yesterdays tool gloat. or did I pay too much ? (Handplane purchase)

[John A. Callaway]

So I took the wife to Atlanta again yesterday. We are constantlygoing up there to buy fabric for her garment making... ( another story for another day )....

I swung by Highland and got me a fret saw, a pack of blade s and a basic marking knife. The had dividers... but the three pack had only one I would use...so I will order some this week from somewhere else.

On the way back home we swung by a antique store that I know about and i grabbed this No.3 Stanley/Bailey smoother. gave $80.00 for it. It is in really good shape, flat, no cracks, no chips, the adjuster turns smooth, every thing is there. the handles have been repainted. I have read so much stuff on planes that it all ran together and I wasnt sure if it was a rip off or a bargain... but my wife said I should go for it anyway. so I did.

what do you think?

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[John A. Callaway]

here is some other stuff they had sitting there on the shelf. should I go back and grab something you see here?
the smoothers were no name... ohio tool or something...

there was a fulton jack plane there too. some rusty old stanley block planes...

most of these were 25 to 30 bucks. I think the fulton jack was 50 bucks.

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j87/trainman0978/0403001642.jpg

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[James Taglienti]

I have an Ohio smoother with factory tapered iron and it works better than Stanley. They are not a common brand but they made good solid planes with superior cutters. If you have an opportunity to see them again I'd buy them.
The Stanley looks alright but the throat looks a little big- was it filed? also, you might have overpaid by about $20. All things considered it was far from a disaster. I havent found a #3 yet that I didn't like.

[John A. Callaway]

the place isnt far from the house. I might run back up there later in the week.

I am gonna pull out " the book " from the schwarz and take this thing a apart and clean it up.

I will most likely order a hock blade fro it next week.

[Mark Buchanan]

John congratulations on your #3. Don't worry about overpaying by a few bucks. Good clean tools are hard to find and I would rather pay more for a good user than spend the same amount on 2 or 3 that need lots of work and may never be what I want.

Here is my new smoother that was in my Won box when I got home from Church, yeah and I probably paid to much as well.

147182

[Tri Hoang]

Congrats on the purchase of a nice new toy...eh plane. I'd say $80 for a #3 in that condition is on the high side, even on the bay. I recently acquired a #3C type 11 in a slightly better shape for $70 and did not feel like it's a good deal. I got a weak spot for type 11 3/4 smoothers and got carried away. I love the plane, though.

[Jim Koepke]

John, Mark,

I think the prices are because both of you have what could be considered scarce or collector planes.

The Millers Falls NIB falls into the realm of collector plane. Though I would love to handle one and take it for a test drive, most likely it would end up sold to someone who would want to keep if for posterity or to use for the joy of using a brand new tool.

As far as the #3 is concerned, A nice clean ready to go plane is always going to cost more. They are also more pleasurable to use.

I think this #3 is a one year only type from 1947. The slanted knurling on the adjuster gives it away. If you are trying to get a year type set, I think I know one antique shop where there is a #5 with a slant knurled adjuster for about $40. If you are interested and will pay the taxes and shipping, I will see if it is still there if we go into town tomorrow. For a regular user #5 though you should be able to find one at a better price.

jim

[John A. Callaway]

Jim, I appreciate the offer... but it wasnt a matter of looking for a certain year...It was just that was the best looking plane they had.

It is interesting that it is a one year model....even if it is a minor difference.

I did clean it up a bit , lapped the bottom on some 320 and some 1000, then 1500 grit. seems pretty flat on several different straight edges...

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j87/trainman0978/DSCN2236.jpg

Worked the iron over pretty good. flattened the back on 320 , then 1500 to a mostly mirror finish. I then put the iron in my honing guide and worked it on a coarse stone ( razor edge brand...dad gave me a set a few years ago ) then on to then 1500 and 2000 grit paper. After that I used my 4000 and 8000 grit water stones. It shaved the hair on my arms with virtually no effort. I still think a new iron is in my future....

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I got it to make shavings. I know I have got to have patience with the learning process.... It planed down the edge of a piece of oak just fine...although I gave the edge of the board a bevel...

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j87/trainman0978/DSCN2233.jpg

I also tried it on a wider piece of that elm that I was given. The plane was very had to push. even taking a thin shaving.... and I got some deep plane marks, some tearout with the grain....although the piece isnt exactly straight grained...I wasnt impressed.

