Restoring hand planes

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Kevin Sjostrand
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Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
Location: Visalia, CA

Restoring hand planes

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

I have a new interest, and spent the last couple of weeks working on restoring 3 hand planes.
I wasn't thinking and forgot to take the "before" pictures, but here are the after pictures.
The first one is a Stanley clone #5 jack plane probably made between 1900 and 1910. This plane belongs to my wife's Uncle who is 87, and the plane was HIS grandfather's, who died in 1937. I fixed it up and gave it back to him for his birthday yesterday. It was totally rusted and the knob and tote were toast.
I made new ones from walnut, removed the rust, trued the sole, repainted the inside of the casting and the frog, polished the brass, and of course sharpened the blades to scary sharp. Works like a dream.

The next two...the bench plane is a Stanley #5 made between 1948 and 1961. It was quite rusty with some pitting, etc. and did the same to it. The tote and knob are rosewood and just needed to be refinished. The were not broken, cracked or even badly dented. Nice.

The block plane is a "Union" plane made between 1900 and 1920. Stanley bought the company in 1920. It is a model 110. It was also missing the front knob so I turned on out of Sapele on my lathe. This was so rusty you couldn't disassemble it I freed things up with WD40 so I could take it apart, and soaked all parts in Evapo-Rust. Cleaned it up, painted it, sharpened the hardly used blade and I have a usable block plane. FUN! I only paid $25 for the these two planes.

The rusty one is next, another of my wife's uncles that was his grandfathers. I date it at being made between 1900 and 1908. It will need new tote and knob but should clean up nice, it is a #4 1/2 Stanley wide smoother.

Fun projects and an economical way to have some nice planes if you can find them at garage sales, flea markets, off ebay, etc. and spend a little time fixing them up.

Kevin
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Danl8
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Location: Chadds Ford, PA

Re: Restoring hand planes

Post by Danl8 »

Sweet! You've inspired me to get going on a few restorations of my own.
ruby@magpage.com
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Re: Restoring hand planes

Post by ruby@magpage.com »

Very nice. When you say "Stanley clone" what is the brand name?

Ed
Ed M
Kevin Sjostrand
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Re: Restoring hand planes

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

Ed, it has "Made in USA" and ""No 5 cast in the bed, but no name on it. It does have a Stanley iron which is probably not original.
From what I've read there were many companies producing these at the turn of the century, that would be 1900 for you younger guys, copying the Stanley planes. I certainly didn't know that. This one is almost identical in every way.

There is a lot of history to the Stanley planes with many versions of them made over the years. Little changes here and there. Pretty cool to hold a 100 year old tool in your hand and actually be able to use it.
Kevin Sjostrand
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Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
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Re: Restoring hand planes

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

Also a note, "Uncle" has drilled holes in the soles so he can hang the planes on a peg board, so the collector value is not there, but they are still most usable. He has an old Stanley #18 Knuckle cap block plane there that is in good shape except that the mouth is chipped out on the back side. In this condition it should still be usable. Thankfully the missing piece isn't on the front edge. I'm going to ask him if I can have that one for myself.
There is a Stanely 6 and a 7 jointer there too I will probably restore for him but I've got to get back to the classical guitar for my wife. :)
johnnparchem
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Re: Restoring hand planes

Post by johnnparchem »

Those planes look really good. Looks like a fun project to restore them.
ruby@magpage.com
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Location: Chestertown Maryland

Re: Restoring hand planes

Post by ruby@magpage.com »

Kevin
Once the Bailey patents ran out (17 years after about 1867-70) anyone could make a clone. Stanley was desperately trying to stay ahead of things , so would patten little things, like the "1892 patent" stamped on blades which was for moving the round hole in the blade from the top to the bottom of the slot - voila, we are better.

Another tactic they used was to just purchase the other company (they recently did this with Bostitch, so they have a 150 year history of silencing the competition). In these cases, they would keep making the tools under the original name in the original way til the parts ran out, then make their own tools with the name on it for a while, then drop the name. I have Unions, Seigleys and Marshes that are all Stanley planes with a different name.

Any "better" plane would have had the company name on it, so you probably have a seconds line, although they are better than many first line tools today. Stanley made millions of planes with no name, not even on the blade. I have a #3 size matching the 30's Stanley Defiance planes. It is painted red, is nickel plated on the sole and cheeks, and has only "ANNIVERSARY" stamped on the blade.

With the #18 - it is the same bed as the 9-1/2 and those are common. I might find a nice 9-1/2 and just put the knuckle cap on that one - it really is more comfortable to use if you have to use it for a while - plus has great gizmosoty.
Ed M
Kevin Sjostrand
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Re: Restoring hand planes

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

I'm looking for an in good shape #18 knuckle and a #65 knuckle. I have a millers falls 75B which I like alot, but really want a knuckle cap plane
ruby@magpage.com
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Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 8:03 am
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Re: Restoring hand planes

Post by ruby@magpage.com »

I have a ton of stuff down in the basement and I have perhaps 3 knuckle cap 65's. I have an 18 too, but my suggestion is to just get the 9-1/2 and switch caps because the 18 is fairly expensive. If you are interested, I can take some pictures and price one out for you.

Ed Minch
Ed M
Kevin Sjostrand
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Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
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Re: Restoring hand planes

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

YES. I'd like to get a 65 for sure. I'd be interested
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