George Miller Gunmetal Infill Shoulder Plane

Filed under: Miller, Shoulder Planes
Tagged: George Miller, Gunmetal, Rosewood Infill, Shoulder Plane

Description

Here is a typical steel-faced gunmetal shoulder plane by George Miller of 24 Ampton St., Gray's Inn Rd. in London. Miller worked from between 1890 and 1914 and had very distinctive profiles for both his shoulder planes and his chariots. Like many of his planes this one is unmarked, though its unmistakably a Miller plane.

The Brazilian rosewood used in this one is bright and colourful, and the gunmetal casting is clean and free of defects. The steel sole has been sweated on to the casting and the mouth, as can be seen in the photos, is very fine. I have to add that there is an exceptional build quality with Miller planes, and I don't believe I've seen any that have not been up to par with the best of the infill makers.

The dimensions of this plane are 8" long, 1-1/2" wide and 2-3/8" high. It is a substantial chunk of gunmetal so it comes as no surprise that the weight and heft of this plane is similarly impressive. Perfect for trimming tenons and other end grain work!

Miller never really played around with embellishments at all, apart from adding rhino or stag horns to many of his shoulder planes. I can't recall any of his planes which feature chamfering, and this particular one is no different. Instead the maker would just round over the entire top surface, infill and metalwork alike. The end result is a smooth, uncluttered and almost sensual appearance which is very comfortable to use in the hand.

One of my all-time favourite makers, and not just because we share the same surname (though that doesn't hurt either).