CLASSIC BOAT FEBRUARY 2018 93GROOVING PLANE
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS
ROBIN GATES
In the early 1930s toolmakers C&J
Hampton of Sheffield launched the
diminutive Record 043 plough plane,
capable of cutting rebates, stepped
rebates, even tongue-and-groove
joints, but designed primarily for
grooving – to accommodate drawer
bottoms, for example – and so it is
widely known as a ‘grooving plane’.
Measuring just 5^1 / 2 in (140mm)
from toe to heel, and weighing 20oz
(567g), it’s a beautifully engineered
all-metal plane which, for the
craftsman making yacht cabinetry,
offered a palm-sized alternative to
the bulkier wooden plough which had
long been a stalwart of the tool chest.
Although of pensionable age
(bought new in 1951 for 26 shillings)
this example zips through the groove
as speedily as a Scalextric car on a
Silverstone straight, with its raked
rear handle directing pressure on the
cutting edge, and the bridged
double-arm fence holding it on track.
Working as quietly as a knife slicing
apple, this nickel-plated gem will have
finished the job while others using
power routers and table saws are still
fiddling with their jigs and looking for
their safety glasses.
For a hand tool with parts sticking
out in all directions it is surprisingly
ergonomic, with features coming
conveniently to hand as you use it. So
a recess split between the bed and
the lever cap accommodates the
thumb while adjusting the cutter,
holding loose parts in place when the
cap screw is loosened.
The 043 was supplied with three
tungsten steel cutters at^1 / 8 ,^3 / 16 and(^1) / 4 in (3.2, 4.8 and 6.4mm), but 4, 6, 9
and 12mm cutters could be ordered
to cut grooves accepting metric
thicknesses of plywood. Wider
grooves are cut in stages,
theoretically up to^1 / 2 in (12mm) deep
and 4in (100mm) from the edge, but
at this extreme the job would be
easier with a larger, heavier tool.
The Record 043 remained in
production into the 1970s, outliving
several imitators, and there are many
good examples in circulation –
typically around £30. The earliest
planes had a fence with a single arm
and at some point the original thumb
screws locking the fence arms and
depth gauge were replaced by less
finger-friendly knurled screws. So the
sweet spot lies somewhere in the
middle of its production.
NEXT MONTH: ratchet brace
Clockwise from
above: grooving
an edge; holding
the lever cap and
cutter during
adjustment;
setting the
distance between
fence and cutter
Traditional Tool