Stanley 4 1/2, 4 1/2H smooth plane

Stanley 4 1/2 smoothing plane

offered 1884 - 1962

10" long with a 2 3/8" cutter

This is a heavy smoothing plane with a wide cutter. Seems to have been very popular in Australia - given the numbers that still come up on eBay and at swap meets etc. However, models with rosewood handles are quite hard to find.

Note crack in handle. Notorious flaw in the majority of Stanley planes. If you fix the handle with glue of the clear superglue type then sand it back and buff it you can just about make the repair invisible - but it's a lot of work and I suspect it will break again if you actually use the plane. As a cosmetic fix it's perfect. I value perfect rosewood in this size more than the actual plane.

Stanley 4 1/2 H

offered 1902 - 1924

same as No 4 1/2 but with an extra thick casting. Rare plane - one of the reasons we all still check and double check those 4 1/2s at swap meets. You can save yourself getting your hands dirty with all those English planes, 4 1/2H were made in America only and they have to be the early type, see pictures below.

Heave castings are also found on later models English planes. The 4 1/2 H is marked with an H behind the front knob.

Frog of the H model is slightly smaller tan the frog of an ordinary 4 1/2 - I found out the hard way when I had to replace one. I bought the matching vintage plane pictured above only to find the frog wouldn't fit because of the extra thick casting. I had to shave off a sliver on both sides to make it fit.