18th c. Hand Plane Reproductions

Unlike the factory manufactured tools of the 19th century, the tools of the colonial period reflect the unique personality of the joyners, planemakers, and other craftsmen who made them. Hand plane dimensions were not yet standardized and the details of ornamentation varied with the maker. The following tools are patterned after 18th century originals or made in a style representative of tools from the period. They are all working tools, used in my personal work and for the purpose of demonstrating the 18th century joyner's trade. Like most New England hand planes from the period, most of mine are made from yellow birch.

Maker's stamp

Completed June, 2006

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Casing or "Thumbnail" Plane

Body: 10 1/4" long,
Material: Yellow Birch

Thumbnail Side

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Cornice Plane

Body: 13 1/2" long,
Iron width: 4"

Materials:
Body & Tote - Maple
Wedge - Yellow Birch

Iron tapered and worked at the "Old Chelmsford" Garrison House blacksmith shop.
Thanks to Paul Windt for his guidance and assistance.

Completed January, 2010

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Complex Molding Plane
Reverse Ogee and Astragal

Inspired by a mid-18^th century plane made by Cesar Chelor of Wrentham, Mass^tts

Body: 10 3/8" long,
Iron width: 1 3/16"

Material: Yellow Birch

Complex molder

Reference: The Chronicle of the Early American Industries Assoc., 59, no. 1 (March, 2006): 22,23.

Completed February, 2010

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Rabbet Plane

Body: 10 1/8" long,
Iron width: 1 1/16"

Material: Yellow Birch

Completed June, 2011

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Complex Molding Plane
Square Ovolo Cove and Astragal

Inspired by a field transition molding profile in the Faulkner House, Acton, Mass^tts

Body: 10 1/8" long,
Iron width: 1 1/16"

Material: Applewood

Square Ovolo Cove & Astragal

Completed September, 2011

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Bit Brace

Reproduced from an original 18^th c. brace in my collection

Length: 15"

Material: Yellow Birch

Brace

Completed April, 2012

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Ogee

Inspired by a mid-18^th century plane made by John Walton of Reading, Mass^tts

Body: 10 3/8" long,
Iron width: 3/4"

Material: Yellow Birch

Ogee

Completed November, 2012

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Carcass Saw

Inspired by a late-18^th century back saw design

Blade length: 12"
Height: 3 7/8"
12 tpi Rip

Handle Material: Beech

Completed February, 2013

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Handsaw

Reproduced from an early to mid-18^th century Dalaway handsaw

Overall length: 26 1/2"
Blade length: 22 1/4"
6 tpi - peg filed with fleam

Handle Material: Beech
Recycled saw blade

Panel Saw

See The Chronicle of the Early American Industries Assoc., 66, no. 3 (Sept, 2013): 112
for my detailed description of both the original Dalaway saw and this reproduction.

Completed June, 2013

Thanks to Carl Davis for the generous loan of this important example of 18th c. British saw making.
For more detailed images of the original, click here.

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Ogee (#2)

Body: 10 5/8" long,
Iron width: 3/4"

Material: Yellow Birch

Ogee

Completed July, 2013

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Smoothing Plane

Body length, height, and width: 7 5/8 x 2 1/4 x 2 5/8"

Iron width: 2 1/8" single iron

Material: Yellow Birch

Completed October, 2013

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Handsaw

Reproduced from an early to mid-18^th century Dalaway handsaw, described above.

Overall length: 26 1/2"
Blade length: 22 1/4"
4 tpi - filed rip

Handle Material: Beech
Recycled saw blade

Dalawy rip Saw

Completed March, 2014

Thanks to John Davis for contributing the beech used for this handle.

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Fore Plane

Body length, height, and width: 14 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 2 1/2"

Iron width: 1 3/4" single iron

Material: Yellow Birch

Completed October, 2014

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Sash Plane

Body: 10 1/4" long,
Iron width: 1 1/8"

Material: Yellow Birch

Completed April, 2015

Other Pages:

Joyner & Planemaker Page

Westford Museum Cornice Molding

Stamp