The “opposite Corn Exchange” imprint on the plane was a “find us” reference for the old tyme shop which made that plow plane. Everyone would have known where the Corn Exchange was located.
A corn exchange is literally that; a place where farmers used to go to sell their crops to merchants. I guess that toolmaker had their premises opposite the one in York 🙂 Nice video, I love seeing these old planes in action. I recently sold one like that last one you had, I'm kind of wishing I hadn't now!
The Corn Exchange in York was built in 1870, at the junction of Clifford Street and King Street, consisting of the exchange rooms themselves and an attached warehouse. There may have been an older exchange on the same site, replaced by the current Victorian building, or an older one might have been located elsewhere (York suffers quite badly from flooding when the Ouse can't cope, so as the city -- which tripled in size from 1800 to 1900 -- became more built up it would have made sense to move something as critical as the warehouse to higher ground). Today the building is a theatre and opera house, but you can still see a few remaining blocks of 18-19th century buildings opposite it (on both streets). None of them are workshops now, just cafes and mini-supermarkets. If you want to find the likely age and provenance of your plane, you'd need to contact the York Central Library and see if they have any record of a J Bland renting or owning a property on either of those streets. (I have had a quick skim through the National Archives and the library's online records, but there's nothing obvious there.)
Good video. I don't have any of the old wooden routers, yet, but I do have a Stanley 71 without the depth adjuster. To fine tune my cut once I'm near my final depth, I put an old playing card on either side of the dado, set the plane on the cards, drop the iron into the cut, lock the blade in place, and remove the cards. Now I can remove a playing card's thickness from the bottom of the dado.
Multiple wooden planes versus one Stanley 45. Here in Australia, I mainly see wooden planes in antique stores as collectables not as workshop users. That said, we have some local makers producing excellent modern versions.
Just subscribed. Excellent review of the many different planes for grooving, dadoeing and rabbeting. I'm envious of your beautiful planes. Thank you for sharing.
Just seen this video. ‘Opposite Corn Exchange’ is a location in the City of York. Located in Yorkshire in the north of England, York in times gone by used to be one of Englands major Cities. Just found your channel recently and find it both informative and interesting. Thank you. (I used to live near to York)
Thanks for sharing. As a hand tool woodworker, I can't imagine being without my hand router plane or my plough plane. They are too useful and used too frequently to be without.
These are near unobtanium here in asia meaning some DIY is needed if you want to go unplugged. My own router is made from an allen wrench...primitive but works surprisingly well...
Whereas here in the UK they're so common as to be almost worthless. Nobody really has a use for them now. I spoke to one guy the other day that says he burns them for firewood 🙁
Great overview. I recently picked up some wood body dado planes like you're showing and hope to put them to good use - the first project showed them to be almost as efficient as a table saw considering you don't have to set up the dado blade, plus safer, quieter, and more fun! The groove plane I picked up (with no matching tongue) had a cracked iron about halfway up, so I welded it back together and filed it back to size - works fine on a quick test. This category of planes opens up a whole category of joints that I'd otherwise be making with power tools or making slowly and ugly with chisels.
I see these types of planes quite often in the antique stores but are always missing their blades so I an reluctant to spend the money on them. How hard is it to create new blades?
Nice informative video, I was surprised that you did not point to the row of planes above the window to show that you were just scratching the surface with the almost infinite number of molding planes out there. Other TH-camrs such as Rex Kreuger show you how to make your own router and rabbet planes with nothing more than some wood and a chisel.
Hey guys, any info on the rabbet plane at around 3:01? Looks quite unusual: iron is closer to the front than usual, a distinct wedge shape, dense dark wood and very slender chamfers. My guess it's a shop made tool by a craftsman of German or Scandinavian descent working a ship building trade.
Dictum has a quite cheap tongue and groove set, probably made by mujingfang. I only own the groove plane, but i use it a lot. In fact, i use it more than my adjustable groove plane. But, as a continental European: I like my sliding dovetail plane the most ;)
If it is an irregular curve that you have just made up on the fly it would be difficult to plane up. But if you are going to make repeated curves you can have a pattern that you use every time and you could make your self a plane that can follow that profile.
Nice informative video about joinery planes! I have just gotten one of those fancy plow planes, but the wooden nuts are stuck. Any tips to loosen those nuts? I'm afraid to break something if i crank to hard on them.
The “opposite Corn Exchange” imprint on the plane was a “find us” reference for the old tyme shop which made that plow plane. Everyone would have known where the Corn Exchange was located.
A corn exchange is literally that; a place where farmers used to go to sell their crops to merchants. I guess that toolmaker had their premises opposite the one in York 🙂 Nice video, I love seeing these old planes in action. I recently sold one like that last one you had, I'm kind of wishing I hadn't now!
