I worked with a guy in a cabinet shop that was a ship right in his earlier days. He claimed that these aluminum planes were a favorite in that field because you often were planing the hull above your head or off a ladder. A cast iron plane would wear your arms out in minutes.
Really cool piece of history! I actually had a thought recently “I wonder if anybody ever tried making planes out of aluminum.” Thanks for the video, James!
your comments about the light weight of the aluminum are on point - I have a transitional the size of a Stanley 6 that I prefer to use - it has most of the adjustments of a steel plane, and is easier to set than a wooden plane, but considerably lighter than a steel plane.
Another rare and unusual aluminium plane is “THE BOSTON” brand, block plane made from aluminium in the United Kingdom. I understand that they were made from the aluminium frames of the Douglas A20 Havoc light bombers, renamed ‘The Boston Bomber’, by the RAF, that were among other aircraft that were stored at the Llandow airfield, Glamorgan, Wales after WW2. By 1946, there were 856 aluminium frames from the plane waiting to be scrapped post WW2. The aluminium block planes were manufactured by the Thomas Machine Company Limited in South Wales and distributed by the Welsh Industries ‘Bridgend’. The models comprise of the Boston No1, 2A and No2. Not sure if there are any other models. The only non aluminium parts are the screws, cross bars and the blades. I recently purchased a 2A and am in the process of cleaning it up as a collectors item.
I love this channel. Damn just don't know where to start . At 65 and just got into woodworking. Small things with limited tools. I'm sorry I never started sooner. At my level sharpening old flea market chisels and making shavings got me started. Thanks for your inspiration for us basic dudes. Your a good man Mr. Wright
I had been thinking of trying to cast a router plane in aluminum or brass but considered the softness of the metal for scratches. This video definitely gives support for that. Maybe a steel plate sole that connects to the aluminum base to get the best of both worlds.
Bronze or brass is actually pretty good for it. You'll see a lot of farm-made hand planes where they stole someone else's Stanley and cast the body in brass or bronze.
I had similar thoughts of casting plane bodies, but one thing to beware in mixing metals is differential thermal expansion. Having a steel plate affixed on the bottom, and an aluminum top, your sole would be warped at any temperature other than the one you assembled it at. A few thousandths of an inch is enough to impact the performance of a bench plane, this might not matter much on a router plane though.
@@AllanMacMillan, true. I think there are multiple issues that could arise. Since it would be physically affixed together rather than welded, casted or glued, I think the effect should be minimal for thermal expansion. Then again, there always are when building things with casting rather than steel casting or machining. Currently, I have access to 3D printing and starting to learn to cast metal. If all else fails, a transition plane of sorts could be made with aluminum or brass body/frog with wooden sole/handles.
Brass would be better if you're going to mix metals. I'm pretty sure steel and aluminum would be more prone to dissimilar metal corrosion than with brass and aluminum.
I was thinking the same thing for normal planes, with the exception of plating them. Copper first for making them flat, then nickel for hardness and durability. Then maybe brass for the look. What I was wondering is this issue of "mass" . It seems to me that if the mass keeps you going then it takes power to get the mass going in the first place. So do lighter planes work well or not??
loved the historical perspective. All I have ever heard was Aluminum was a bad idea, but hearing the history I can see why they made them, and why they weren't popular.
Wild! I bought an aluminum Craftsman plane with a square 4 sided iron last summer. It looks hardly ever used except for the gouged up sole. It was cheap and complete but it may just be a novelty for me.
You made a point that reminds me of a video Rex Krueger did where he made a plane with an aluminum body. He had the same problem with aluminum rubbing into the wood. I think he solved it by applying wax to the sole and it seemed to work pretty well
A similar video but with Stanley's steel planes (S4, S5) would be pretty cool! I don't know if you own any, but if you do, seeing some more information on them would be great to watch.
Thanks for the information, I've got an A series plane that I plan to clean up one day. I always assumed it was a result of war-time steel shortage. Thanks for clarifying. I also wondered how they compared to wood or steel bodied plane. I can see aluminum being both a pro and con for the reasons you mentioned. In the end, the lack of demand clearly sealed the fate of aluminum planes.
I noticed that there is no "Bailey" branding on this plane. Interesting. It could be that Bailey's original patent called for a cast iron body and frog, so Stanley might have not branded it as a Bailey for that reason. OTOH, Stanley applied the Bailey brand to bench planes with the lateral adjustment feature, which Leonard Bailey did not patent..
Right on. Transitional planes were the tool that was used to wean people off of wooden planes. A lot of the old cabinet makers didn't want to switch to the metal body planes when they started becoming common. And so Stanley and others produced transitional planes to show people who liked wooden planes, the functionality of the metal plans.
great video!!! I like the history of planes. this is great content. I've recently gotten into the old stanley gage planes. I'd like to hear a history of the gage plane. If you know anything about those.
