I am not that old but have arthritis, I need an easy pusher which in the end might be in my favor so I have to learn to use it right and set it up and sharpen it right. I doubt It will ever be Rob Cosman on a Lie Nielson but maybe I can get it to work acceptably. The shavings are from me, a complete no nothing about planes (except I use to work on avionics). No fidling with anything just brought it home, lowered it a bit and put it on a pine board and tore the cr*p out of the grain, it looked more like a rug when I was finished. I just wanted a starting point.
It is mildly rusted on bottom and sides and on the blade and mechanisms,
no patents,
steel thumb wheel,
chrome lever cap,
blade looks like it was used by a concrete guy,
dark wooden handles
No cracks
Made in England not USA,
The last pic is after 20 seconds on 600 grit automotive wet dry on 3/4" melomine.
An English Stanley is a fine candidate for restoration. The mouth appears a little low, a few more swipes on you abrasive. Will tell you how much needs to come off. If after a minute or two you don't see a visible improvement you may need to rethink. A lot more knowledgeable folks should chime in so see what they have to say.
Sounds like you may have planed against the grain. If you can get shavings without restoring it, it's going to be great once you get it flat and sharp. It looks way better than some of the rust heaps I've rescued.
Once you get it all cleaned up and sharp, be sure to wax or oil the bottom. Good coat of wax + light cut = easy push.
When you take the iron off the chipbreaker….sight down the length of the iron's side,,,not the cutting edge…and see IF the iron has a curve to it. Sometimes, after being clamped up tight for too long..it will bend the iron a bit.
Simple fix. ...Lay the iron on the bench, with the high part of the curve up….Mallet to pound it flat ( metal hammers leave marks/dimples) Keep sighting along the length..repeat until the iron is straight/flat…
Also, while you're at it with the sandpaper..the underside of the lever cap could use a bit….smooth the rough casting to where it will sit down nicely….will also improve the "grip" it has on the chipbreaker. You won't have to crank the lever cap's bolt down as hard….makes adjusting the depth easier, too.
Too fine of sandpaper on the sole….maybe start at 100, or 150 grit…..it'll take forever if you just "polish" it flat with the higher grits.
BTW: I happen to have, and use a Made in England No.4c….no issues.
Absolutely worth sharpening. And watch this video, Paul Sellers demonstrates that a properly SHARPENED and tuned old Stanley barely needs any effort to push(great for your arthritis), he also discusses bench heights which probably pertain to you as well.
Thanks for the help, I have decided to clean it and tune it up but not go overboard with a restoration. I am going to knock the rust off, touch up where neccessary and learn to sharpen and tune.
Bandit571 I did have to use your suggestion on the blade and the underside of the levercap.
Where does the single very thin washer go. I had paid close attention I thought but ended up with a thin .02 washer that has an ID of .24 and and od of .42
I am old , turned 70 yesterday, and got lots of arthritis and my #4 & #41/2 are my favorite user planes. I did however buy a Hock blade for them . Sharp, quality, blades are what makes planes easy movers. and a little wax on the bottom before each use. From the look of your blade they need throwed out and replaced. Enjoy
Just select the blade that matches your plane on this page - if you're not sure of your plane, you can use their "contact us" form to send in a question.
A thick Hock blade will definitely spruce up your plane.
You use so little wax that it does not affect finishing; plus, each pass removes any wax that may have deposited from previous passes so by the time you are done, there is minimal wax even left on the sole. I use a hard beeswax stick (because it is what I have). Even a candle will probably work. Just scribble a line down the length and you will be amazed how much easier it slides.
Nice find, and agree with all the above. I have an older Stanley #3 that I just "restored"…probably not up to acceptable purists standards and methods, paint instead of Japanning, etc…and when I looked it up I figured it to be a 7 series, dating 1893 to 1899. It works beautifully!
I recently inherited a few planes that are in desperate need of some work - thank you to all here for your suggestions, it's given me some good info to start!
Just curious. When flattening and polishing a plane sole I start with 120 or 180 grit to get a feel for how far out of flat the sole really is. If bad, I go to 60 grit and then up to 320 for my final polish. How fine do the rest of you go?
Oldbull, I would say you bought a very nice plane at a good price. I've purchased much worse!
Just curious. When flattening and polishing a plane sole I start with 120 or 180 grit to get a feel for how far out of flat the sole really is. If bad, I go to 60 grit and then up to 320 for my final polish. How fine do the rest of you go?
You want the toe, both sides of the mouth, and the heel all in the same plane. It's not important to get the entire sole flat. Once you're able to sand off markings in those 4 locations, don't bother removing any more metal.
I've found it hard to get 60 or 80 grit sandpaper flat enough to not cause more problems. Keep with 100 grit, using a sanding stick to clean it occasionally, and replace when it gets worn.
I've found 220 more than fine enough for The last step for sole flattening. 120 is good enough. Wax will fill in the scratches. Where I start depends On the plane - sometimes 60. Sanding belts are the best I've found especially the lower grits.
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