Hi Folks,
Here’s a look at my latest challenge. It’s a shame that people let tools get to this point of disrepair. It seems that they find me and I can’t pass them by, as well I shouldn’t.
I’ve seen worse, and the cleanup is already started. Sure it’s going to take a lot of effort, but if I can rescue them, I’ve significantly increased my supply of Neanderthal toys!
Sorry for the file sizes. If they become a PITA, I’ll resize and post again.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
Kidderville, NH
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Replies
Who's crying! I'm drooling.
shopteacher,
I hear you. Take a look at my post on "Care and feeding" in this forum. It is certainly gratifying, and not all that much work.
These great tools seem to gravitate to me. I've had some clunkers along the way.
Now I'm in the process of searching the WEB to find out about the odd joiner plane. It came to me with a wooden frog???? The sole is quite beefy and it has no identifying markings on it.
Thanks for your post,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
Kidderville, NH
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I've been happy to buy worse.
There's a local gent - a part time tool collector and antique dealer - who has exactly one yard sale a year. Where he gets the tools is a mystery but there they are, always in need of TLC. They're either greased up and grimy or rusted over.
Last Spring I walked off his driveway with two blocks, a bench, a joiner and two scraper planes for $40. All Stanley. A day later, with new irons and one new handle, they were all in working order. Sadly, one of the scrapers went to the back of the shop where all things go to disappear. It was too far gone.
He knows I'll use them so he'll set things aside. Gotta love that...
Hi beach,
A day later, with new irons and one new handle, they were all in working order.
Wow, that's fast! You must have more time available than I.
I'm looking at 61 this August and still working a full time job that I really enjoy. Restoring planes has somehow become my part time avocation, in between maintaining a house, helping the wife with the horses and dogs, making furnitures for the house, etc.
He knows I'll use them so he'll set things aside. Gotta love that...
Amen to that! I have a friend that just GAVE me this new addition to my collection. He told me that he has a 40' horse trailer filled with old tools his father used to use as a cabinetmaker!
We're going to explore within the next few weeks!
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
Kidderville, NH
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Keep up the good work, save history. Are you sure we're not brothers? I have a tough time passing up ailing tools also. They just call out, Save Me.Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
Oh so true.
A lot of folks in here are looking for great tools. They're out there as you obviously know. Fine tool steel just begging to be back in the shop, doing their thing! I think that I'll get them back into working condition so I can use them to learn more.
I haven't yet experienced the feel of an upgrade blade such as Hock, Vevritas, Lie Nielsen!
Just trying to get 'em back to where they came from and having a great time! The first Bailey #7 Joiner that I restored and tuned, chattered a bit on some birch that I had. The plane had all original parts.
Skewed the plane, just a tad, and voilla!
Gotta love it! Bob @ Kidderville Acres
Kidderville, NH
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob, you have just started down a very slippery slope, welcome to the club. Paddy
Paddy,
It's strange but when I see these planes, I think of pictures of phillips artworks (planes) and I wonder how they would have looked when new. Let's find out, well almost, at least as close as I can get them. There always seems to be room for more.
When "done", what a feeling! Gotta try it, gotta try it!
I have a 4" x 8" x 18" piece of flame birch that I use as my testbed, crank the vise around it and have at it, reducing the blade depth till the chatter goes away. A nice thin shaving curling up out of the plane the full length of the board.
It's almost sinfull!
That path IS slippery and I think I'm heading towards the bottom. It's too late Paddy! Ain't no way anyone's going to take the feelings away from me now!
BobBob @ Kidderville Acres
Kidderville, NH
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
>> Wow, that's fast! You must have more time available than I. <<It's not spare time - it's spare parts. Parts from tools that could not be salvaged. Boxes of irons bought at auction. Worst case - I buy a replacement handle.And I'm just making the tools serviceable, not restoring them.Good luck with the trailer...
Bob, I don't see any reason to cry unless those planes have suffered structural damage such as cracked castings.Potentially some good stuff there. Move on to the 40 foot container ASAP-you may recieve a decoration from Galoots.
