Stanley planes by numbers 55

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Stanley 55  Universal Combination Plane

offered 1897 - 1963

11 1/2" long with 52 cutters for early models and 55 cutters for late models.

If you think the Aussie carpenters only went for the cheap 8-cutter ploughs, think again! This is another plane that made it big down under. Any human being with a hint of testosterone usually falls in love with this monster. During the Working with Wood Show in Brisbane at the RNA Showgrounds they ran the Gun Show parallel in some other buildings. I think I have sold more 45s and 55s to gun collectors than woodworkers. It's simply a great looking piece of equipment. Whether it actually works is another matter. Judging by the number of planes still in their original box I have great doubts. Even the prospect of unpacking and assembling a plane with more parts than your average family sedan seems too much. Better leave it in the box. I think the cutters are the real asset in this plane. They cover just about every mould you'll ever need and they fit into a cheaper 45, too!

Packaging: came in wooden box with sliding lid, tin box, cardboard box and wood again with a hinged lid. The cutters came packed either in 4 boxes with labels showing their contents or in one large, double sided and labelled box.

Problems: The more parts a plane has the more of them can be lost. Auxiliary tower frequently missing or incomplete. The shoe on the bottom of the skate is a separate part - it's often missing. Check the L-bracket for chips on the sides. Other frequent absentees include cam rest, short rods, slitter and slitter gauge, beading stop and one or two of the cutters. The slitter is counted as a cutter.

 

instructions PDF

 

 

parts list Stanley 55 htm

 

This is a perfect gunmetal copy of a 55. Patternmakers and foundry workers had the necessary skills to copy any Stanley plane. I have sold just about the entire Stanley range as brass or gunmetal copies. Copies are usually valued a lot less than the original - even though they are a lot harder to find.

Cutters: collectible sets will have all the labels on the boxes intact. They don't just look good, they actually help you to check the contents. What's pictured on the outside is in scale and has to be in the box!
complete set of special cutters for Stanley 55  (the 45 used the same cutters but a reduced set)

 

double sided cutter box late model 55, pictures are just about to scale.