistent and the screws were installed at various angles. That reinforces the belief that the plate was a user modification.

Thanks to each responder for their input. Please keep it coming, if others want to contribute.

This forum is great.

[johnsironsanctuary]

Scott, thanks from me too!

[wvtools]

I have had several transitionals with user added bottoms.  I have had a few where the user added a brass plate.  Those were quite nice looking.

[CraigC]

Scott

The #29 restoration is fantastic!

I consistently use a restored Stanley #24 around the shop. 

With its well sharpened (Worksharp 3000) and honed iron, it is a real pleasure to use.

But in my own experience, not all transitionals work as well.

Craig C

[scottg]

But in my own experience, not all transitionals work as well.
Craig C

Thanks for the kind words Craig
The main thing about transitionals, is securing the frog.
If the frog is set immoveable, and the blade rests securely on the wooden blade ramp of the body? All will be well.  Otherwise they will chatter and rip to beat the band.

  Nice story coming on..............
After I did the 29, a few months later I got an email. It was from a Florida guy named Brian Buckner. He loved tools and was wanting to start repairing - rebuilding - redesigning and making  his own tools from scratch.  We struck up a friendship.

  Brian later went on create the most artistically designed tools ever made up until that time. 
Maybe Wayne (Anderson) has topped him now.   But Brian Buckner was a major inspiration to us all! He changed the game entirely. 
The boy had an eye for detail!! 

This bow saw was made to take ordinary coping saw blades. Many others have copied this size and style now, but Brian came up with it first. I could go on all day.
    But here is Sandy Moss's archive instead.
    http://www.sydnassloot.com/bbuckner/tools.htm
       yours Scott