
Happy New Years everyone!
I want to do something this year
that I hope you all will find interesting at least. Each week
I’d like to share a plane from my collection as a “Plane of the
Week”.
I will provide what information I
know about it, and hope that it will encourage good learning and
discussion for all of us.
I will be trying to feature unique
and interesting planes that are outside the “norm”. Please be
sure to leave you’re feedback and comments in some healthy
discussion. I will be adding some info in comments with the
pictures, so be sure to follow along!
I’m going to start with one of the
few American made planes in my collection. I posted the makers
mark, “JP” last week asking for any info. Two members of another
group helped me out with some great info, and I promised to
share the plane details, so here it is.
This plane isn’t in mint condition
by any means, but what’s special about is the size. It’s
massive! Even by crown molding plane standards, which is what
this is.
This plane is 5 1/4” (133mm) wide and 5 5/8” (143mm) with the
user added fence.
It is 15 1/2” (394mm) long. And it boasts a massive 4 7/16”
(113mm) wide single iron!
I don’t recall ever seeing a wider one, although it may of
course exist. The profile of the iron matches the sole perfectly
and because of these reasons, I kinda doubt the iron is a
replacement.

The plane body is made up of a wood
I can’t readily identify. I believe it may be a fruit wood. It’s
quite heavy. I can say with some certainty that it’s not beech,
although the wedge is. The tote has damage and a repair, and may
be a replacement.
The “JP” mark is interesting to me.
It’s well aligned and centred, and right side up to the plane. I
wonder if the maker of this plane was not a plane maker per se,
but a fellow who just made his own planes and marked them
himself.
I have my doubts that this plane
was made by someone else, not marked, and that the JP is just an
owners mark. Difficult to say and William Auld’s planes that
bear similar but slightly different marks bring additional
questions and speculation. Either way, it appears to be an
undocumented mark.

The crown molding plane next to a standard #4
size smoother
( a Sargent made Fulton plane).

The width, 5 1/4” not including the fence.

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