I then remembered reading Schwarz saying that people like me should practice on some birch ply.... so I did... planed the birch veneer right off the piece. That was kinda neat.

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j87/trainman0978/DSCN2232.jpg

The mouth doesnt appear to have been filed. the frog and everything is in really good shape ... as far as I can tell. the chip breaker sits down on the iron good and flat... the lateral adjuster still has a good bit of tension against the rivet that holds it in... the lever cap clamps everything down nice....but how tight should the lever cap screw be ? I cant really find a happy medium with it... or I dont know where that is supposed to be ?

[Jim Koepke]

the lateral adjuster still has a good bit of tension against the rivet that holds it in... the lever cap clamps everything down nice....but how tight should the lever cap screw be ? I cant really find a happy medium with it... or I dont know where that is supposed to be ?

This is one of those things that comes with experience.
When mine are set to my liking, the lateral adjustment lever can still be moved. The use of the plane along an edge on either side can not change the lateral setting.

It does not need to be real tight. I usually start loose and move to tight by lifting the lever and turning the screw as little as two or three minutes of rotation. That works out to about 1/16th of a turn.

My experience has also found that changing a blade and cap iron will usually require a change of the screw even if they look the same as the previous assembly that was used.

jim

[John A. Callaway]

experience. If somebody could figure out how to sell that in a store..... reading and seeing just leaves you wanting more.

i will keep at it. Then, one day, i will have experience. :rolleyes:

I will mess around with the tension and see where it gets me.

What other good woods should I "practice" on ?

I have poplar and pine...but the are all 4 inch long pieces I have a piece of elm that I mentioned earlier ...about 8 inches wide. tough wood though....

[Jim Koepke]

I usually have a piece of scrap pine in the 2 - 3 foot length. This is good for setting the depth of cut on most planes. If it is free of knots, it can also be used for checking the face planing of plane before trying on something else.

A piece of this length is also good to practice edge planing square. Eventually you will learn to see and feel square. It will still need checking with a square, but usually will not need a lot of adjustment.

Time and patience teaches.

jim

[Rick Erickson]

Nice pick up John. I don't think it is overpriced if it works for you and you like it. That is all that matters.

I picked up a Stanley No 5. Type 11 for a few dollars more than you paid. I then paid a few dollars more for someone to clean it up for me (probably didn't need it but I'm kinda weird that way). I now have a vintage Stanley that looks practically new - and even performs that way:). I'm going with the factory blade for now. I may switch over to a Hock blade/chip breaker or maybe even the new Cosman IBC blade. Shoot, when I get done it may have been cheaper to buy a new Lie-Nielsen but it brings me joy to have a vintage Stanley so to me it isn't overpriced.

[John Powers]

You paid way to much. No point in sugarcoating it. Done that myself but not again. I'd only browse there and make a low ball offer. Antique stores think old planes are treasures. Flea markets are crawling with old planes some needing only slight rehab. they're showing up on craigslist consistently. #3,4,5 think $40.00. Personally I never buy the rustbuckets I see being rehabed but thats just me. Rather tie trout flies or practice guitar than derust some abused left in the rain tool.

[scott spencer]

Pricing and perceived value is so variable and subjective. It's more than I would have paid for it, but if you like it and works well, as James points out, no real harm done. I've paid as much or more for other planes that were probably more than others would pay, but sometimes they just call your name! Enjoy!

[James Taglienti]

True scott! I've downright ripped myself off at a couple auctions before, usually on planes I had never actually seen in person before, but once I saw them they became irresistible.

[Jim Koepke]

˙ǝsnoɥ ɐ uı uʍop ǝpısdn ƃuıǝq ǝʞıl ʇsnɾ sı ʇI

jim

[scott spencer]

˙ǝsnoɥ ɐ uı uʍop ǝpısdn ƃuıǝq ǝʞıl ʇsnɾ sı ʇI

jim


That's it!!!!... that's the feeling I couldn't seem to put into words!

:D

[John A. Callaway]

even if I did pay too much, it's okay cause it was a wife approved purchase. Usually I have to sneak things past her.

either way... once I get a new blade for it, it should make a good user.

[James Taglienti]

Sneak it past her, eh...
user and collector kind of blended together for me a few years ago... It's tough to convince your wife that a type 1 with 95%+ japanning actually improves the performance of a tool, especially when she can cut a better dovetail than you.