I suggest you look into an electrolysis set up -don't have one myself but I have seen good results-saves a lot of fuss.
phillip,
Thanks for the inspiration. Winter here has been rather unkind lately -30 degrees F every morning for the past week or so and little relief in sight. That's OK, gives me more time to restore the planes as working in the shop is next to impossible.
I've started researching electrolysis. At present I give them a thorough wash with WD-40, let soak for several days, then wire brush as much as possible after wiping off the gunk. I then flatten the soal and clean up the sides.
I use the scary sharp method and have all the grits through 1,000 premounted on float glass plates. This allows me to process several planes in a batch. The blades are processed essentially the same way, flatten the back, clean up the front and hone a new edge.
Check and fettle the frogs as necessary to make sure they ride rock solid on the body. I don't mess with the knob, tote or Japanning at this point, the goal being to get a working plane together.
May seem like a lot of work to others but I find it to be a salubrious endeavor. My upper body strength is improving, arms are getting stronger, etc., etc. At my age it's a win - win situation!
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
Kidderville, NH
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
There were some threads on cleaning hand planes about a year ago and a link to cleaning by electrolysis and citric acid were covered. They showed what is needed and the before/after of several planes- look for a Knots member or posts by someone called MikeinKaty or Planewood here. I used citric acid to clean mine and it worked very well and you can get a pound of it for around $5 at beer/wine making stores. They use it for cleaning their equipment. 1/4 cup of citric acid mixed into a gallon of warm water until dissolved. Disassemble the tool and lay the parts in a plastic container, making sure that no parts are on top of another, especially the iron and bed. Let it sit, completely covered overnight, wire brush the parts to remove any residue, rinse in warm or hot water and dry immediately. If some of the rust/crud remains, put it back in for another day. It leaves the good metal alone but removes all of the rust, also without affecting the japanning or paint unless there's rust underneath. If the part comes out of the solution, don't let it sit- the iron will rust very quickly. For larger areas, I used Scotch Brite pads for metal (gray) and they came out looking better than I had expected. I put a couple of coats of paste wax on everything and buffed. I stripped the totes and handles, sanded them and gave them a couple of coats of Tung oil although the next one will get shellac. Wear good rubber gloves- the dirt and rust that comes off will definitely make your hands look like you've been digging ditches for years. It's not the best odor but it could be worse.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
I will defenitely give it a go. To me, cleaning in preparation for fettling is the worst part of the process. Anything that minimizes that is most welcome.
Thanks,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
Kidderville, NH
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I'll take those "shames" off your hands for ya. Just ship me that rusty one with the holes in the sides^_^! You wouldn't have to see it ever again. hehehe
-Ryan C.
Bob
It looks like a great find! Among those gems is a carriage makers plane, either a #10 or #10 1/2. Can't tell with all the "patina" (hah!) on there. That is a great plane, and worth some money, not that it matters. If you don't know already, be extremely careful with that one. Many of those fail in the arch over the blade/mouth opening on the sidewalls. Many that I've seen have been welded there. If you've got one without any repairs, and the mouth is straight, you've got a gem user.
I've rescued quite a few "adopted sons" over the years, and have enjoyed putting them back into working order. You'll notice that when you're done, you won't have to clean up as much at night. Those planes will be so thankful, that after you close up shop at night, they'll hop down off their perches, and clean up for you as a great, big "Thank You, BOB!!"
Enjoy,
Jeff
Hi Jeff,
Among those gems is a carriage makers plane, either a #10 or #10 1/2. Can't tell with all the "patina" (hah!) on there. That is a great plane, and worth some money, not that it matters. If you don't know already, be extremely careful with that one.
I saw your post at work today, checked the WEB and couldn't wait to get home to have a look. Oh man, I do have a Carriage Makers Plane. You're right, the "patina" kinda blanks out any identification. Your comment about its potential value has me intimidated. I'm new at this business of restoring planes, as you can no doubt tell, so I want to make sure I do it properly. Do you have any words of wisdom?
Many of those fail in the arch over the blade/mouth opening on the sidewalls. Many that I've seen have been welded there. If you've got one without any repairs, and the mouth is straight, you've got a gem user.