Yeah... I remember a while ago when Rex Kruger made an aluminium plane... He didn't like it very much in the end. 😬 Anyway, stay safe there with your family, James! 🖖😊
If you want to bring out a sheen in your aluminum plane, take it apart and put the body into a pan of simmering water, add apple peels and cores. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes, rinse and dry with a soft towel.
I've never seen an aluminium plane here in the UK. Were the A-series purely a US development, or did Stanley produce an 'aluminium' (UK) version as well?
How about transitional planes as a lightweight alternative to cast iron. Lower friction and all the adjustability of a bailey plane. I've got 1 fully restored and another that I'm going to modify with a longer body to use for jointing. Should be a fun project... I hope. What are the down sides?
Great video as always !!! At least they were trying to innovate and that always lead to good and bad ideas but that's just the way it works, trial and errors !!!
Kind of odd how they made the A series for a lighter plane when the transitionals were a thing. I guess they were seen as too old school because of the wood. I like my no. 26, pretty handy and lighter than the no. 5. I swear it feels more front heavy though due to it's odd balance with the tote being so far away from the frog. It would have been nice if they updated the design a bit more than they did during the later productions with the change in depth adjuster screw and using threaded inserts to hold the frog down using machine screws instead of wood screws. Preferrably with how Sargent attached the frog. The cast frame was threaded so it attached there instead of through it and into the wood sole. I have a transitional smoother made by them and wouldn't really hesitate replacing it's sole compared to the Stanley. I don't have a drill press to accurately drill the holes for the inserts lol.
I thought normal Stanley planes were cast iron, not steel. In fact, didn't Stanley also do a series that was actually made from steel? The S4, S5, and so on.
Titanium planes would be great, light, strong and no corrosion (except like aluminium a thing surface oxide coat) .... but the price would be astronomical (and good luck flattening them if you need to).
there was no A1. sadly, but that would be quite the collectors piece! I believe they only made A4, A5, and A6, but they also made A78, A71 and I am fairly sure there were a few more.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo . Now that aluminum alloys are available , maybe its possible to think of an A plane that doesn’t leave marks on wood ! How someone gives it a try!
@@WoodByWrightHowTo Actually related to this, is there any technique for planing that actually works this way? I can see it would be better just to figure out how to do it right, but sometimes I just want to know the state visually.
not that I know of. though there was a lot of farmers, and others with more time then money, borrowing a friends cast iron to use it as a form and casting their own out of aluminum or brass.
I have a all aluminum 11/2 " wide plane with oh boy on the front and never rust and won't break on either side of the open aluminum handle. I cannot find even a picture anywhere lol please help I am willing to ship it to you
If I restore a plane for my own use and have to strip the japanning, then I paint it my shop blue. If I am going to be using it for the next few decades, then that makes me happy!
I worked with a guy in a cabinet shop that was a ship right in his earlier days. He claimed that these aluminum planes were a favorite in that field because you often were planing the hull above your head or off a ladder. A cast iron plane would wear your arms out in minutes.
I love my wooden planes... they slide so nicely over the wood. A pretty big set of skills to adjust them. The transitional planes are the sweet spot.
Really cool piece of history! I actually had a thought recently “I wonder if anybody ever tried making planes out of aluminum.” Thanks for the video, James!
your comments about the light weight of the aluminum are on point - I have a transitional the size of a Stanley 6 that I prefer to use - it has most of the adjustments of a steel plane, and is easier to set than a wooden plane, but considerably lighter than a steel plane.
I know you said a lot about aluminum planes but all I can think about is how awesome that Dadalorian shirt is!!!
Another rare and unusual aluminium plane is “THE BOSTON” brand, block plane made from aluminium in the United Kingdom. I understand that they were made from the aluminium frames of the Douglas A20 Havoc light bombers, renamed ‘The Boston Bomber’, by the RAF, that were among other aircraft that were stored at the Llandow airfield, Glamorgan, Wales after WW2. By 1946, there were 856 aluminium frames from the plane waiting to be scrapped post WW2. The aluminium block planes were manufactured by the Thomas Machine Company Limited in South Wales and distributed by the Welsh Industries ‘Bridgend’. The models comprise of the Boston No1, 2A and No2. Not sure if there are any other models. The only non aluminium parts are the screws, cross bars and the blades. I recently purchased a 2A and am in the process of cleaning it up as a collectors item.
Very well done and informative sir James. Here I always assumed A's were a result from war. Ty
I love this channel. Damn just don't know where to start . At 65 and just got into woodworking. Small things with limited tools. I'm sorry I never started sooner. At my level sharpening old flea market chisels and making shavings got me started. Thanks for your inspiration for us basic dudes. Your a good man Mr. Wright
I had been thinking of trying to cast a router plane in aluminum or brass but considered the softness of the metal for scratches. This video definitely gives support for that. Maybe a steel plate sole that connects to the aluminum base to get the best of both worlds.
