Clifton 400 Plane Review By: I.Ball
Category: New Bullnose Planes
Extra Info: What is a Bullnose Plane? Bullnose Plane Videos
Manufacturer: Thomas Flinn & Co.
Plane Type: Bullnose Shoulder
Model No: 400
This Clifton bullnose shoulder plane review is of the current Clifton
400 plane manufactured by Thomas Flinn & Co, Sheffield, England.
The plane had previously been made by a tool company called Clico (Sheffield)
Tooling Ltd until 2014 when Thomas Flinn and Co took on the Clifton
tools part of the business.
The Thomas Flinn version of the 400 is made in almost identical circumstances
to the Clico version including being made by the same skilled personnel:
"We will still be using the same great production staff to manufacture
the Clifton planes, so the knowledge and expertise will continue as before".
Please see the
old Clifton 400 plane review
for more information about
the Clico (Sheffield) Tooling Ltd Clifton bull-nose shoulder plane number
400 (virtually identical other than the blade type and the box).
The Clifton 400 bullnose shoulder plane or small shoulder plane, is a small,
narrow rebate plane with a fine mouth.
The 3" long plane produces fine shavings with its fine mouth making
this plane suitable for precision work / cabinet makers.
The 400 is fitted with a 7/16" (11mm) bevel edge cutter (what kind of
steel). The bevel edge is positioned in the plane with the bevel facing
upwards with the cutting edge spanning the full width of the plane (as
with most/all bullnose planes).
The plane blade should be kept very sharp with the blade depth set to an
acceptable level. If the blade is too blunt or the blade depth is set to an
ambitious level then the likely outcome will be a juddering plane action or
the plane being completely halted due to the blade digging-in.
The Clifton 400 is a non-adjustable plane requiring the plane blade to be set
manually by hand; there is no form of fine blade adjustment.
The plane blade is secured in place with the use of a Rosewood wedge; the wedge
is slotted into the plane until the wedge and blade are fixed firmly in place.
The body of the 400 is a non-adjustable one piece plane constructed from quality
grey cast iron. The body is classed as non-adjustable as there are no adjustable
features to the body such as an adjustable mouth.
The sole and sides of the body have been accurately machined
and precision ground.
The sides of the plane have been given an attractive intricate design which includes the
'two cherries' motifs. The design of the sides also offer a little extra grip.
The plane is presented in a brown Clifton cardboard box with the Clifton logo
on it.
The Clifton 400 shoulder plane is heavily based upon the early 20th century Edward Preston bullnose plane 1366 to the point they are almost identical in design, the Clifton 400 even incorporates the Edward Preston two cherries logo on the plane sides. The Clifton number 400 is also almost identical to the Record 1366 bullnose plane. Record took over the Edward Preston plane range in the early 1930's. Clico then took over some of the Record plane range including the Clifton 400.
* Important: please refer to the 'disclaimer' at the foot of this review.
* Wearing safety clothing and eye protection is usually a good idea to help protect against injury.
- The blade(s)/cutter(s) is very sharp, take suitable precautions when using/handling/storing
the plane/cutter(s) to prevent injury.
- Failure to loosen parts when making adjustments to the plane can result in damage
to the plane such as cross-threading screw threads. Never force a part to move.
- Overtightening parts can cause damage to the plane and the plane threads.
Body: grey cast iron
Wedge: rosewood
Plane finish: bright ground
Clifton 400 Plane Blade / Cutter
Material: cryogenically treated O1 steel
Hardness: 62 Rockwell 'C'
Cutting Edge Grind: 25 degrees
Width (bottom): 29mm (1 1/8 inch)
Top Of Blade Shape: Rounded corners
Clifton 400 Plane Markings
"Clifton 400" - found towards the bottom of both sides.
Length:
76mm (3 inch)
Width:
11mm (7/16 inch)
Weight:
0.2kg (1/2 lb)
2014 - Today
Clifton 400 rebate plane
Clifton 400 rabbet plane
Clifton 400 shoulder rebate plane
Clifton 400 shoulder rabbet plane
Clifton 400 bull-nose shoulder rebate plane
Clifton 400 bull-nose shoulder rabbet plane
....
Do you have a question/answer or something to share about this tool?
Please Contact Us
- Thomas Flinn & Co.
(i) Please always refer to and follow the manufacturer's instructions / guidelines /
safety notices / cautions and similar notices as the manufacturer's instructions
may contain important information on safety, personal safety and the good health of your tool,
something to which this review's scope does not guarantee to extend to.
(ii) This review may give warning(s) / advisory notes / cautions / guidelines given
in good faith however any such information should not be solely relied upon and should not be seen
as the exhaustive list of warnings / advisory notes / cautions / guidelines.
Refer to disclaimer note (i) for information on safety, as well as the
good health of your tool.
In addition refer to good safety practices for the safety of you and others. Refer to good practices
for the good health of your tool and property.
(iii) The details here are given in good faith, there is scope for error and shouldn't
be fully relied upon, please be aware the details may also become out of date due to manufacturer
changes to the product, please confirm any details for yourself by performing additional
research from reliable sources.
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