Banana Plane?

[Andy Kev.]

Have a look at this:

https://www.jimbodetools.com/collection ... lane-99346

I imagine it could come in great use if you are making wooden models of bananas but otherwise I wouldn't have a clue what it is for.

I could imagine that this might even challenge AndyT.

 

[AJB Temple]

Coopers tool for cleaning up barrel rims perhaps?

 

[AJB Temple]

Yes, it is a coopers tool. Makes the barrel bottom perfectly flat.

https://www.entoten.com/coopers-tools-of-the-trade/

 

[Dr.Al]

Have a look at this:

https://www.jimbodetools.com/collection ... lane-99346

I imagine it could come in great use if you are making wooden models of bananas but otherwise I wouldn't have a clue what it is for.

I could imagine that this might even challenge AndyT.

Ooh, that's a weird looking thing. Apparently they're a cooper's tool for levelling the tops of barrels.

https://www.entoten.com/coopers-tools-of-the-trade/

I'm not sure if this is true, but I heard that Wadworth in Devizes was the only brewery with a master cooper still in employ. This was probably 10 years ago and he was nearing retirement then with no apprentice to take over, so I suspect that's another specialist skill that is in its final death throes now.

 

[AndyT]

I'm a bit late to this thread but I'm clearly not the only one who can spot some of the cooper's very distinctive tools.

As for the last cooper at Wadorths, I think I remember reading that he did take on an apprentice, who didn't stick at it.

To answer the question of how many coopers there still are, the best place I know is the Heritage Crafts Association. They maintain a very thorough "Red List" of extinct or endangered crafts, which is all available online here

https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/redlist/c ... s-of-risk/

They name five professional coopers and one apprentice, so the trade is healthier than some.

The best book about the work is Kenneth Kilby's "The Cooper and his Trade". Kilby starts off with the statement "there are no amateur coopers" and goes on to describe the level of sheer hard graft required to wield heavy tools day after day for repetitive, precision work. We should all be grateful to them.

 

[Andy Kev.]

I feel all deflated now.

I suppose that cooperage should have suggested itself.

Would I be correct in thinking that you would might run it along a curved fence?

 

[novocaine]

"there are no amateur coopers" .

That sounds like a challange. :lol:

 

[Sheffield Tony]

As Coopering is on the HCA endangered list, and plane making is on the critically endangered list, making a cooper's plane is surely a challenge to be seized ? Not sure what you'd do with it afterwards, but they are a strangely lovely item.

 

[9fingers]

I went a short way down the path of approaching it as an engineering process here

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=3709

Naturally no place for hand tools, planes etc as "I did it my way" :lol:

Bob

 

[AndyT]

:eusa-snooty:

I feel all deflated now.

I suppose that cooperage should have suggested itself.

Would I be correct in thinking that you would might run it along a curved fence?

I'm pretty sure no fence was used, but the skill of the user swept the plane around in the right curve. There are some great archive films of coopers in action which show this.

Logically, very large or small casks would have needed different curves of sun plane.

I'm away from my books and a decent internet connection, so if anyone knows, do chip in.

 

[novocaine]

Id have thoigh that a single plane would cover a range of diameters. If the blade is 2" wide ypud expect it could handle 8" difference without any issues, perhaps more assuming ypu can hit enough of the sole still. So 28" to 36" which would cover a hogs head through to a tun. Belpw that gets a bit tricky as you have a smaller head it becomes more inprotant to have the full sole so id expect may 3 or 4 planes like this then a few more traditional planes for really small casks like a firkin or a pin.