I recently purchased this plane on Ebay without doing any research. After reading up on some of the Bailey planes I learned they made some lesser quality aluminum planes. I have not received this item in the mail yet. Maybe some one here can identify it and let me know if I have made a mistake. I am just getting serious in pursuing a hobby in wood working, and am trying to purchase some tools. Up until this point I have been purchasing power tools such as planer, jointer, table saw, routers, and that type of equipment, but I am learning that if you want to make high quality furniture you need to have hand tool skills and quality hand tools to make a piece look hand made and not mass produced in some factory.
Replies
Hopefully one of the Stanley experts will chime in but it looks like yer basic #5 to me. I've got 2 of 'em.
Pete
I don't know if you've made a mistake, but if you want to know if it's aluminum, try to stick a magnet to it.
If you're a guy with more time than money, try to fettle this thing up and get to making shavings.
If you can find someone near you to help you out (you'll know what a well-adjusted plane feels like if someone puts one in your hand and you run it over some wood), great, if not, there are good books (Garret Hack's book on planes is good) and videos (the Rob Cosman DVDs and the David Charlesworth DVDs are excellent) that show you how to maintain, sharpen and use hand planes.
If it were made of aluminum, the number on the toe would be 'A5'
It looks like a standard production #5 to me. Fettle (tune) it up and start making shavings. It's a good user plane.
SawdustSteve
Based on the fact that it has the raised area at the toe and heel as well as the large plastic adjuster knob, it's a #5 made close to WWII. The lever cap doesn't appear original because it doesn't have STANLEY on it. Go to http://www.supertools.com and you can see lots of info on these and all other Stanley planes.
You really can not determine the vintage for certain unless you look at some detail of a diassembeld plane. Please read the info on this site, it has good data and hints to identify real ones and how to detect fakes.
http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan9.htm
Edited 6/24/2006 6:26 am ET by jeffsherow
The site reference you listed is the same site I used after I had bought it, and found out some of these planes are of lesser quality. The problem I was having was determining if it was a 5C, A5, or a 5S. I suppose I will have to wait until it arrives in the mail and check it out. Thank You for your reply.
The raised rib didn't show up until wartime but either way, if you can get it to work well, that's all that counts. The vintage becomes strictly academic at that point. Flatten the sole, hone the iron and get after it! I bought a British made #4 Bailey and was a little disappointed that it wasn't very collectible but after tuning it up, it's better than I had exepcted it to be and the iron stays sharp for quite a while when planing hard maple. Collectibility isn't the main reason I bought it but was a small consideration. More for knowing the value and prices so I wouldn't pay too much.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Thanks for the reply!!! I'm sure it will probably be fine, but I am worried that I may have paid too much. LIVE AND LEARN.
but either way, if you can get it to work well, that's all that counts. DITTO! Not into planes but I use them almost every day.. Cast Iron, Steel, Aluminusm' If it's flat GO FER IT.I have no idea of the aluminum type they would use.. However, aluminum holds up warplanes! If you drop it may get a dent.. but so does cast iron!
BTW, it may be the picure but is bailey spelt "baley" (i.e., missing the "i"?)
It's just the lighting of the shot.. the I's there, real close to the A... lack of highlight and shadow make it real hard to see...Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
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