Norris 61 Plane Review By: I.Ball
Category: Old Infill Planes
Manufacturer: Norris
Plane Type: Infill, Smoothing
Model No: 61 / 61M
The Norris 61 plane or Norris 61M plane is a 8 1/2 inch long dovetailed infill smoothing
plane made from malleable iron. This plane is also referred to as
the 'Norris 61 Annealed Iron Plane' or 'Norris 61 Malleable Iron Plane'.
The Norris 61 is fitted with a Norris of London parallel iron plane
blade, cap iron, gunmetal screw cap and a blade adjuster
The plane body on the 61 is referred to as a parallel side body. The
plane body is also referred to as dovetailed; the name given to a body
where the sole has been joined to the sides with the use of dovetail
joints. The dovetails can usually faintly be seen at the base of the
plane sides.
The plane is stuffed with wooden infills which consist of a front bun
and a closed rear handle.
The rear handle has the blade adjuster neatly built into a suitably
sized recess allowing the handle to remain as a closed handle.
The blade adjuster allows the blade to be accurately adjusted laterally
and moved upwards and downwards to set the depth of cut.
This plane usually has quite a deep mouth to cater for the thick Norris
cutter.
These planes usually have 'Norris 61 London' enscribed on the gunmetal
lever cap, Norris enscribed on the top of the lateral adjuster (this
one photographed also had 'Patent' and a number), and usually
will have 'Norris London' on the cap iron and on the Norris plane blade.
If the plane has been used a lot, the plane may have a replacement blade
with a different manufacturer name.
The Norris planes were the 'Rolls Royce' of their day and are still
considered in high esteem today.
The Norris 61 plane is a 1 inch longer version of the
Norris 51 M plane.
As I understand it, there is a Norris 61 plane and a Norris 61M but not a Norris A61
as such, or should I say not a plane advertised as a Norris A61.
The 61 and 61M planes are often classed as a Norris A61 due to both the 61
and 61M plane having a blade adjuster like the blade adjuster on the
Norris A5's
and
Norris A6's.
The Norris planes with 'A' in the model number = 'adjustable' so in
theory it would follow that the 61 and 61M are A61 and A61M planes.
Please somebody correct me if this is wrong.
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