ROUTER PLANE, OPEN THROAT, NICKEL PLATED, 7-1/2" LONG, MFG. BY STANLEY, NO 71 (MAKER'S MARK ON OPEN THROAT)

A ROUTER PLANE IS SPECIFICALLY FOR REDUCING A CROSS-GRAIN GROOVE TO AN EVEN DEPTH. IT WAS NICKNAMED THE "OLD WOMAN'S TOOTH" IN ENGLAND. IT CONSISTS OF AN L-SHAPED BLADE, WITH THE CUTTING PART IN THE LOWER PART OF THE L; THE UPPER PART IS HELD IN PLACE (POINTING STRAIGHT UP) WITH A SCREW AND CLAMP, WHICH ATTACHES TO A FLAT, ROUGHLY RECTANGULAR METAL PLATFORM THAT LIES AGAINST THE WOOD, AS IN OTHER PLANES. AT EITHER END OF THE PLATFORM IS A BULBOUS WOODEN HANDLE.

THIS PARTICULAR PLANE'S PLATFORM FORMS A SMALL ARCHWAY OVER THE POINT OF THE BLADE (THE STANLEY CATALOG DESCRIBES THIS AS AN "OPEN THROAT" ROUTER). THIS INNOVATION MAKES IT EASIER FOR WOOD CHIPS TO BE PUSHED ASIDE. THERE ARE ENGRAVED PATENT DATES ("10-29-01" AND "9-16-07") ON EITHER SIDE OF THE BLADE.

SOURCES:

KORN, PETER. THE WOODWORKER'S GUIDE TO HAND TOOLS. NEWTOWN, CT.: TAUNTON PRESS, 1998.

"CARPENTRY" IN COMPTON'S INTERACTIVE ENCYCLOPEDIA, 1997 EDITION, VERSION 1.0.

CATALOG OF STANLEY RULE AND LEVEL CO. (N.D.), P. 96-97.

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