tool gloat

[Bill Brush]

I have been drafted into helping move my Mother-in-law out of her house where she has lived for over 40 years. One job that is part of this is cleaning out the garage that has been untouched since her husband passed in 2004.

Last weekend my brother-in-law and I started in on the garage. After clearing off the top of the bench I was able to open the cupboard, and thought "This must be where he kept the good tools." An oddity was a line of 5 small planes. This was odd because my father-in-law never did woodworking. There were small block planes, and one slightly larger plane that looked like it might be a smoothing plane. Mom-in-law said I could have whatever so I put them in my box to look at later.

Long story slightly longer, the smoother had a number I didn't recognize, so I had to do some digging, which led to more digging, and a bit of cleaning.

It turns out that my non-woodworking Father-in-law had preserved a Type 10 Stanley Bedrock 603. I will need to clean it up and sharpen it, but it looks very serviceable.

And because no good tool gloat is complete without pictures, here they are. I can't wait to get it ready to use.

267514267515267516

[Bill Houghton]

Now that's a treasure - and in the family, too! I take it your bro-in-law is not interested in any of the tools? That would make it even nicer - no competition. Keep digging.

[Hilton Ralphs]

Nice find indeed! Were any of the block planes any good?

[Jim Koepke]

That is a nice find. I wonder if Stanley shipped them with standard lever caps instead of the Bedrock lever caps. It seems a lot of them are that way.

A lot of people end up with planes because they had a one time use for them like a door that swelled with humidity. He may have gotten it from a friend who bought it for that purpose and gave or traded it to him to use.

I know my dad accumulated a lot of tools he rarely or never used. Now I have some of them.

jtk

[Bill Brush]

One of the block planes is a fairly new Stanley, one is completely devoid of any markings, and there is a very small Stanley that's kind of odd. The small Stanley is only about 4-5" long, and it's stamped steel, not cast. It's not in the picture. The other is a "Brilliant" which looks like more of a cheap plane-like tool.267547

[Hilton Ralphs]

The unmarked one looks like a knuckle cap #18.

[Mel Miller]

That is a nice find. I wonder if Stanley shipped them with standard lever caps instead of the Bedrock lever caps. It seems a lot of them are that way.

jtk

Jim: I believe the Stanley lever caps were used on Bedrock planes starting with type 7.

[Mel Miller]

The unmarked one looks like a knuckle cap #18.

Or maybe a nice low angle 65?

[Frederick Skelly]

Yahoo! Good for you Bill!

[Jim Koepke]

Jim: I believe the Stanley lever caps were used on Bedrock planes starting with type 7.

Thanks Mel, I haven't paid much attention to Bedrock types. Thought they all had Bedrock labels on the lever caps.

jtk

[Jim Koepke]

Or maybe a nice low angle 65?

Hmmm, I don't see the lateral lever from the #18, so maybe it is a #65. Need to see a shot from the back to tell for sure.

jtk

[Kim Malmberg]

The other is a "Brilliant" which looks like more of a cheap plane-like tool.267547

The "Brillant" branded plane is made by the German maker Kunz. As you said they aren't very good, but I have one for construction work in my house as it's light and can be used with one hand.

[Chris Hachet]

As a fan of the number three plane size....fantastic find, sir.

[Bill Brush]

One of the block planes is a fairly new Stanley, one is completely devoid of any markings, and there is a very small Stanley that's kind of odd. The small Stanley is only about 4-5" long, and it's stamped steel, not cast. It's not in the picture. The other is a "Brilliant" which looks like more of a cheap plane-like tool.267547

I took a few minutes last night to check out the block planes. The unmarked one has an adjustable throat and seems to be a fairly well-made plane. I found some numbers on the body, I think they were 636. The newer Stanley is decent, but doesn't have the adjustable throat. The Kunz looks serviceable for rough work, but it will be the last of the bunch to get worked on.

[Bill Brush]

I have finally had a chance to clean up the tools and I thought I'd post the pictures simply because I was so impressed by how well Evaporust cleaned things up. Truly amazing stuff (this was my first time using it.)

The plane I initially couldn't find any writing on turned out to be a Miller's Falls #37. Once the rust was off I found it stamped on the side.

The wooden plane body is missing a wedge and the iron. Anyone know what size iron I should buy for a plane with an opening approximately 1 1/8" wide? The bed seems to be the same angle as the #603 bedrock.

And here are the after pictures.

269439269440269441