Premium Number 9
Millers Falls No. 9/9C Smoothing Plane
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Manufactured: |
1929 to 1976 Corrugated(1971) |
| Sole: | Smooth and Corrugated |
| Sole Length: | 9"(type 1), 9-3/8"(post type 1) |
| Sole Width: | 2-3/8" |
| Iron Width: | 2” |
| Weight: | 3.7 lbs |
| Bedding Angle: | 45 Degrees |
| Type: | Bailey Design |
| Cross Reference: | Stanley No. 4 / 4C |
| Sargent No. 409 / 409C | |
| Record No. 04 / 04C |
The No. 9 premium smoothing bench plane was produced for over forty-seven years across six different types.
Type 1 (1929 to 1935)
There were two distinct changes what can be found while the type 1 planes were in production. The first is the change to the frog face around the lever cap screw. Extra metal was added around the screw to possibly eliminate stress cracks to the thin wall. Based on looking at the Mohawk-Shelburne and the rebrands, the best guess is that this change happened around 1931. The second change was the stamping of the patent number to the face of the lever cap. The patent was approved on September 8, 1931. Sometime shortly after that date, the press was setup and ready for work.
Type 1 - Identify by the name, number and size cast in the bed. This lever cap lost the red paint.
Type 1 - Cocobolo knob and tote and brass recessed depth adjusting nut.
On the 2" frog, an early version on the top, shows the thin walls around the lever cap screw. Around 1931, extra metal was added around the screw shown in the bottom frog.
Early version on the top with no patent number, later version on the bottom with a patent number stamped. Both lever caps originally had red paint around the name.
Type 2 (1936 to 1941)
The changes to the type 2 planes allowed Millers Falls to consolidate their production so that the same body and frog castings could be used on the premium line, secondary Mohawk- Shelburne line and the Craftsman/Fulton rebrand line.
Type 2 - Easily identified by the cocobolo wood and the "Since 1868" iron trademark
Type 2 - Name and numbers on cheek, brass recessed depth adjusting nut
Type 3 (1942 to 1948)
The start of World War 2 limited the use of brass and the import of cocobolo. As a result of the shortages, the company switched to a single steel bolt to secure the stained hardwood knob and tote. Example have been found that shows many of the bolts, screws and other hardware were blued. Unfortunately, improper cleaning and “restoring” can remove the bluing from the surface.
For reasons unknown, the 2” frog and lever cap changed casting numbers during the type 3 production years. Early type 3 planes will have a 317 casting number on the frog and a 334A casting number on the lever cap. Later type 3 production has a 496A casting number on the frog and a 334 casting number on the lever cap. The new 334 lever cap eliminated the phrase “PAT. APLD. FOR” and most of these caps have the red paint on the face. The type 3 496A frog will probably have a brass depth adjusting nut.
Type 3 - Easy to identify an type 3 with the non-brass bolt heads and the stained hardwood knob and tote.
Type 3 - No brass used on the type 3. One piece bolt securing the knob and tote.
On the left is the 334A cap with the "PAT. APLD. FOR" phrase. Both casting number and phase are hard to see. The right cap is the 334 without the phrase.
One the left is the early 317 frog. The right frog is a 496A. Note the brass depth adjusting nut.
On the type 3 body, the typical stamps you would see would be a U in a circle and the template number under the tote. On many of the examples, the casting number was not displayed.
Type 2/2 (1949 to 1952)
Millers Falls returned to using brass and rosewood wood at the end of the forties. There are three features on the No. 9 type 2 second release that clearly distinguishes it from the initial type 2; the trademark on the iron will be stamped “SOLID TOOL STEEL”, the casting number on the frog will be 496A, and the lever cap will have a casting number 334 without the “PAT APLD. FOR”. All the other premium type 2 second release plane with the exception of the No. 14 will only have the new “SOLID TOOL STEEL” iron.
Type 2/2 - The cocobolo and brass waist nuts are back
Type 2/2 - The second release only lasted five years.
Type 4 (1953 to 1965)
It is easy to identify a type 4 plane with black frog, full brass depth adjusting nut and the new “what in the world were you thinking” wood finish. We do know that the wood species changed from a rosewood to a wood called “Goncalo Alves” which is a strong, durable and beautiful tropical wood found in central and south America.
The type 4 lever cap will have a cam lever spring with a sharper bend in the metal and a new recess in the cast metal below the spring. A second change to the lever cap occurred late in the type 4 time when the foundry reintroduced the lower section of the lever cap that was changed in the 1944/1945 time frame. You can find 2 inch type 4 lever caps with the phrase “PAT APLD. FOR” with the casting number 334A.
The casting number on the frog changed from 496A to 496 around the 1958/1959 time frame based on samples that have been found. It is not clear why this change was made to only the 2 inch frog.