The Corn Exchange in York was built in 1870, at the junction of Clifford Street and King Street, consisting of the exchange rooms themselves and an attached warehouse. There may have been an older exchange on the same site, replaced by the current Victorian building, or an older one might have been located elsewhere (York suffers quite badly from flooding when the Ouse can't cope, so as the city -- which tripled in size from 1800 to 1900 -- became more built up it would have made sense to move something as critical as the warehouse to higher ground).
Today the building is a theatre and opera house, but you can still see a few remaining blocks of 18-19th century buildings opposite it (on both streets). None of them are workshops now, just cafes and mini-supermarkets. If you want to find the likely age and provenance of your plane, you'd need to contact the York Central Library and see if they have any record of a J Bland renting or owning a property on either of those streets. (I have had a quick skim through the National Archives and the library's online records, but there's nothing obvious there.)
I would assume that plane is from the 1800s.
Good video. I don't have any of the old wooden routers, yet, but I do have a Stanley 71 without the depth adjuster. To fine tune my cut once I'm near my final depth, I put an old playing card on either side of the dado, set the plane on the cards, drop the iron into the cut, lock the blade in place, and remove the cards. Now I can remove a playing card's thickness from the bottom of the dado.
Multiple wooden planes versus one Stanley 45. Here in Australia, I mainly see wooden planes in antique stores as collectables not as workshop users. That said, we have some local makers producing excellent modern versions.
Just subscribed. Excellent review of the many different planes for grooving, dadoeing and rabbeting. I'm envious of your beautiful planes. Thank you for sharing.
I've got most of these planes, but I still love hearing you guys talk about them!
Just seen this video. ‘Opposite Corn Exchange’ is a location in the City of York. Located in Yorkshire in the north of England, York in times gone by used to be one of Englands major Cities. Just found your channel recently and find it both informative and interesting. Thank you. (I used to live near to York)
Thanks for sharing. As a hand tool woodworker, I can't imagine being without my hand router plane or my plough plane. They are too useful and used too frequently to be without.
Excellent explanation of useful planes that tend to get left on the top shelf. Thanks!
Thank you for the info. Also, I completely agree that wood body tools are the best.
Also, those big electron powered things should be really named "handheld mills" and "a router" should be reserved for our beloved tools forever.
Excellent tips, dude! Thanks a bunch! 😊
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
These are near unobtanium here in asia meaning some DIY is needed if you want to go unplugged. My own router is made from an allen wrench...primitive but works surprisingly well...
Whereas here in the UK they're so common as to be almost worthless. Nobody really has a use for them now. I spoke to one guy the other day that says he burns them for firewood 🙁
If youve not already check out Rex Krueger, his channels full pf tutorials on making your own speciality planes
You can also use a router plane to clean up tenons
Great overview. I recently picked up some wood body dado planes like you're showing and hope to put them to good use - the first project showed them to be almost as efficient as a table saw considering you don't have to set up the dado blade, plus safer, quieter, and more fun!
The groove plane I picked up (with no matching tongue) had a cracked iron about halfway up, so I welded it back together and filed it back to size - works fine on a quick test.
This category of planes opens up a whole category of joints that I'd otherwise be making with power tools or making slowly and ugly with chisels.
So informative as always and really enjoy the no bs approach.
I see these types of planes quite often in the antique stores but are always missing their blades so I an reluctant to spend the money on them. How hard is it to create new blades?
Nice informative video, I was surprised that you did not point to the row of planes above the window to show that you were just scratching the surface with the almost infinite number of molding planes out there. Other TH-camrs such as Rex Kreuger show you how to make your own router and rabbet planes with nothing more than some wood and a chisel.
Hi I made my own router plane out of 200 year old reclaimed oak,works well I love it.
Thanks, great lesson.
What would be the most useful sizes for a dado, rebate and plough planes? Thank you.
Thats alot of wood! How do you prevent from termites?
Hey guys, any info on the rabbet plane at around 3:01? Looks quite unusual: iron is closer to the front than usual, a distinct wedge shape, dense dark wood and very slender chamfers. My guess it's a shop made tool by a craftsman of German or Scandinavian descent working a ship building trade.
Actually more likely an English plane. Most German and Scandinavian tool are from lighter colored woods like Beech.
Damn I didn’t received a notification:(
Cheers Mike !
Dictum has a quite cheap tongue and groove set, probably made by mujingfang. I only own the groove plane, but i use it a lot. In fact, i use it more than my adjustable groove plane.
But, as a continental European: I like my sliding dovetail plane the most ;)
Is there a way to use hand tools to cut a groove that follows a curve? I’m sure this is a limited use tool but just curious if it exists?
If it is an irregular curve that you have just made up on the fly it would be difficult to plane up. But if you are going to make repeated curves you can have a pattern that you use every time and you could make your self a plane that can follow that profile.
Nice informative video about joinery planes!
I have just gotten one of those fancy plow planes, but the wooden nuts are stuck. Any tips to loosen those nuts? I'm afraid to break something if i crank to hard on them.
Yup the dedicated T&G are much better than me Stanley 45
😊