An interesting small planing machine, obviously from the late 1800s and thought to be by Hesketh Walker Tool Maker, Liverpool, England. Hesketh-Walker had an obvious connection to Arthur Frith (and later Tom Senior) of Cleckheaton and Liversage, the planing machines produced by the companies being very similar and, in some cases, identical. However, who made exactly what, for whom, is unknown.
Remarkably useful in the small workshop (compact, with large jobs relatively easy to machine and with minimal tooling costs) the small planer deserves a better following. The example below was originally fitted with a long lever for hand operation - the black handwheel, electric motor and speed-reducing gearbox being later modifications.
In a volume of the Newnes Workshop Series Vol. 2 page 120 (black covers, not blue) the same machine appears referred to as an Alligator-type planer, presumably from name cast into the machine's side and derived from the jaw-like swinging action required to operate it (to warm up in a freezing workshop during mid January, what could be better? The perfect cardio-vascular workout combined with a profit or fun-making activity). The Newnes picture - together with the lowest illustration on this page - shows an earlier model with a less-well-braced cap section joining the uprights and a simple hand-screw feed to the cutter head - the tool having to be advanced manually across the table as the work proceeded. However, in the colour photograph immediately below, the automatic ratchet system fitted appears to be original.
Should you have a similar machine, of any make, the writer would be interested to hear from you.