What alloy is my old Stanley 71 1/2?

[lowell holmes]

I have an old 71 1/2 that was covered with a rusty colored grunge. I decided to wire brush it in preparation to painting with black rustoleum.

When I wire brushed it, it was bright, almost chrome looking. It appears the nickel plating is intact under the grunge.
I gave it a coat of Johnsons wax and reassembled it. I have a cherry wood sole on it that I will replace with hard maple. After installing a replacement blade (iron) from LV, it is my tenon trimmer of choice.

I am curious about what the plane is made of. Does anybody know?

[Pedro Reyes]

Cast iron I assume like most metal Stanley planes of the time.

The exact composition or description I ignore, but it should be Fe.

/p

[lowell holmes]

Since I posted the question, I have seen references to nickel plate on the planes. I was flabergasted that the nickel plate was intact under the grunge. I had thought it would be necesarry to bead plast the plane and have it replated.

I really thought the grunge was rust.