Awhile back, i went out and bought a little $8 Dunlap #3 "Rust-Bucket" planeNot the prettiest one around, right?   Got to cleaning up this little guy, thinking I could at least sell it on Ebay.    But, the more I got into this little plane, something just looked "Different"    Wasn't in the parts I cleaned upBut notice the bottom of the tote.   Any longer and it would have had an extra bolt hole, like a #5 jack plane has.     That is one long foot!   Iron was  stamped "Made in West Germany"  ( in English, too) and has a slimmer look than the chip breaker.   Almost like mating a Metric size to an "SAE" size part.  

Got things back together for a test runwith just a honing of the edge.    Seemed to work ok.    Something looked a little different, though.

Went and stripped all that RED paint off the handles, well 98% at leastBut, something still didn't look quite right.   The bacasting is the same as any other #3, except where the frog bolts down at.    Frog rides on two outside rails cast into the frog.    These slide along the base area.  Frog also rests up front where the iron goes through the Narrow mouth.    Under the frog, however, I can see at least five full threads of the two bolts holding the frog down.    There is "Rental Space Available"  under there!     Frog still has plenty of support, but, sheesh, wasted space?

Still, something else seemed out of place.   Space under frog?   Ok, I guess.   Big Foot for a tote?   maybe a "#3-1/2" size that Stanley never made?   nah.   look at all the room under the lateral lever?   Hmmm.    Most of my #3 sized planes (all 4 of them)  the lever rubs the top of the totes.    On this little Dunlap, there is enough room for a fat finger to go through there.     Maybe if I compare the two kinds of #3 planes?In the front row, your basic, Standard #3 Bench Plane ( Hibbards True Value).  In the second row:   The Dunlap #3.    Edges of the irons are lined up, along with the rest of the bodies.    Note the angle of the rear (Dunlap) iron.     Standard angle in front is a 45 degree frog.    The one in the back row is at least 5 degree steeper!     Ladies and Germs!   We have the rare York Pitch Frog!    On a little $8 plane!

Look at a "York Pitch Frog" at L-N.    I think I could by about ten more of these Dunlaps, for the price of L-N's one 50 degree York Pitch Frog.   Another look?Dunlap is in front,now.    I needto do a little research, on how to sharpen an iron to use in this kind of froggy plane.   I think this just MIGHT be a keeper???

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Planer? I'm the 'planer', and these are what I use...

 Seems I have to thin the plane herd, again.     Looking like most will be in the larger sizes.      Might be a "set" in the sale, as well.     The #3s? ??    We'll see.     I might let one or two go.    I do have FIVE of them to choose from, afterall

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Planer? I'm the 'planer', and these are what I use...

 I used to have a Fulton #3 built in this style.     That one had a totally different frog and base.    Lever caps were the same, just each with it's own logo.Note the lateral, it rubs on the tote on this Fulton #3.  Frog?Everything is different.   Dunlap #3 seems to be another "animal" all together. 

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Planer? I'm the 'planer', and these are what I use...

 Ok, this is starting to bug me.    Two red handled planes, both made by sargent, for Sears.     Both were sold at a Sears store.  The Fulton is a VERY cheap plane, barely machined.   I had a lot of work just to get it that good.

On the other hand, that Dunlap has a better pitched frog to work AS a smoother plane, a York Pitch @ 50 degrees.    Frog sits nicely on it's base.   Not much was needed in the way of a tune up.     Sharpened the iron to a 25 degree bevel.  Actually more of a hone to 25*.     Polished the back of the iron, and went down to 2K grit sandpaper.     And got....Gossemer Shavings??    Ok.   Both planes are a #3 size.   Dunlap is almost a Premium Plane, compared to the Fulton.   

Might be true.   I paid $5 for that Fulton, and $8 (!) for the Dunlap.   As soon as the batteries are charged back up, there WILL be more photos of this little "Diamond in the Rough" Plane.   

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Planer? I'm the 'planer', and these are what I use...

 Ok, batteries are back in the camera-ski.   Have a few shots to show off.A Dunlap and a Companion  plane.   Spent a little time working on the irons of these two.     Wood shavings is some old oak scrap 2x2.     I went with a beltsanderand a guide to set the 25 degree angle.    Replaced the sander with some of the oil stonesthen I even wrapped finer grit sandpaper around the stones, so I could use the 1k and 2k grits, with a bit of 3in1 oil.   Got them nice and sharp, now.  

Ok, as for the "York Pitch" part of this Dunlap plane.    It looks like it was made that way. The area the frog bolts down at is sloped down hill towards the mouth opening, @ around 5-10 degrees.    Bottom of frog is flatat least on the machined rails around the edges.    I think I have a "Keeper" here.   May keep both, as well.     The Companion Line was around the same time.   I can set the Companion frog up close to the mouth, a lot better then the Handyman style plane.  

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Planer? I'm the 'planer', and these are what I use...

Steve, that is cool, where did you come up with the York Pitch reference, I am not going to google the reference, I want to learn something here on TPW.

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John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker
Proud Supporter of Homes For Our Troops and Wounded Warriors Project

A 45 degree is called a Standard or common Pitch.  Raise it by 5 degrees, and you have what is known as The York pitch.    I guess it  comes from the English In-fill planes that used a high angle for smoothing.   The Scottish Planemakers had to call it SOMETHING to set it off amongst all the other plane types going around at the time.

This is a whole range of "Pitches"  out there.  A "full" one would be what your #112 would be when you are using it as a scraper plane.  60-70 degrees is some times called "Half Pitch",   Anything above that is the "Full Pitch".

At least that is the way I learned it.  Stanley planes were just "Common" anyway.....

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Planer? I'm the 'planer', and these are what I use...

A few looks at this little plane at workDoing the Wild Grain Thing.   Seems to be an oak, of some sortTest track, er Apron blank grain is going evry which way, direction wise.   I even got out a jack planeJust for the edge grain jobs.   The Dunlap was meant to work those "problem 'areas in the boards. 

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Planer? I'm the 'planer', and these are what I use...