OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

145900 "Mick Dowling" <spacelysprocket@b...> 2005‑05‑16 New member bio. Stanley 13 questions. Marples X4
Hello

I've lurked on and off over the last few years, but have finally decided to
reveal myself in public. My name is Mick Dowling, I'm a 44 year old
carpenter from Melbourne Australia. After reading through the Oldtools lingo
page I feel I should also report that I share my life with 1 x SWMBO and 2 x
GIT. SWMBO collects naught, and so is alien to the whole collecting thing.
GITs are both collectors of all sorts of stuff, and are also potential
carpenters as they like nothing better than banging nails into offcuts of 90
x 45. (2 by 4s just doesn't roll off the tongue)

I've been collecting tools for almost 30 years. Initially I was unaware that
I was a 'collector', nor that 'old tools' was a legitimate branch of the
antique world, but started to get an inkling about 1988 that something was
going on when I spotted an ad in a UK woodworking magazine for an auction of
'Antique and Collectible tools'. The ad was accompanied by a picture of an
Ultimatum brace which well and truly caught my eye, as I'd acquired an
example not long before. The real turning point was during a trip to England
in 1990 when SWMBO and I wandered into an antique shop in Chester and over
the next hour or so had the world of collectible tools revealed to us by
Paul Rougetel.

For the last 5 years I've been a member of the impressively named 'Hand Tool
Preservation Association of Australia'. The HTPAA is probably best known for
its quarterly journal, 'The Tool Chest'. Notice a few oldtools list members
are also HTPAA members.

I collect mostly carpentry and builders tools. Currently interested in
pre-lateral Stanley planes, bricklayers line pins, and tuckpointers
jointers. Recently started collecting Marples tools, not quite sure
why..............

Stanley no.13 circular/compass plane.
Got a couple of these and would like to know which is the earlier model. One
has 4 screws attaching the frog to the main body, the other has one large
central screw doing much the same. I've searched long and hard for a type
study, but none seems to exist.

Marples X4. There was also an X5, roughly the same size as a regular no.5.
The X planes are almost unique. The frog and tote being one piece, similar
to the Buck Rogers, and Veritas planes. The throat is adjustable without
altering the frog. Why aren't all planes made this way? I also learnt from a
ebay item description that the peculiar shape of the lever cap cam is to
assist gripping the plane when using on a shuteboard.

btw. My favourite plane is the Rapier 450 that I was given thirdhand as an
apprentice.

Cheerio

Mick Dowling

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Recent Bios FAQ