A rare and unusual screw arm plough plane by Veal.

The fence on this type of plough is adjusted by long screws housed in hollowed out arms which engage with threaded plates fitted to the main stock.

Similar ploughs (and some fillisters) by makers including Gabriel, Moseley, Sims and Stothert have been found with variations on the ferrules where the large thumb screws are secured.  David Prichard's The Plough Plane book shows examples of a plough and fillister plane on pages 68 and 69.

This is, however, the first one we have seen with what appear to be original fence arm wedges.

The arms are also significantly deeper (15/16") than other examples and have different sized brass ferrules at opposite ends of the arms, please see the first image above.  Arms on the other planes we have seen are 3/4 inch in depth with matching sized ferrules.

Another feature that highlights the quality of this plane is the brass plate to the rear of the blade/wedge mortice.

The depth stop is marked 'T.IBBOTSON', Thomas Ibbotson was the senior partner in Thomas Ibbotson & Co, established in 1814 and listed in directories after 1822.

Now to the maker.

The embossed mark 'I.VEAL' is found upside down on the toe.  This matches the mark shown in BPM 3 and 4 which states 'There are sufficient reports of this mark to possibly suggest a commercial maker but no place of operation has been identified.  A date of around 1800 seems likely'.  After showing the plane to those with greater knowledge than I, it is thought that this mark may be an alternative spelling of Vale, as in John Vale of Birmingham, plane maker in the first half of the 19th century.

Currently part of a private collection.

Enjoy the photos.

Robert Leach

OLD HAND TOOLS