Replies

1. 
   KiddervilleAcres | Aug 07, 2007 09:43pm | #1

   woodhors,

   Be careful with that plane.  It could be worth a lot of money!  I almost ruined a #3 Type 3 that is worth somewhere in the vicinity of $800!

   Take a look at this: http://forums.taunton.com/fw-knots/messages?msg=35108.9

   Put up some pics of it if you can.  Let the gurus in here have a look at it B4 you mess with it.

   Regards,

   Bob @ Kidderville Acres

    

   A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!

   
   

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   Edited 8/7/2007 3:01 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres

1. 
   woodhors | Aug 09, 2007 09:54pm | #4

   Thanks for your replies. I had checked the plane out for value when I first got it. I believe it is a type 15. It has a plastic adjustment knob and is missing the lever cab (I think I can pick one up at e-bay). The casting is quite thick, thicker than others I have seen. The link you recommended was an interesting story but sadly no repeat here :(. I have wanted to try a Krenov style plane and this might be the right time, but I haven't quite given up on the conversion. I have a piece of 4/4 Mahogany that I want to bring down to 7/8 inch thickness. The nearest thickness sander that I know about is over 100 miles away. Besides I like to do it all myself (I guess that identifies me as an amateur not a pro). I have a jack plane and a jointer plane to finish up with, but I wanted something to remove quite a bit of wood in a hurry. If I do go ahead with the conversion what should I do to make this plane as good as it can be?

1. 
   derekcohen | Aug 10, 2007 04:32am | #5

   I use scrub planes quite a bit (since I do not have a power planer) and own several. One of these is a converted #3 (began life as a nondescript UK-made type). For its pupose it functions well. I pull it out when working small sections of soft wood. With the adjustable depth of cutting it is easy and quick to configure and the thin blade is not a weakness. It has a delicacy .. no, precision of cut (if one can talk this way about a plane that is used for rough work) that is absent in larger, heavier scrub planes.

   Of course it does not begin to compare against a LV Scrub or the converted Stanley #5 1/2 I use when flattening/thicknessing hard woods.

   The #3 has a 3" radiused blade and the mouth has been opened up.

   Regards from Perth

   Derek

2. 
   gdblake | Aug 11, 2007 04:54am | #6

   What you have described is a WWII vintage #3, per the thicker casting with black bakelite depth adjuster.  I have found WWII era planes work extremely well once they have been tuned up.  The heavier casting is a real plus.  You don't have anything but time to lose to try feddling it in a serviceable smoother.  If you're not happy with the result, you can still use it as a scrub plane.  Just follow Derek's advice and back the frog off, grind a 3" radius on the iron, keep the chip breaker back from the edge and have at it.  Just remember, once you file the mouth wider there is no going back.  Good luck, either way it will be a good learning experience.

2. 
   gdblake | Aug 08, 2007 03:40am | #2

   In a word, don't.  The #3 is too short to make into a serviceable scrub plane.  Look up David Chatsworth's instructions for tuning it up and keep it as a smoother.  If you are wanting a scrub plane, but don't want to pay alot for it, make one.  The Krenov style of plane making is easy (instructions can be found on the Internet) and a scrub plane would be an ideal first effort.  Use an infill plane as your design model (again, search plans on the Internet). Make the frog/bed a large triangle and incorporate the tote into it.  The toe can stick up above the cheeks and be formed into a knob.  Ron Hock and Lie-Neilsen sell scrub plane irons on their Websites or you can get one from Highland Woodworking (formerly Highland Hardware).   You can use hard maple, oak, or any other dense hardwood for the body.

3. 
   SteveSchoene | Aug 09, 2007 04:23pm | #3

   A no. 3 is a bit short (8" vs. 9 1/2 for the no. 40), but not so short as to make it unusable as a scrub I don't think.  It will still remove lots of material.  If you want the plane to guide flatness a scrub is the wrong tool anyway.  To get a feel for it as a scrub just move the frog back as far as it will go and grind a modest radius into the blade.  This will give a light scrub.  To go whole hog you would have to file the mouth to make it wider.  This is where you should check on the "type" to see if you have a valuable model.  If you open the mouth you can grind a greater arc in the blade.