Bronze or brass is actually pretty good for it. You'll see a lot of farm-made hand planes where they stole someone else's Stanley and cast the body in brass or bronze.
I had similar thoughts of casting plane bodies, but one thing to beware in mixing metals is differential thermal expansion. Having a steel plate affixed on the bottom, and an aluminum top, your sole would be warped at any temperature other than the one you assembled it at. A few thousandths of an inch is enough to impact the performance of a bench plane, this might not matter much on a router plane though.
@@AllanMacMillan, true. I think there are multiple issues that could arise. Since it would be physically affixed together rather than welded, casted or glued, I think the effect should be minimal for thermal expansion.
Then again, there always are when building things with casting rather than steel casting or machining. Currently, I have access to 3D printing and starting to learn to cast metal.
If all else fails, a transition plane of sorts could be made with aluminum or brass body/frog with wooden sole/handles.
Brass would be better if you're going to mix metals. I'm pretty sure steel and aluminum would be more prone to dissimilar metal corrosion than with brass and aluminum.
I was thinking the same thing for normal planes, with the exception of plating them. Copper first for making them flat, then nickel for hardness and durability. Then maybe brass for the look.
What I was wondering is this issue of "mass" . It seems to me that if the mass keeps you going then it takes power to get the mass going in the first place. So do lighter planes work well or not??
You always enlighten me on things I never thought of. Keep all the information coming. Thank you James Keep it up
I have a couple aluminum block planes just as collector items
You keep coming up with super interesting points, thanks James!
Thanks for this. Its a really well articulated narrative to the story of these planes. Man I love this channel !
WOW, nice catch/find James, did not know that anyone made alu planes, very interesting.
loved the historical perspective. All I have ever heard was Aluminum was a bad idea, but hearing the history I can see why they made them, and why they weren't popular.
Thanks for the interesting topic. Bad timing on Stanley for introducing a different material into their plane.
Wild! I bought an aluminum Craftsman plane with a square 4 sided iron last summer. It looks hardly ever used except for the gouged up sole. It was cheap and complete but it may just be a novelty for me.
Great Scott! I think they sold those at twin pines mall! I traded some Libyans some pinball machine parts for one.
You made a point that reminds me of a video Rex Krueger did where he made a plane with an aluminum body. He had the same problem with aluminum rubbing into the wood. I think he solved it by applying wax to the sole and it seemed to work pretty well
Very interesting history, James! Thanks!
Awesome video! Didn’t know they made aluminum planes!
A similar video but with Stanley's steel planes (S4, S5) would be pretty cool! I don't know if you own any, but if you do, seeing some more information on them would be great to watch.
those are harder to find.
Cool share. Thanks.
Ya I'm one that thought it was cause of war great info there James! Almost called ya rex 😂
Thanks for the information, I've got an A series plane that I plan to clean up one day. I always assumed it was a result of war-time steel shortage. Thanks for clarifying. I also wondered how they compared to wood or steel bodied plane. I can see aluminum being both a pro and con for the reasons you mentioned. In the end, the lack of demand clearly sealed the fate of aluminum planes.
Awesome ! I've seen some aluminium blades at far-east dealers. A perfect match ;)
I can let you borrow my Steel 4 & 5 to do another video! ;)
Seeing em at that trade show got ya wanting to be able to tell more about em huh lol I feel ya
yup that is why I go to the tool shows now. I always see interesting tools to make a video about!
I noticed that there is no "Bailey" branding on this plane. Interesting. It could be that Bailey's original patent called for a cast iron body and frog, so Stanley might have not branded it as a Bailey for that reason. OTOH, Stanley applied the Bailey brand to bench planes with the lateral adjustment feature, which Leonard Bailey did not patent..
they have different types where the Bailey came off the planes at different times, but the A series never had it.
Maybe transitional planes were a better option for people who where used to wooden planes but wanted the adjustments of metal planes?
Right on. Transitional planes were the tool that was used to wean people off of wooden planes. A lot of the old cabinet makers didn't want to switch to the metal body planes when they started becoming common. And so Stanley and others produced transitional planes to show people who liked wooden planes, the functionality of the metal plans.
great video!!! I like the history of planes. this is great content. I've recently gotten into the old stanley gage planes. I'd like to hear a history of the gage plane. If you know anything about those.
That would be a fun one!
did Stanley make aluminum versions of 1 through 8, or just a few of them?
I believe it was just the number for five and six. I have never seen a one two or three and I don't think I've seen a seven or eight.
Yeah... I remember a while ago when Rex Kruger made an aluminium plane... He didn't like it very much in the end. 😬
Anyway, stay safe there with your family, James! 🖖😊
If you want to bring out a sheen in your aluminum plane, take it apart and put the body into a pan of simmering water, add apple peels and cores. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes, rinse and dry with a soft towel.
