Revised 26-Jun-2008

TRINDERS' FINE TOOLS
NORRIS PLANES - A GUIDE

As the basis for our guide to Norris Planes we have used a 12-page original Norris Catalogue, apparently dating from the 1930's. In order that the text can be read, and also in order to minimise download times, we have provided separate illustrations for each plane type, or group of types.

Even in the 1930's Norris produced a wide variety of options for the cabinet maker to consider. Planes could be:-

Dovetailing of Metal Planes

Whilst there is no such illustration in this Norris catalogue, it is fortunate that Mathieson considered it useful to illustrate how their wrought steel planes were dovetailed together (click for illustration of the construction of a rabate plane). On an all-steel dovetailed plane it is often difficult to detect the dovetails - indeed some Spiers' Planes are stamped 'DOVETAILED' to ensure that the effort (and extra cost) involved did not go unnoticed.

Types of Norris Planes

*In the context of British infill planes, a Panel plane is used for fine smoothing and trueing; Salaman in his Dictionary of Woodworking Tools specifies the following sizes for Smoothing, Panel and Jointing Planes of the Norris and Spiers types:-

THE CATALOGUE ILLUSTRATIONS

Jointing and Panel Planes

Smoothers

Shoulder

Rebate

Mitre

Bullnose

Chariot

Thumb

Violin