This history is an intro to an upcomming series on these planes.
In case you did not notice yet, they are everywhere, they shows up a lot on the antique tool circuit, flea markets, antique dealers, barn finds and what have you.
Yes, they are plentiful out there, ever wonder why??
The three most used types of planes were; The bench planes, the grooving planes and the rabbet planes. Used to prepare the wood surfaces and joinery.
These relatively simple tools (all have straight blades) were made by the artisans during their apprenticeship period.
Similarly, joiners would had been making specialized tools such as moulders for their work.
Most of these tools would be found unsigned (no makers mark) but may have one or more owner’s stamp.
Moulding planes as we know them today appeared in English listings (city or business directories) towards the end of the 1600s (17th century) Hollows & Rounds, Beads, Reeds and some Ovolo and Ogees.
But of course they show up earlier, much earlier...
The Romans used moulding planes with the irons let into a tapering groove at the side of the stock, and this design persisted throughout the Middle Ages (RA Salaman).
I would venture that they lasted much longer... Albeit in a slightly modified form until the 19th century and perhaps a bit longer.
This is a so called Roubo, French type moulding plane, made by
Caleb James.
So called because it shows up in Roubo works in one of his plates (illustrated page)
Its construction is similar to the description of the Roman moulding planes
Pic from Fine Wood Working article, mag No 224 April 2016.
The plane in question Roubo Plate 19.
Notice the wedge finial is sideways.
The shape of the mouth aperture and the shape at the end of the wedge throws the shaving sideways
This type of construction is often found in older Continental planes (from mainland Europe). Its construction is greatly simplified by using an open mortise on the side.
If you look at a typical English or North American moulding plane, there is a lot more work involved in excavating the mortise for the wedge and the open ended slot on the side for the blade.
A look thru my Stewart Ovolo plane, the classic English form, all excavated in the wood body.
Not much web of wood left, now you know why they are apt to twist and curl if the wood was not chosen properly or were subjected to high humidity/dryness cycles.
Well seasoned wood was a must...
An often seen variation of the "Roubo, or Roman style", is the addition of a piece on the side to retain the wedge and add rigidity. Again some Continental tradition, but also I believed in Scandinavian countries (??)
Here are some pics found online (eBay)
A pair of French Moulding planes.
Notice how the top part look like its been added?
Here is one clue...
And here is another
Notice also the squarish shape to the wedge, as opposed to the graceful curves found on the English style one's. And in case anyone wonder, yes, that would be a lot more simpler to built than the traditional English method, that we are familiar with today, but should work just the same.
Here is a look at one found by
fellow blogger Brian Eve
Why are they so plentiful?
The appearance of the first professional planemakers coincided with the change in architectural and furniture styles along with the use of more ornemental mouldings.
The wood used in fine furniture evolved from oak to walnut and mahogany which were better suited to the new ornemental styles.
Shipping improved, trade expanded and a whole new prosperous middle class developped both in England and in the colonies (including North America)
As the demand for fine homes and furnitures grew accordingly, more and more types of moulding planes were required (Think “moulding du jour” :-). The first recorded English “plainemaker” (1660-1720) were previously listed as “Joiners” they probably started to make extra planes for others and gradually switched to full time planemaking.
For example Thomas Granford in England was first listed as a joiner then as a plainemaker and tool maker. Robert Wooding, another early English planemaker 1708-1724, apprenticed under Thomas in 1699.
As planemaking became an established trade, apprenticeship’s records started to appears, makers stamped their ware and develloped regional differences in their stylistic approach: the treatment of the upper edges of the plane body (size and type of chamfer treatment), the upper shape of the wedge (Rounded then flatter on bench planes), the size and shape of the top wedge finial on moulding planes (First it was part of a circle (round), then more of an ellipse shape).
Similar to furniture styles, some of the old-timer styles and features lingered on with the more rurals makers and those in the Colonies.
As tools became more available, slowly the customs of making one's tool set changed to buying them and made available to anyone who could afford them.
Within the North American colonies of Upper and Lower Canada (Ontario and Quebec), the New England colonies (which would becomes later States) the domestic shipping and transportation network were not as developed as in the Motherland(s). Overseas shipping from Jolly old England was more economical, so in addition to the first tools that accompany the settlers and subsequent arrivals, lots of English tools were imported for resale in the port cities (New York, Boston, Montreal, Quebec city)
In addition there were lots of trade restrictions set up between England and their colonies, to benefit the English industries. Surprise! Tariff and trade restrictions are nothing new!!!
Nonetheless, planemaking will become established first in the American colonies (F. Nicholson Boston (Wrentham) 1728-1752) then here in Lower Canada (Jean Baptiste Desforges Montreal, Qc 1790-1830, Sweetman, Montreal Qc 1820-1832) and Upper Canada (James Gabb Toronto On 1833-1836)
These being the earliest date I found so far...(Guide to Canadian Plane Makers & Hardware Dealers third edition)
How many makers were making these wondrous tools?
