The Stanley No. 66 Hand Beader is a classic woodworking tool that was produced by Stanley from 1886 until 1941. It’s used for adding decorative beads or grooves to the edges of boards or other woodworking projects. The No. 66 Hand Beader is made of cast iron, with interchangeable cutters or beading blades that allow for different bead profiles.
I bought mine in 2012 for the low figure of A$22 – but it didn’t have any cutters or either of the 2 fences (straight & curved) that came with the original.
Cutters were easily sourced , but cost double what I paid for the body.
I have not been able to source fences in Australia – but am considering making my own based on a guide by Derek Cohen I found on the internet.
My beader is nickel plated, so dates from sometime after 1900.
The 1902 Stanley Rule & level catalogue lists the Hand Beader at $1.00 & extra cutters at 5c each.
The Hand Beader operates much like a scraper. Its cutters have a straight edge, unlike the beveled edge of a plane iron. The tool holds the cutter at a slight angle, not perfectly perpendicular, and it’s used by pushing or pulling it with the cutter leaning in the direction of movement. Gradually increasing the cutter’s exposure on larger dimensions is beneficial. Starting with the full cutter exposed can cause the tool to behave erratically, as the sole may not remain in constant contact with the wood.
The Hand Beader came with 8 cutters, whereas earlier models had only 7, with an optional blank one. Each cutter wa ground on both ends, resulting in a total of 15 sizes. The blank cutter can be customized to any desired shape. The provided cutters with the tool were:
- 3 Single Beads: 1/8″, 3/16″; 1/4″, 5/16″; 3/8″, 1/2″.
- 1 Fluting: 3/16″, 1/4″.
- 1 2 and 3 Reeding: 3/16″ (2 bead), 1/4″ (3 bead).
- 1 3 and 4 Reeding: 1/8″ (3 bead), 1/8″ (4 bead).
- 1 Router: 1/8″, 1/4″.
- Plus, one blank cutter available from 1909 onwards.