When I first looked at the McConnell plane I thought that it was some homemade attempt at making a woodworking plane. Then I discovered that it was actually a patented design (why you would bother is anyone’s guess) and that it went through several iterations. Since then I have seen a few up on eBay so there must have been a reasonable number made. There were apparently 2 sizes (9 3/8″ and 13″) of which mine is the commoner smaller size and 7 models (including a prototype) with mine being a Model 4
I’m going to cheat a bit, and the information below is a direct quote from the 3rd Edition of Trevor Semmens book ‘Australian Woodworking Planemakers’
1941 – approx. 1951
Robert McConnell, Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley Qld
Of all the Australian made planes, I find the McConnell plane the most interesting in that it is so ‘ordinary’, for it’s time, considering how much more sophisticated planes were even before that date. Given that it was during war time, why did he press on with patenting a plane with its added costs etc.?
I agree with Gordon Chenery’s comments (Chenery 1996c), that, ‘McConnell’s inventiveness and his contribution to the development of hand tools of Australian manufacture, if only to fill a need during a wartime emergency, deserve a place in our history’. For this reason alone his planes are of particular interest.
His patent statement simply is, ‘The plane herein described is made of mild steel plate, and may be used for scrubbing, shooting, or smoothing’.
Model 3 – Tapered toe and heel; McCONNELL PATENT 116098/41 behind the front knob; handles of Silky Oak; stiffeners riveted to sole and are very obvious (as per patent document); rounded front knob.
Model 4 – As for Model 3 except that the stiffeners are part of the base.
Semmens, Trevor. Australian Woodworking Planemakers (p. 25-26). crowpublishing.com. Kindle Edition.
