Spring 2019

The sun has been shining for two weeks and the workshop has been calling me. I decided to make a couple of copies of the tiny mitre plane I bought from David Stanley's auction.

Both the planes are made out of old scrap 1/16" brass like the original. I wouldn't use such thin metal again as I found it was prone to distortion. The first plane I added a couple of 's bows each side. Both infills are boxwood.

The second one I cut away the heel to achieve a lower bed angle and put a cupid's bow under the iron. I mirrired the shape of the bridge each side of the iron.

The scrap pieces of brass.

The original plane is in the front.

The second plane ready for the infill, I found this log of boxwood.

I have completed the infill and cut away the rear of the plane.

The cupid's bow decoration at the back of the plane.

The decoration at the side of the iron.

All 3 planes together.

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I bought this very rare 6" D/T Towell mitre plane with battered rosewood infill.

The original wedge was damaged and the front infill turns out to be a replacement.

The rear infill is held in with a stud, I have never seen that before.

The body needs a gentle clean.

Tim offered to make me a replacement wedge as he had rosewood the right colour.

There was a piece of modern paper packed under the front infill.

The front infill had a screw mark and a little cut out proving it wasn't original.

I shall keep all the pieces together.

When I bought the plane my idea was to infill it with boxwood with an antique finish.

I have given the body a gentle clean, much better.

Lovely quarter sawn antiqued boxwood.

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This old brass and steel dovetailed mitre plane with a beech bed and bone front infill and wedge, it is probably the oldest known 4" long example ever found. The smaller the English mitre plane of this sort of period the rarer they become. I have seen two and I used to own both of them, but they were marginally bigger, I can't remember exactly but somewhere about 5". One was by Buck and one was by Towel.

This plane has engraved on it's side Edw'd J. Davies and underneath MAKER.

What appear appear to be flutes on the top on the rear beech infill are the worn away soft parts of the annual rings. This plane is very old, we will never know exactly, it could be 150 or more years old.. If anyone knows differently please let me know.

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