18th century Hand Plane
(and other tool)
 Reproductions

Stamp

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.  



 Plow Plane


 Thumbnail Plane

 Cornice Plane

Reverse ogee and astragal

Rabbet Plane

Square ovolo cove and astragal Plane

Bit Brace

Ogee Plane

Carcass Saw

Handsaw (crosscut)

Ogee Plane (#2)

Smoothing Plane

Handsaw (rip)

Fore Plane

Sash Plane




~
Plow Plane

Inspired by the 18th c. plane made by
Thomas Nixon
of Framingham, Massachusetts

(Presently owned by the
Framingham Historical and Natural History Society)

Body: 10 1/4" long, 3 1/2 " high
Material: Yellow Birch


Plow Plane



Plow Plane side



Maker's Stamp

Maker's stamp

Completed June, 2006


~
Casing or "Thumbnail" Plane

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

Thumbnail Side



Thumbnail Front



~
Cornice Plane

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

Materials:
Body & Tote - Maple
Wedge - Yellow Birch


Cornice plane


Cornice Plane bottom



Cornice plane & molding


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

Completed January, 2010


~
Complex Molding Plane
Reverse Ogee and Astragal

Inspired by a mid-18th century plane made by Cesar Chelor of Wrentham, Masstts

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

Material: Yellow Birch

Complex molder

Complex molder



Complex molder


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

Completed February, 2010


~
Rabbet Plane

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

Material: Yellow Birch

Rabbet Plane

Completed June, 2011


~
Complex Molding Plane
Square Ovolo Cove and Astragal

Inspired by a field transition molding profile in the Faulkner House, Acton, Masstts

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

Material: Applewood


Square Ovolo Cove & Astragal


Square Ovolo Cove & Astragal

Completed September, 2011


~
Bit Brace

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

Length: 15" 

Material: Yellow Birch

Brace

Completed April, 2012


~
Ogee

Inspired by a mid-18th century plane made by John Walton of Reading, Masstts

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

Material: Yellow Birch

Ogee


Ogee


Completed November, 2012


~
Carcass Saw

Inspired by a late-18th century back saw design

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

Handle Material: Beech

Carcass Saw

Completed February, 2013


~
Handsaw

Reproduced from an early to mid-18th 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



Panel Saw

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.


~
Ogee (#2)

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

Material: Yellow Birch

Ogee


Ogee


Completed July, 2013


~
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

Smoothing Plane


Completed October, 2013


~
Handsaw

Reproduced from an early to mid-18th 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.


~
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

Fore Plane


Completed October, 2014


~
Sash Plane

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

Material: Yellow Birch

Sash Plane


Sash Plane

Completed April, 2015


Other Pages:

Joyner & Planemaker Page

Westford Museum Cornice Molding


Stamp

©  D.P. Lacroix
Westford, Massachusetts

Last Updated: April
2015