In addition to the ones that continued to be made by the apprentices (the apprentice system here in the Colonies, was not as strict as the ones to be found overseas, due to the large and urgent needs of the Colonies) there were numerous makers that came and went during the 200 plus years that they were manufactured, from the early 1700s to the early 1900s.
Bell curve of known British planemakers from 1700
The zenith being around 1850
Compiled by WL Goodman
In addition to the peak of English makers at 140 (in one year), there were 32 Canadian planemakers identified so far. Of these the census of 1871 found 7 in operation (6 in Quebec, 1 in Ontario) and they had a combined output of 17,000 planes that year alone
The next census of interest is in 1901 were we found that the Quebec plane production was about 700-1000 planes per workers, per year, for a combined output of 7,000 to 10,000 planes from Roxton Pond alone.
And lets not forget the Americans. In Nov 1854, Greenfield Tool Co by itself produced 11,900 planes.
After an early start in the early 1700s, numerous apprentices turned tool makers came and went on their own, but by the second quarter of the 19th century, the introduction of machines, the use of water and steam power and the great improvements in communication (Post office, Telegraph) and transportation (water canals, more and better roads, railroads) led to the formation of large companies aided by catalog sales and ever expanding markets
Interestingly this increase demands ended up making
the use of convict labour on both side of the US-Canada border.
Auburn tools NY (US) and JP Millener Kingston On (Cdn) used prison labour contracts until banned.
Some of the largest plane factories in USA were
H. Chapin / Union Factory, New Hartford CT 1828-97
Arrowmammett, Middletown CT 1836-57
Greenfield Tool Co, Greenfield MA 1851-83
Auburn Tool C, Auburn NY 1864-93
Ohio Tool Co, Columbus OH 1851-1920
Sandusky Tool Co, Sandusky OH 1869-1925
In the US alone there were over 5380 different imprints (makers or hardware dealers marks) identified in the 2003 edition of the Field guide to the makers of American Wooden Plane
In case you were trying to keep tab on it all, yes, that is a lot of planes that was made and is awaiting to be found out there. And not surprisingly, I do happened to have planes from each of these major manufacturers and they do turned up often in my travels for rust hunting.
Of all these planes manufactured, the ones showing up the most in records are the moulding planes. Not surprisingly since that was the high demands for the ever changing tastes in the moulding du jour that spurred the manufactures of planes on a large scale
And finally, this rather large numbers of moulding planes, required to keep up with all the changing style, became a problem looking for a solution...
A problem looking for a solution or was it the other way around?
First solution was to standardise on a given lenght of 9-1/2 inch in the early 1800s. Earlier planes varies from 10-1/2 inches to no less than 9 inch, creating storage difficulties inside tool chest.
A problem? Well yes, you try to lug around a large quantities of plane of various sizes!
Some of the earlier planes are sometimes found truncated to fit nicely alongside their newer brethens... if they were cut on the toe, the maker stamp would be lost :-(
The other solutions were all aimed at reducing the number of specialized tools required.
Using a set of Hollows & Rounds, a Rabbet plane and a Snipe bill plane, you could reproduces just about any moulding profiles. But the number of H&Rs needed can blossom rather quickly.
A half set still numbered 18 planes, add the rabbet and the snipe bill and you are down to 20 planes, hopefully of all the same lengths.
Next solution was the introduction of the
metallic combination planes. Inspired by the Plough planes of old, by using a varieties of cutter and using skate(s) as a sole, one can make “some” of the simpler mouldings. This solution was culminated by the introduction of the Stanley No 55 Universal plane, a Moulding mill in its own.
Ooooh look at all the profiles it can do...
The Masochist's dream plane, the Stanley No 55
Pic from Hans Brunner tools
This ever larger need for mouldings could not be satisfied by handplanes alone, behold the rise of the circular cutter.
First in pedal powered machines (Former or Shaper Barnes machinery 1886), and planers/moulders in line shafted machinery, then with electrification came the modern electric portable routers and the electric planers/moulders, shaper eliminating the need for all these wondrous planes... or did they??
The Barnes Foot Powered Former
A machine for making mouldings up to 7/8 in with replaceable cutters
The speed of the knife is between 20 to 25 hundreds RPMs (2500 RPM) and the machine cost $20.
Not as fast, nor has the range of a steam powered former, costing $150-200 but very versatile
Yes, today you can now make moulding run of any length all day long with CNC machines and etc, but it remains a small inconvenience, or better said, a limitation, with a circular profile cutter...
It cannot reproduce negative spaces, given the material used and the speed they are spinning, there are profiles that just cannot be executed with a circular cutter(s)
A sample variety of router's cutters purporting to replace 10 moulding planes
Not as many adjustments to tweak like on the No 55 plane, but still takes time to set up
Pic from MLCS website
Ironically, such profiles are easily executed with these wondrous moulding planes.
You can either used a close enough router bit shape and then cleaned up and modify the shape using a few judicious use of H&Rs for example, or you can simply design your own profile to suit your needs and scale, with the tools you have at your disposition... in your stash of moulding planes...
Next part: Characteristics that help identify their provenance and relative age
Bob, who survived the summer heat waves of 2018
Indeed, it could be had been much worse...
