| |
Auction templates
(This article appears here in publication for the first time. All photographs courtesy of Brown Auction Services. Prices quoted here and in David Englund's report include the 10% Buyers Premium. - Editor)
THE STARS
Brown's 23rd International Antique Tool Auction, held last October 25 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, offered 808 tools for sale. Of these, a combination match and plow plane by Lewis Bundy of Mooer's Forks NY, patented November 15,1870, stole the show, bringing the top price for the auction: $18,700 (Figure 1).
The center section of Bundy's plane was a double-sided fence with a closed tote on both ends. A plow section, mounted on a pair of square arms on one side of the center section, cut the groove for a tongue and groove joint. Two sections with skew cutters, on the other side of the center section, cut a pair of rabbets for the tongue. Applying the pushing force to the fence, rather than the section doing the cutting, may have caused racking in the arms and joints, making the plane hard to use. It was a handsome and intriguing plane and one of only two known examples.
William S. Loughborough's plow plane patented May 3,1864, ran a close second, selling for $13,750. It was a wonderful example of early technology during the era when metallic plow planes were struggling to take the place of wood plow planes. That was also about the time self-regulating plows and premium wood plows with silver and ivory trim were becoming a status symbols among master joiners. Loughborough's plow was one of the earliest metallic plow planes to solve the problem of parallelism, which it did by using a heavy cast iron fence with integral arms that ran on guides in the plane's body. The heavy fence made the plane awkward to handle, which may account for there being only three known examples that still have the fence (Figure 2).
THE BEST OF STANLEY
When it comes to advertising displays, it will be hard to beat the Stanley "Six Happy Carpenters" window display offered as a complete three-piece display. This display, in mint, never-set-up condition complete with the original printed instructions and custom made carrying case, was a prime example of mid-1930s graphic design and advertising art. It was offered first as three separate lots and then as a combination of the three lots, starting one bid increment above the sum of the three high bids. Collectors clearly wanted the complete threepiece display, and it sold that way to an absentee bidder for $6,820 (Figure 3).
Justus Trauf s hollow and round plane, patented July 30, 1878, was a handled plane body with detachable bottoms and cutters offered in pairs to cut different size hollows and rounds. It went through a number of developmental cycles over an extended period but was never put into production. It was probably an attempt to provide the same functionality and convenience offered by sets of wood hollows and rounds popular with woodworkers since the Eighteenth century. Apparently there were three versions of this plane; the second, and third versions were offered in this auction.
The second version of Traut's hollow & round plane, Lot 333, had turn locks to secure the bottoms and the ivy-vine pattern design on the handle shown in Miller's july 6,1875, patent for the Stanley No.48 tongue and groove plane (Figure 4). This design was used on the handle of several Stanley planes as well as on the L. Bailey's Victor No.14 combination plane offered in 1876. It sold in the room for $6,600 (Figure 4).
The third version of Traut's plane, Lot 760, had a ring and extended horn on the front of the plane body and the pebble design on the handle used on the Stanley No.48 and similar planes offered in 1909 and later. A Stanley shop tag reading "No.150" with a 1920 Sweet Heart trademark was attached to this example. Perhaps The Plane Department at Stanley intended to put it in production in the 1920s, but the production committee decided against it. It sold for $4,510.
The very rare first version of the Stanley No.120 block plane, with the five-point star used on the American flag on the lever cap, was made for less than a year to celebrate the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. It was a bargain at $1,980.
A scarce Stanley No.164 low angle plane in fine condition brought $3,520. A Bed Rock No.602c, late style with corrugated bottom, in Good+ condition sold for $2,310. A No.602, late style smooth bottom in fine condition, brought $1,925.
STANLEY IN THE BOX
There was a good selection of Stanley planes in their original box in exceptional condition in this auction.
A mint No.l plane with a sweetheart trademark, a scarce yellow and blue store tag, and 90% of the box label, sold for $3,190. A super mint No.22, Type 17, transitional smooth plane with the seldom seen late high front knob, in a crispy box, brought $1,870. A very rare factory fresh No.39-13/16 dado plane in a box labeled "13/16" realized $5,060. The label on the box is important because Stanley made these planes by milling down the casting for a No.39-7/8 plane. A super No.62 low angle plane in a lightly scuffed box brought $2,310. A never used, A78 aluminum rabbet plane in a crisp box with an A78 picture label, sold for $2,310. A mint No.85 scraper plane with a rabbet mouth, tilting handles, and full handle label, rarely seen in the box, sold for $6,160.
