# The odd-fellow plane



## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Can anyone spot the oddity? I'll give it till tomorrow and point it out with further details :smile:

ps, it ain't real obvious... especially not in this picture...


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## tc65 (Jan 9, 2012)

I know next to nothing about wood bodied planes, but the tote looks like it has a metal plate between it and the body. Can't think of a reason for that......

Also looks like the blade was used as a chisel with a metal hammer bending the corners over - although I don't think that is uncommon.


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## Chris Curl (Jan 1, 2013)

i dunno, but it looks like there is something out of the ordinary going on with the base of the tote ... ?

And what is that plug in the front for?


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## ACP (Jan 24, 2009)

That does kind of look like a transitional plane tote attached to an older wooden one. 

It is hard to tell from the pic but is the shaving escapement skewed? Is this a skewed badger?


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## joe bailey (Dec 15, 2011)

It appears as though the rear handle is not centered on the body.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

ACP said:


> That does kind of look like a transitional plane tote attached to an older wooden one.


Wow! Sharp eye!

Who does that!? lol

The last two pictures are the piece sitting on the similar Union transition plane that would have come from.

I really didn't think it would be picked out so quick! Nice job.

An thanks for playing to everyone else!

Oh, Adam, I guess you win the part - haha where should I ship it!?


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## Chris Curl (Jan 1, 2013)

Does the term transition plane refer to a plane that has a wooden base and a metal top?

If so, those seem like desirable planes to me, due to the way one can make a base in whatever lenght that suits them, put the top on, and have a fully functioning plane that has the features of the later metal planes.


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## Woodwart (Dec 11, 2012)

ACP said:


> That does kind of look like a transitional plane tote attached to an older wooden one.
> 
> It is hard to tell from the pic but is the shaving escapement skewed? Is this a skewed badger?


What ACP said. It may have been put on the plane after the original tote broke off. I have a plane like this which I just cut the broken tote off flush and now use it without a tote.

Oh, sorry Firemedic, I posted this without readin the last post. :blush:


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Chris Curl said:


> i dunno, but it looks like there is something out of the ordinary going on with the base of the tote ... ?
> 
> And what is that plug in the front for?





Chris Curl said:


> Does the term transition plane refer to a plane that has a wooden base and a metal top?
> 
> If so, those seem like desirable planes to me, due to the way one can make a base in whatever lenght that suits them, put the top on, and have a fully functioning plane that has the features of the later metal planes.



Yes, a transition plane is a wooden body with a metal sort of frog thing metal adjustments.

The excitement you express for it is exactly the excitement the original creator of it (no idea who) hoped everyone would think. Some couldn't get past the feeling of wood on wood but wanted the "convenience" of the adjustments provided by an iron plane... But years later you can still find manufacturers (though on a small scale) of wooden planes and plenty still make iron planes. NO one makes transition planes anymore. :laughing:

It wasn't all that terrific of a plane after all. They can be tuned and they can work but unfortunately instead of having the best of both they have the worst of both. The light weight and lack of mass of the wooden plane and crap iron of the iron plane. To make maters worse the crappy thin iron has much less support due to to the wooden body and MIA frog.

It's not a good first plane but they are our history and so I suppose they have a place.

As for the "plug" that's a hardwood button put there to take the brunt of being beaten to release the wedge. That is covered in the Moxon article I sent ya :smile:




Woodwart said:


> What ACP said. It may have been put on the plane after the original tote broke off. I have a plane like this which I just cut the broken tote off flush and now use it without a tote.
> 
> Oh, sorry Firemedic, I posted this without readin the last post. :blush:


No prob, I don't see why the feller wouldn't just make a new handle... Why hack up a transition plane?... I guess he really hated that transition plane, haha


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

trc65 said:


> I know next to nothing about wood bodied planes, but the tote looks like it has a metal plate between it and the body. Can't think of a reason for that......
> 
> Also looks like the blade was used as a chisel with a metal hammer bending the corners over - although I don't think that is uncommon.


Sorry, I should give you some credit for the metal plate observation.

As for the iron being beaten up, yeah I see that all too often. Dang folks don't know how to adjust a wooden plane.



ACP said:


> It is hard to tell from the pic but is the shaving escapement skewed? Is this a skewed badger?


I wish it was a badger! lol I bought it as a lot of several planes. I think it worked out to about $2 per plane with shipping. I think that just an illusion of the picture though. It's not actually skewed.

Playing the odds, I figured I'd end up with 5 usable irons and 3 usable planes. Ended up with 3 usable irons, 4 chip breakers and 2 plane worth saving... Not my best deal.




joe bailey said:


> It appears as though the rear handle is not centered on the body.


It's centered, again probably just the angle of the picture. 

Where you been, Joe? Haven't seen you around much lately?


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## ACP (Jan 24, 2009)

I can't take full credit, both posts before mine mentioned the metal plate. I was looking for something even less obvious and the angle of the photo played tricks on my mind.....

I am not a fan of the transitional because the one's I've tinkered with were hard for me to adjust. I have large hands and it seemed there was less room to access the depth adjustment wheel. JMHO.

I do love the guessing games though.


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## joe bailey (Dec 15, 2011)

firemedic said:


> Where you been, Joe? Haven't seen you around much lately?


Hi Tom - I guess I've just been lurking -- that and hoarding old hand tools.

But man, you've been really busy, I see. And may I add, it's really heartening to see a young guy like you throw himself into this stuff (and by that I mean to include getting back to original sources).


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## tc65 (Jan 9, 2012)

firemedic said:


> Can anyone spot the oddity? I'll give it till tomorrow and point it out with further details :smile:


Thanks for taking the time to educate the rest of us with these "brain teasers". :thumbsup:

I had no clue about the hardwood button that Chris mentioned, I figured it was the remnants of a front knob that had been sawed off.:laughing:

On the issue of Transitional planes - I do have a #35 that was my fathers, and I do occasionally try and use it, but I just can't get as consistent results with it as my #4.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

joe bailey said:


> Hi Tom - I guess I've just been lurking -- that and hoarding old hand tools.
> 
> But man, you've been really busy, I see. And may I add, it's really heartening to see a young guy like you throw himself into this stuff (and by that I mean to include getting back to original sources).


Thanks Joe and I'm happy to see that you are still around.

PM me your email address if ya don't mind... I want you to take a look at something I'm working on.




trc65 said:


> Thanks for taking the time to educate the rest of us with these "brain teasers". :thumbsup:
> 
> I had no clue about the hardwood button that Chris mentioned, I figured it was the remnants of a front knob that had been sawed off.:laughing:
> 
> On the issue of Transitional planes - I do have a #35 that was my fathers, and I do occasionally try and use it, but I just can't get as consistent results with it as my #4.


You bet! David had a thread about his temperamental transition plane a while ago, I think it may have popped up again though. That one might help ya with tuning yours.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

I should add, the first time I picked up a wooden plane with the hardwood plug up front I too though it was a broken off handle...


In fact I think I asked about it here a good while back... My my how time and research can change a man :smile:


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