I have a much newer POS aluminum framed Stanley. I converted it to a scrub plane. Fixed frog and all basicly junk.
And I love my lightweight wood body n wood soul planes!
I've never seen an aluminium plane here in the UK. Were the A-series purely a US development, or did Stanley produce an 'aluminium' (UK) version as well?
Never mind. I just saw the end of the video! lmao
Lol I'm glad the joke could answer the question. Yes they were never made in England.
How about transitional planes as a lightweight alternative to cast iron. Lower friction and all the adjustability of a bailey plane. I've got 1 fully restored and another that I'm going to modify with a longer body to use for jointing. Should be a fun project... I hope. What are the down sides?
right on. those had fallen out of fashion by the time of the A series but they are in my book the best option if you want lighter.
Mystery solved. Thanks!
Great video as always !!! At least they were trying to innovate and that always lead to good and bad ideas but that's just the way it works, trial and errors !!!
Kind of odd how they made the A series for a lighter plane when the transitionals were a thing. I guess they were seen as too old school because of the wood. I like my no. 26, pretty handy and lighter than the no. 5. I swear it feels more front heavy though due to it's odd balance with the tote being so far away from the frog. It would have been nice if they updated the design a bit more than they did during the later productions with the change in depth adjuster screw and using threaded inserts to hold the frog down using machine screws instead of wood screws.
Preferrably with how Sargent attached the frog. The cast frame was threaded so it attached there instead of through it and into the wood sole. I have a transitional smoother made by them and wouldn't really hesitate replacing it's sole compared to the Stanley. I don't have a drill press to accurately drill the holes for the inserts lol.
I thought normal Stanley planes were cast iron, not steel. In fact, didn't Stanley also do a series that was actually made from steel? The S4, S5, and so on.
very true. I misspoke.
Titanium planes would be great, light, strong and no corrosion (except like aluminium a thing surface oxide coat) .... but the price would be astronomical (and good luck flattening them if you need to).
Modern alternativte: titanium planes! With Titanium nitride plated sole for extra ware-resistance.
now that would be fun!
A question: which ones were A planes? Was there ever an A1 or an A2? Or were there only A4s and A5s?
there was no A1. sadly, but that would be quite the collectors piece! I believe they only made A4, A5, and A6, but they also made A78, A71 and I am fairly sure there were a few more.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo . Now that aluminum alloys are available , maybe its possible to think of an A plane that doesn’t leave marks on wood ! How someone gives it a try!
@@WoodByWrightHowTo there was also an A45. I'm not sure if the 55 was ever made in Al?
If aluminum rubbed off on the high spots wouldn’t that be helpful to know where to plane material off?
until it is flat. then it is all a high spot.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo Actually related to this, is there any technique for planing that actually works this way? I can see it would be better just to figure out how to do it right, but sometimes I just want to know the state visually.
i’ve seen aluminium plane totes is there a reason for those
Stanly sold those as a cheaper option for replacement totes or for Shop classes where they may be dropped often.
Do you know if anyone else like Record also tried out aluminum?
not that I know of. though there was a lot of farmers, and others with more time then money, borrowing a friends cast iron to use it as a form and casting their own out of aluminum or brass.
You need an aluminum tote for that plane.
Lol I almost purchased one for it.
Why not another metal like bronce or brass?
1:08
@@What_Other_Hobbies yes, but why Stanley did not use it?
Most of the time people wanted a lighter plane rather than a heavier plane. The desire for something heavier than steel is something relatively new.
@@diegoguerra8736 Some recast in brass or bronze, but stanley did not make any.
Weekday first!!!
Woot woot. Nice work on the first
Aluminium
I have a all aluminum 11/2 " wide plane with oh boy on the front and never rust and won't break on either side of the open aluminum handle.
I cannot find even a picture anywhere lol please help I am willing to ship it to you
Feel free to send me some pictures. I go ahead and pick her up
@@WoodByWrightHowTo my wife was able to send pics through Instagram 🙂
@@WoodByWrightHowTo thank you
@@WoodByWrightHowTo my wife was able to send you pics through Instagram
I just responded to her. But if you want to send me an email jameswright@woodbywright.com
$4.20 huh 🔥
Why are all your planes blue when japaning is the norm
If I restore a plane for my own use and have to strip the japanning, then I paint it my shop blue. If I am going to be using it for the next few decades, then that makes me happy!
Titanium planes.
thanks for sharing! ... they sound like they might be okay to let kids use, i suppose...
Sorry, but I can’t think of any tool which would be improved by making it out of aluminium.
A non-sparking hammer.
We used aluminum hammers doe working on brass molds so the aluminum would not ding the brass.