PATENTED AND METALLIC PLANES
A Mayo's block plane (1875-1879), with an engraved "M" on the lever cap screw and painted the same gold color used on Mayo combination planes rather than the usual black, got a lot of attention in the preview. Bidding in the room was spirited, but it sold to an absentee bidder for $4,730 (Figure 5).
A Morris plow, patented March 21,1871, with scissor arms to maintain parallelism, an open tote, ten original irons, and a nicker, also sold for $4,730.
An eight-inch, boat-shaped smooth plane with a two-inch handle extension was the smallest of the exceptional cache of seven Morris Diamond Metallic planes found together in a toolbox about thirty years ago. It had the recessed diamond pattern sole patented by E. H. Morris, November 8,1870, and the"Boss, Pat'd Ap For" cast under the handle extension. The boat and oval-shaped Morris smooth planes do not have the floral decoration on the top of the bed shown in the patent drawing and used on the three Morris' planes with parallel sides seen in the Sandusky 1877 catalogue. They were not offered for sale in any known Sandusky catalogue, which raises the question: Who made them? Morris' patent claims that the diamond grid pattern in the sole makes it easy to finish the sole of the plane with a file, implying they could be made by hand in a small shop. Because this example was in exceptional condition and had the original wedge, it sold for $4,620.
A wooden smooth plane with Gladwin's patented (February 16, 1858) cutter locking device mounted in the front of the mouth, possibly the only surviving example and from the Paul Kebabian collection, brought $2,200.
LEVELS
A Melick inclinometer level, patented December 3,1889, in superb condition with nearly all of the finish and pin striping except for a scuff in the center of the highest point where it rubbed against the wood box, got a lot of attention from bidders in the room and sold for $5,060.
An extremely rare C. J. Shoff inclinometer level patented October 14,1873, brought $4,840.
An unsigned, but intriguing, triangle-shaped level (Lot 522) marked "Patent Applied For" with three fixed vials and one adjustable vial in the style of Hall & Knapp (just waiting to be researched) sold for $2,860.
A rare and graphic Davis and Cook corner level in superior condition brought $2,310 (Figure 6). Gustavus Cook's December 7,1886, patent claimed the level was made easier to use by mounting the ends of the level vials in sockets held in an open frame, usually circular, so they could be seen from below or above and protecting them with glass on the sides to admit more light.
PLOWPLANESAND OTHER GREAT TOOLS
A No.140 rosewood center wheel self-regulating plow plane by the Sandusky Tool Co, in as found G+ condition, sold for $5,500.
An E. W. Carpenter, Lancaster PA (1791- 1856), rosewood plow plane, nicely highlighted with boxwood arms, nuts, fence, and wedge, in near-fine condition brought a high bid of $4,510. Carpenter's patent was for screw arms threaded into the body of the plow - unlike the typical screw arm plow plane. By turning the arms, the user moved the fence closer to or further away from the body of the plane. The large, nicely shaped knobs on the ends of the arms and the unusual fence brackets gave Carpenter's planes a unique and attractive appearance.
1 -
2 -
Next
Latest www.templatebid.com News
Shift Changes To Save GasTFM, NJ - Jul 3, 2008Recently, using hourly staffing requirements, Shift Schedules created a template to schedule student interns and residents in the Emergency Medicine ... |
Selecon chosen for Deerfield projectL&Si Online (press release), UK - 23 hours ago45 were selected for general accents and to create a template wash for the floor surrounding a sculptural globe. The sculpture, prominently placed at the ... |
Mexico - Future Template for Real Democracy?Gather.com, MA - Jun 30, 2008Due to the amazing and enduring spirit of the nation, Mexico could become a template for what a true democracy is. Mexico and the surrounding regions served ... |
Business Analyst SAP-FI/CO (f/m) / Ref.-Nr.: 81370/1ititpro.com (Abonnement) (Pressemitteilung), Germany - Jul 3, 2008Provide business process and Template expertise on a specific business area. ? Assess market business requirements to establish alignment with Application ... |
|
|
|