I cleaned off the gunk from the WD-40 dousing that I applied, and I don't see any fractures/cracks anywhere. I looked very closely at the area of the arch over the blade/mouth opening, nothing,
I've rescued quite a few "adopted sons" over the years, and have enjoyed putting them back into working order.
It's great when you get them to the point that they shine! I use the scary sharp method, no danger of heat, up to 1,000. Then I apply two light coats of Butchers Wax with 0000 steel wool and buff out with. I do the same with the blade and chipbreaker. Tuning is done per Derek Cohens instructions.
You'll notice that when you're done, you won't have to clean up as much at night. Those planes will be so thankful, that after you close up shop at night, they'll hop down off their perches, and clean up for you as a great, big "Thank You, BOB!!"
Since I've embarked on this new journey, down that slippery path I've noticed a peculiar knocking at my door late at night, followed by a distinct sound of plane blades rattling!
Perhaps a loose chipbreaker?Bob @ Kidderville Acres
Kidderville, NH
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
My only advice would be to make sure you don't leave any WD-40 on the plane. That stuff is hell on finishes for a piece of furniture. Take your time, and have some fun.
I really want to see that carriage maker's plane when you've cleaned it up! What a find.
Jeff
hello guys-hate to butt in but I really need info on this subject. I have 20 antique wood molding planes in condition from good to terrible
I am a snowbird camping down in mcallen texas. the camp has a woodshop so this would be a great time to get at them.
the problem is I don't know how far to go in cleaning the wood, replacing irons etc.
so as not to ruin the value, also the aesthetics.
sure would appreciate some suggestions. the handimen here are ogling my old tools. thankyou, bob black
Bob
Collectors have different opinions on how much a plane should be cleaned up than woodworkers. You mentioned value. For me, the only value a plane has is making shavings in the woodshop, so I wouldn't be giving you sage advice. I have many old planes, and I have cleaned them all up as much as I possibly could to make them comfortable in my hands without the grimy feeling. I have removed original finishes down to bare wood, etc..... because that is the feel that I enjoy. I have removed all the original varnish off of the totes and knobs of my old bedrocks, because it made them slippery to use, in my opinion.
You'll have to decide what is right for you. There are many cleaners out there for wood. I wouldn't want to recommend something that might damage what you conceive as the value of the plane. I've heard stories of kerosene and steel wool, but I've never tried those remedies myself. Orange glow has worked well for me.
Good luck, and enjoy.
Jeff
JEFF, you have got me thinking about just what I do want from these planes.
After some thought, I believe I will clean them up reasonably well and use them. My son certainly doesn't want them after me so what's the sense of sitting them on the shelf and looking at them.
Thanks for the wakeup boost, bob
Jeff,
It will be done.
Citric acid and electrolysis have been proposed and perhaps are better choices for cleanup, but will have to wait. By the time I sand up to 1,000, there is little if any WD-40 left. I also apply two coats of Butchers wax using 0000 steel wool as a finale.
The cabinet maker and #5 will be the first two as they are needed. See below.
I'm in prep mode, i.e. (RTBM - Read The Bleeping Manual) for a new Veritas Twin Screw that will be knocking on my door any day now. Then it's make the AV cabinet for the wife mode.
My busiest fruniture making time of year is just around the corner and I intend to be ready. It's been too cold to work in the shop so in winter, I get all the yearly maintenance done. This year has been particularly busy as I have added significant numbers of new planes, saws, etc. that were in dire need of attention.
The Boss was just a 1/2 step behind my priority setter, AKA my wife!
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
Kidderville, NH
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Sanding will remove good metal and if you don't clean them first, you can't really see what is there. Use some kind of de-greaser or solvent to get rid of the WD-40 and remove the rust, then do the electrolysis or citric acid. I hit mine with solvent and needed to do very little sanding, other than leveling the sole and making the edges crisper. On my low-knob #7, I haven't done any sanding because the original grinding marks are still very visible. You should be able to minimize the sanding by changing the order. I used no WD-40 or Naval Jelly on mine, just solvent and citric acid, Scotch Brite and paste wax.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
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