Another post World War 2 one plane model maker was S&O Products with their S&O Handee block plane.
Who were S&O Products?
S&O were Leslie Rundel Shaw & Arthur Patrick O’Hagan – trading as S&O Products. There doesn’t seem to be too much information about them or about any other products they manufactured. They are another manufacturer who seems to have been trying to meet the need for tools in the post WW2 era.
The 1946 Patent Application (which was not marked as accepted until July 1949)
Below is an extract from the actual patent application:
“Improvements in woodworking planes and the method of manufacturing same.”
We, LESLIE RUNDEL SHAW, and ARTHUR PATRICK O’HAGAN, trading as S. 0. PRODUCTS, at 190 Carrington Avenue, Hurstville, near Sydney, in the State of New South Wales, Commonwealth of Australia, Manufacturers, hereby declare this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed to be fully described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
This invention relates to planes for wood-working purposes, and which are made entirely of metal. The invention has been devised to provide such planes which are simply produced in the main by metal pressing operations, and present sturdy and efficient tools for their purpose. Due to the method of manufacture, such tools can be mass produced economic-ally at reduced cost.
According to this invention the wood-working plane is manufactured by pressing or stamping out the stock of sheet steel or the like as a blank, having a- transverse slot formed near one end for the plane iron to take through, and such blank has cheeks turned up therefrom at each side so that the resultant figure then presents a stock of channel form with a flat base. A pair of spaced rods are fitted across the side cheeks to form abutments respectively for a plane iron and a clamp plate device.
The plane iron is pressed out of sheet metal and is sharpened at one end, and is of a width to fit between the side cheeks of the stock. The clamp plate device also of pressed metal is formed at its lower end to bear upon the plane iron, and further along has a cross channel to engage with the left cross rod, and near its outer end has a depending screw stud on its underside on which is fitted a securing nut. The securing nut at its lower end is adapted to bear against the plane iron to lock it in place at a setting. The securing nut has its outer portion formed to provide a convenient finger grip.
The Actual Handee Block Plane
It is a pressed steel block plane, 175mm (6 ⅞”) long by 49mm (1 15/16”) wide, with a 42mm (1 11/16″) wide blade.
The body is pressed out of 1.5mm thick steel.
The diagram from the patent application reflects the finished product.
The brand stamped on the toe giving the patent application No. 9061 – 46.
My plane is significantly pitted, but cleaned up quite well.
FOOTNOTE: There also seem to be identical planes branded ‘H.C.VAUGHAN PRODUCTS’ and the same patent application number. H.C.Vaughan were located in the same suburb as S&O Products so it looks like there may have been some product sharing.