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