My Hendey planer is 140 years old!

Hi,

This is my first new thread, hopefully I can upload pictures.

This nice planer was in a local used machine dealer office 50 years ago. I purchased it when they liquidated the firm after the owner passed away.

I have found out that is a very early Hendey probably from 1870. It is the same as pictured in the American Planer,shaper and slotter book.

I have had fun with it at the NAMES and Cabin Fever Model shows.

Do the records for these machines go back to single digit S/N's?

Bill

We must have photographic proof of all such claims ! Please try again....dying to see it.

I seem to remember Hendeyman mentioning that very few (if any) of the early records survived. That may be the case but I'm sure the good folks on here can make an educated guess as to its age.

Yes, pictures please!

Might be the same one I saw in Toledo a year or two ago, Hendey serial number 3. A little hand powered planer, maybe 12 inch table travel. Quite the cutie. Waiting for pix.

Planers of that era didn't have serial numbers.

I can't find the camera right now, this is the best I can do right now.

The planer is identical to the top picture except there is no vice and a nicely made forged handle.

Page Title

Yes it is the one that was at Toledo 2 and 3 years ago. S/N 3.

Maybe some didn't have numbers but this one has many of the fitted parts marked with the same #3 and a 3 in the center of the crossrail support.

When I get the camera found I will post some Pix.

Bill

Lot numbers

Many older metal working manufactures did not use serial numbers on their machines. They marked a "lot" number on all the parts of machines, so it could be disassembled after initial fitting, for painting, then carefully reassembled for sale or shipment.

I have seen this practice on some machines built much later (1950's) that did have serial numbers, along with a "lot" number stamped on every part of the machine.

Think how labor intensive it would have been to stamp an increasing number on every part manufactured for a machine. Likely to run out of space for the number on those small parts.

Run into an incident recently where the print specified a specific serial on a part. That specific part was damaged before assembly, and they had to gather all the "responsible parties" to revise the print to allow installation of another part in its place. The "responsible parties" were convinced the revision needed to specify a specific part number but not a specific serial number, to avoid another incident like this again.

Ray

Timekiller you are correct. That is not a serial number.

I am waiting impatiently for pics. ......

The first of the pictures.

View attachment 25999

View attachment 26000

I will upload more later.

I dont see any pics?

Yup. That isn't working. No pix at the link.

A lot of early machine tools were marked in "planemaking tradition."

A planemaker would make between 5 and 7 nearly identical planes in a single group. He would cut all the stock first, and then do successive identical operations on each piece, but always the same operation repetitively. He would level all the soles, and then cut the mortises, and then cut the cheeks (to hold the wooden wedge), and then attach the handles if there was one.

Each plane would be marked with a number, usually 1 through 7 although it could be A through G or Roman numerals I through VII - just enough so that the planemaker could keep track of each assembly separately and "fit" parts together into a completed whole.

There is something about this numbering of 5 through 7 individual items: fewer than 4 and people's minds tend to drift in inattention and not note the small details - larger than 7 and people tend to get confused in the multitude of details. The US Armed Forces has always divided up the "chain of command" in the same 5 to 7 individual groups at each level. This "attention span" matching thing might be genetic - the original family unit was likely composed of 2 parents and 4 or 5 children for 6 or 7 total. And this number - and the balanced focus of the leader both individually and group wise was the best guarantee of survival of the family.

The concept was brought forth in planemaking but likely extended to machine tool assembly as well. Pratt & Whitney adopted the same modus, but I think sequenced their numbers 1-7, 8-14, 9-21 etc. My circa 1874 Pratt & Whitney Shaper is number 35. And P&W "restarted" their numbering with each major design evolution. A P&W planer number 1 formerly of my ownership was significant only in being the first of this particular design change: and P&W revised their planer design at least 5 times during their production of which this planer was the 4th revision.

Joe

Joe, I believe my P&W is about the same vintage and bears #23. Does this mean we're related?

Our version 4 planers are related but only if the P&W planer has arch top (Version 5 had a square top), TWO shifter loops on two non-connected posts on opposite sides of the pulleys, 3 pulleys center one 2x width (IIRC), and all the drive gears are "hidden" between the shears and underneath the bed.

Pratt & Whitney version 3 had two belts/two shifters but the two shifters were connected to a single post and moved together. These had a tendency to belt squeal.

See Ptratt & Whitney planer, ca. 1876 and I'll show a pix for those who don't want to go deeper. Note the two separate action belt shifters. George's number was 8.



I think George is a member of this board, although an infrequent contributor.

Check out the thread about Waltham Museum. Rosie's got photobucket pix of yet another P&W planer that is there.

Joe

Link for pictures:
Pictures by hitandmiss2 - Photobucket

Did you make the little ones? Any chance for a set of plans?

Wow! Very nice. As you stated, according to Cope, Hendeys first model planer made from 1870 to '73 .

Edit. I had to re-read initial post. There are numerous No "3". That is definitely not a serial number. Appears they did not even put their name on let alone any idea of serializing the machine. Luckly we have Copes book as a reference.

You never mention making 1/2 scales, what a nice size. Tell us more. You made patterns for castings? You are selling those?

timekiller said:

Think how labor intensive it would have been to stamp an increasing number on every part manufactured for a machine. Likely to run out of space for the number on those small parts.
Ray

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Sometimes firearms have a full serial number on major parts like receivers and small parts marked with the last two digits of that number. That can be important, such as with WWII Lugers that were repaired by unwilling Czech workers who liked to switch a few parts between guns to increase malfunctions.

Bill

I had tried several times to post pictures but never had a completed upload.

Powder Keg, Peter and others. The story behind the models:

I have a friend that was an excellent machinist before his stroke 4 years ago that nearly took his life. During the summer of '09 he was getting bored making wooden model John Deer tractors 6 at a time, so I started bringing over model kits in metal. I discovered he was starting to use Autocad to figure out dimensions. So I brought over the Clapper Box for him to reverse engineer. Checked in 2 weeks later, and he had several 1/2 scale parts made. By Cabin Fever '10 he had a working planer without legs at the show. Since DuraBar is less than 10 miles from the show, I purchased enough iron barstock to finish the one in progress and make 2 more. They were finished in time for the NAMES '10 show. We had lots of people drooling over a litter of 3 little planers making chips but no takers on the one on the consignment table. So he lost interest in finishing the drawings. At Cabin Fever '11 the one on the table of the prototype sold a few min. after these pictures were taken. They will be on display at the NAMES show, one will be on the consignment table. I am hoping to have the drawings completed by then.
I haven't decided how to market the drawings yet, will probably be 20-30 sheets of
8½X11" paper.
All parts were made from barstock (no castings).
The full size is a 2 old man lift to move it around and the 1/2 scale is a one hand move.
Machinery used: Tired Bridgeport clone, Grizzly lathe/mill, a tired Boyer Schultz 6X12 surface grinder,and a 6X8" band saw.


The full sized planer never had a nameplate attached, or anything cast in the parts. From research (use the link in post #6 and explore the site) it appears that the Hendeys were NOT a smashing success from the start. It is very possible there were only a few ever made. This planer is a carefully built machine tool made by real craftsman determined to make the best machinery available. The quality is better than many newer machine tools I have used or worked on over the years!

Bill

Well, Keep me in mind for a set of drawings please. I'd like to try making one. I just love these old time tools.

hitandmiss said:

it appears that the Hendeys were NOT a smashing success from the start. It is very possible there were only a few ever made.

Click to expand...

I don't know how popular they were but, I have seen about five Hendey planers(bench one) of your vintage and many more of the later bench ones.

I too am interested in a set of plans/prints.

Rob