The type 4 bodies would have a notable increase in the number of embossed and applied letters and numbers on the bed. The letters “A” and “G” are found on many of the bodies along with a “P1” , “P2” or P3”.
Type 4- Distinct black frog, full depth adjusting nut and the unique orange finish
The horn on the No. 9 was the standard size. Only the jack and jointer planes had the shorter horn
The type 4 lever cap is unique from the back side. The cam lever spring has two sharper bends and the metal is recessed between the spring and the casting relief. The type 4 will be the last type to have double threaded rods with brass waist nuts.
The casting number on the 2" frog was changed from 496A to 496 sometime between January 1958 and October 1958.
The type 4 changes have a sharp bend on the cam lever spring and the recessed metal between the spring and the casting relief shown on the left lever cap. The lever cap on the right has a type 3 lower section joined with a type 4 upper section. There are very few of these caps and were produced at the end of the type 4 period.
This type 4 was packaged in a box with a model number "T9".
This 1956 type 4 has four stamps on the bed. An "A" under the frog, the casting number "302", a "P1" before the toe of the tote and a "G" under the tote. Examples were found with these same stamps on the No. 90. In addition to the "P1", the No. 90 also had "P2" and "P3".
Type 5 (1966 to 1976)
By the 1966 timeline, the need for a top quality woodworking hand plane is apparent with the changes in the type 5 No. 9 plane. The need for Millers Falls to cut costs would result in closing the Erving plants and shutting down the foundry in Greenfield with all castings outsourced. The remaining bench planes were standardized so that only one size knob and tote would fit any remaining plane. The No. 9 would be renamed No. 9B and the corrugated version renamed from 9C to 9CB . In 1969 the corrugated version was changed to 9-02 in the catalog, so the stamp we see on the corrugated plane will be 9-02-B. The corrugated version would end in 1971. In 1978, the Greenfield facility closed and operations were moved down the street to Deerfield. The 1979 Deerfield catalog no longer lists the No. 9.
Type 9B with the one piece Philips knob/tote bolts and the one piece lever cap. No paint was applied around the name. Also, note the shorter iron which has no trademark stamp.
The back of the type 5 has the raised tote receiver, no frog adjuster screw and a nickel depth adjusting nut.
Starting around 1968, the castings changed on the body and frog. The lever cap and knob/tote would also have changes. These changes did not happen at the same time, but were all in place in a very short timeline. These same changes can also be seen on the No. 90B and the No. 900B.
Body - The ring around the knob ribs is wider and is no longer tapered on the outside edge.
Body - The support rib is shorter.
Body - The center of the frog seat is removed.
Body - 302 is stamped under the tote.
Frog - metal is removed on either side of the the lever cap screw.
Lever cap - Cam spring is removed
knob/tote - two washers eliminated and wood has a shallower depth under the bolt head.
This picture shows the breakdown of the two different configurations of the No. 9B plane. On the left is the initial type 5 release configuration, slopped outside edge on the knob ring, taller support rib, solid frog seat, 302 stamped on the bed behind the frog seat, lever cap has a cam spring, knob and tote bolts with two washers and a deeper recess in the knob and tote for the bolt head.
Comparing these features with the plane on the right will give you a production timeline for your plane.
At the toe of the new configuration, the front of the ring is cut in half. The inside diameter of the ring is larger on the new configuration.
Upper frog seat on a pre 1969 type 5 release on the left and the post 1969 outsourced release after the foundry closed on the right.
Lever cap with cam lever spring on the left when casting were made in-home. On the right is the outsourced lever cap with no cam lever spring. Note the new casting number.
On the left is the early type 5 version cast at Millers Falls, and the outsourced version on the right.
A new font was used sometime after the type 5 release with 'M', 'F' and 'A' in upper case and the rest of the letters in lower case. At some point after this release, the upper case 'A' was changed to a lower case 'a'.
This picture shows the two different cheek stamps for the No. 9 type 5 corrugated plane. The top picture is the stamp applied between 1966 and October 1968. The bottom picture shows the corrugated model number after the catalog change in October 1968 from 9C to 9-02. The "B" is only on the cheek, not in the catalog.
Type 5 “Lowside”
Sometime in the 70’s, Millers Falls put out a No. 9 with lower cheeks. Commonly referred to as the “Lowside”, the cheeks are a noticeable 3/8” shorter then the normal cheek. In addition to the lower cheeks, the toe tote pin is cast in the bed and a unique casing number is stamped on the bed. It is not clear when the “Lowside” was introduced and for how long.
The height of the cheeks on this plane are 3/8 inch lower than a standard plane
This picture shows the difference in the height of the cheeks on a Lowside and the original size cheek. Also notice the Lowside plane has a fixed tote pin where as the original 9B has a removable tote pin.
This 9" Lowside has a 41013 casting number
The top plane has the original 1-9/16" cheek. The bottom two Lowside planes have the 1-3/16" cheeks.