It's made of nickel-plated cast iron, and the handle, knob, and fence are of beautiful rosewood. This tool has great "presence" in the hand; the handle is easy to grip, one's hand fits nicely between the fence bars to help guide the tool through its paces, and it's hefty. By the way, the knob is purely decorative. No one I know uses it, as it sits too high to provide control of the tool. But it's pretty.
With this tool, I can plow (cutting a groove along the length of a board), rabbet (or rebate, as our British friends say; cutting a "step" along the edge of a board), dado (cutting a groove across the grain), make several types of beads (sort of a rounded corner with a groove underneath it), and make tongue-and-groove joints for edge gluing boards. It's a truly handy tool to have, and they can still be obtained on Ebay and from antique tool dealers.
Newcomers to handtools might be intimidated by all the adjustment knobs, screws, and knurled nuts. But it's easy to learn what they all do, and doing so gives you an appreciation for the genius that went into designing the #45 and its elegant brother, the Stanley #55.
I'm currently making a set of Barrister's Bookcases, and I used my #45 to cut the dados that will guide the doors when I open them.
With this tool, I can plow (cutting a groove along the length of a board), rabbet (or rebate, as our British friends say; cutting a "step" along the edge of a board), dado (cutting a groove across the grain), make several types of beads (sort of a rounded corner with a groove underneath it), and make tongue-and-groove joints for edge gluing boards. It's a truly handy tool to have, and they can still be obtained on Ebay and from antique tool dealers.
Newcomers to handtools might be intimidated by all the adjustment knobs, screws, and knurled nuts. But it's easy to learn what they all do, and doing so gives you an appreciation for the genius that went into designing the #45 and its elegant brother, the Stanley #55.
I'm currently making a set of Barrister's Bookcases, and I used my #45 to cut the dados that will guide the doors when I open them.
The tool performed perfectly:
If you have the chance to lay hold of a Stanley #45, then I highly recommend that you do. It's an historic tool that was designed and made in an age when quality and craftsmanship reigned. Once you master its use (it's not difficult), you'll feel a fellowship with men from another time, men who could transform a pile of wood into a beautiful desk, table, blanket chest, bookcase, shelf, or whatever, without assistance from the electrical grid.
Fancy, schmancy little de-vice. I have an old wood plane, must be circa Charles I; a family heirloom now, I guess. Don't use it much, but when I do it sure works well. Neat-O.
ReplyDeleteRusty,
ReplyDeleteCan you send me a picture of it?
Wheeler,
ReplyDeleteMy experience at just about all the big-box "home centers" is that I usually have to explain things to the "associates". Most of them don't know a solder lug from Shinola.