Stanley 98 RH |
A small, elegant plane that Stanley manufactured from 1896 through 1941  , and its companion the Stanley 99 (not shown), formed a pair
of left and right handed side rabbet planes. This plane has a fence to keep the tool from
digging into the bottom of the groove. It does not have an adjuster, which might seem at
first glance an omission. But, as these tools were infrequently used and consequently
infrequently needed adjustment, this was not an issue against them. Justus A. Traunt was
awarded patent No. 533,329 on January 29, 1895 for the tool. Traunt was one of the most
prolific inventors of planes at Stanley. |
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Front view of Stanley 98 with original box. This particular example
is very late and was found in a hardware store new and unused. To see a sparkling example
of a tool that went out of production over fifty years ago is always very exciting. One
thing that is very striking about the very newness of this tool is how well made it is.
The castings and machined surfaces are crisp and carefully fitted for function. The front
surface is ground to a nice matte finish and the edges of the casting are evenly broken to
avoid cuts. Get a closer view of the object (33KB) |
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Back view of Stanley 98 showing fence in place. The short vertical
sole piece in front of the blade unscrewed for close work. You could leave it where it was
for a sole of about 3/4" long, flip it upside down, the "L" shape vanishes
nicely into a recess behind the fence, for a 3/16" sole, or remove it entirely. The
advantage to having a short sole over no sole at all is that even a little bit of
something in front of the blade will help prevent tearout. But, a lot of times the wide
sole is too wide. What is really amazing is the subtly of the design. So simple, so
elegant, so effective, so characteristic of Stanley design. The fence is keyed into the
plane body by a shallow groove to keep the guide straight. Get a closer view of the object (32KB) |
| SPECIFICATIONS | ||
|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS | Length | 4" |
| Cutter Width | 1/2" | |
| Blade Thickness | 0.070" | |
| MATERIALS | Body | Nickel Plated Iron casting |
| GENERAL | Year | C. 1940 |
| Cost in 1939 | US$3.25 | |
Stanley 79 |
| This side rabbet plane is still in production and has been, in one form or another, since 1926. It comes with a long, easy to adjust fence. One thing to recommend over the earlier 98 and 99 pair is that there's no sister tool to wander around the shop and get lost. It is really a joined 98 and 99. The tool retains the ingenoius bullnose attachment. The blades were shortened sightly so that two fit. The longer fence is an improvement and in 1939 the tool sold for the same amount as did a single 98 or 99. |
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Front view - The two screws that clamp onto the blade require a coin
or screwdriver for adjustment. This is sort of an admission of truth that side rabbet
planes are set and used for a long time without resetting (think, for comparison, of a
smooth plane which is resharpened and readjusted constantly and needs a quick, accurate
adjuster mechanism). Get a closer view of the object (44KB) |
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Rear view - The long wide bent metal fence on this tool (here set a
little crooked) makes it a very useful tool. Possibly the easiest to use of the side
rabbet planes in this exhibition. Get a closer view of the object (59KB) |
| SPECIFICATIONS | ||
|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS |
Length | 5 1/2" |
| Cutter Width | 1/8" | |
| Blade Thickness | 0.070" | |
| MATERIALS | Body | Nickel Plated Iron casting |
| GENERAL | Year | C. 1960 |
| Cost in 1939 | US$3.20 | |
Suggested further reading: |
Copyright 1999 01 Inc., NYC