Very nice stanley no 4 find today, how should I approach restoring it?

Evaporust will be the ticket if you didnt like citric. If rust gets under the jappaning youll get some flaking no matter what you use though. I suspect that was the problem with the CA.

Nice find!

-- Its not a crack, its a casting imperfection.

I wash the plane with soapy water to clean
the Japaning. Leave it out in the sun to dry,
then I wire brush the rust off and work it
over with fine stearated sandpaper to get
the rust out of the grain of the iron. Then
wax.

I’ve not restored many but I lik white vinegar to take the rust off tools

-- Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might

That is an old puppy. Go lightly no matter what you use.
Bill

-- [email protected]

I’m a fan of evaporust. Just run it (less the wood) through the dishwasher, the soak in Evapo-Rust. Go easy on wire brushing. Try plastic brush, then brass, steel only as last resort.

It looks like not much meat on the blade, so surely don’t use a power grinder.

-Paul

-- I intended to be a woodworker, but turned into a tool and lumber collector.

Thanks for the responses, I figured out the type study by the way, it is earlier than I thought. It is a type 6, which dates it to 1888-1892.

-- Benjamin, Milwaukee

I love me some low knobs.

-- Shooting down the walls of heartache. Bang bang. I am. The warrior.

OH YES I just got one too type 9. , also consider through the years people could have bought different parts for repair so only the body casting is time telling. look here
http://www.hyperkitten.com/tools/stanley_bench_plane/dating_flowchart.php
Having a hard time getting my iron flat but everything else going good keep us posted

-- MARK IN BOB, So. CAL

OOPS I got side tracked about your question
DON’T acid bath it !!!
DON’T Rust magic it !
NO Vinegar !!!
All the metal just soak in a penetrating oil like PB Blaster Kroil etc then brush with steel wool scotchbrite or the like only work on rusty portions, Flatten the sole, iron, breaker and frog.
100+ years to get a patina and ruin it with rust buster YIKES !!!!!!!!

-- MARK IN BOB, So. CAL

If you’re going to be using the plane to, you know, actually plane wood, who gives a damn about the patina? Evapo-Rust is what I use. It works great. Electrolysis on very large things that I can’t easily submerge in Evapo-Rust.

In this case, Evapo-Rust is the ticket. Pick up a gallon at Harbor Freight with the 25% off coupon today and you’ll be out the door for less than $20.

Plus 1 on the evapo rust. I just love the low knob Stanley’s.

Marn64,

Paul Sellers’ video on restoring a bench plane might be worth a look…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYyV6IUpsYk

Spot on with the evaporust, and a softer brush.
This old #5 Bailey plane looked just like yours before evaporust.
I still need a new tote for it.
the old cap iron and blade was to far gone so I bought a new one from lee valley.
http://www.leevalley.com/us/Wood/page.aspx?p=66868&cat=1,41182

I m a fan of evaporust. Just run it (less the wood) through the dishwasher, the soak in Evapo-Rust. Go easy on wire brushing. Try plastic brush, then brass, steel only as last resort.

-- John

I went out and bought some evaporust today, I currently have the blade and chipbreaker soaking right now, I am going to check in on it in an hour.

-- Benjamin, Milwaukee

The japanning is in pretty good shape for a plane that old that doesnt need much work