Any use for plane shaped objects?

[Shawn Pixley]

I get given planes by well meaning people sometimes. I appreciate the gesture, I really do. However, often these are plane-shaped objects rather than actual planes. Two recent ones are a Craftsman #4 from the 70's (Plastic tote and all). I got is to cut minimally, maybe light adequacy for a jack, but it's no smoother. A sharp blade disguises a multitude of sins. The other is a Miller Falls also from the 60's /70's (I think). The lever cap doesn't readily slip over the lever cap screw. They have cheap castings, poor design, and other less redeeming features.

Can anyone think of anything practical to do with these? I don't mind fixing something that at the end of the day will work well (old Stanleys or M-F); but these just take up space.

[Jeff Wittrock]

I still have a Great Neck I bought in the 80's. I use it as a scrub, but one only needs so many scrub planes.

[Frederick Skelly]

Door stops? (You could give them to other woodworkers for Christmas. Be kinda neat if you did them right.)

Awards or wall decorations? (Mount on a plaque for employee of the month, etc. Again, be kinda neat if you did it right)

Buoys? (Tie them to a plastic milk jug and throw it overboard to mark a fishing spot.)

Boat anchors? (Tie several together and it might weigh enough.)

Scrap them? (Sad but still an option.)

Gifts for retired guys who love tools but are on a fixed income? (Might have time and inclination to spend fettling them.)

White elephant gift exchanges at work? (Imagine some secretary's surprise when she opens it.)

Teaching toys. (Youd have to dull the blade and make sure everthing was safe, but my little cousins used to LOVE taking things apart and putting them back together when they were around 5 yrs old.)

Fred

[Peter Pedisich]

Anyone know if the iron is of any use to blacksmiths?

Is the type of cast iron used on mid-late 20th c. planes usable by todays blacksmith?

[Shawn Pixley]

Anyone know if the iron is of any use to blacksmiths?

Is the type of cast iron used on mid-late 20th c. planes usable by todays blacksmith?

I smith some but can't see he cast iron will be much use. You can't forge it as there is too much carbon. It'll just shatter. I can't think of a convenient way to burn off the carbon. I don't want to burn the gas to liquify to recast.

Thanks for the thought.

Maybe turn them into ancient japanese throwing planes?

[Tony Shea]

How about building an infill plane. Derek also has something similar on his website. Need to try this sometime as I have a few spares around as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evQkV1Py-qc

[Chris Griggs]

Hey that's super cool! I have that same block plane too. I'd seen Derek's Bailey infill but not that. Very cool.

[David Weaver]

I'd save the castings for diamonds (lapping or honing) and repurpose the plane blade for around-the-house junk work where you need a sharp blade to scrape things. The whole setup would have more value to me doing that than it would as planes.

You won't end up with huge lapping hones, but the bonus is they will be easier to flatten initially. I've broken my cast pieces off at the mouth and thrown the front of them away, and ultimately don't use them, but it was a free trial and it keeps me from hanging on to junk planes. The irons as trash scrapers are more definitely worthwhile.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Larger soles can be good for attaching sandpaper to to make large sanding blocks - I've used these a little bit for neck work on guitars.

Popular Woodworking had an article on things to do with old plane parts by Jeff Miller. I think they've had some similar ideas in their tips and tricks before.

http://media2.fwpublications.com.s3.amazonaws.com/PWW/NewToolsfromOldPlane.pdf

I've thought about the last one in that article before, taking an old smoother or jack I don't care about and attaching some strips to the sole for thicknessing things like bindings or something. I do this now with carpet tape, but might be nice to use something sturdier on a plane I don't mine drilling.

Certainly plenty of uses for old blades - glue clearing, scraping, just having an extra for when the one in use goes dull . . .

I use an old, well lapped, jointer plane blade for registering pieces against a scribed line - it just drops in the scribe line and lets you push something up against it perfectly. Nice for marking out the thickness of a groove after making the first scribe, push an offcut against the blade, and then mark the second line off of that.

Kari at the village carpenter uses the same idea here (http://villagecarpenter.blogspot.com/2008/12/half-blind-dovetails.html) to register a block for a paring guide. When I've got dovetail pieces that are a being a little awkward for whatever reason to align for marking out the second piece, I use the old plane blade to align a square block with the scribe line, then clamp it in place, so I have something to slide the second piece against, or even clamp it if needed.

[steven c newman]

Don't want them? Send thhem here! I think I can make just about any work like a plane268924even one of these268925268926I seem to enjoy that kind of stuff..

[Bob Glenn]

You need to learn about the art of re-gifting. Just sayin......................

[Randy Reitz]

You should always keep a few on hand to lend to "that" neighbor.

[Jim Koepke]

During recent travels one store had book ends made with old tools that were cut in half mounted on the outside ends.

For working on totes and knobs it is nice to have a broken off front and back to mount them to be held in a vise.

Also, like Randy said, keep it for those who want to borrow tools.

jtk

[Jim Belair]

Donate them to the nearest Habitat ReStore. Hand tools, even crappy ones. don't seem to last long there.

[Shawn Pixley]

Thanks all! Many good suugestions.

Infill plane? Good ideas. I may try that.
Lapping? I need to think on that... Don't see an immediate need, but might be right idea.
Sanding block? Another good idea. Would you use a thin layer of cork on the bottom?
Scrub plane? Maybe. The irons are a bit wide. I was using the craftsman for that or for rough work around the house. I put a replacement iron in, and it improved it a lot. It can make shavings or chips but it less than pleasant in using. Adjusting? Even worse. The Miller Falls plane is so bad, I can't see the effort being worth it...
Loaner Plane for "that guy?" I thought I was "that guy"...
Plane blades repurposed? I never would throw them away. I like the ideas I hadn't considered. Even pitted blades have some use for scraping. I like the handle idea.
Re-gifting? I am burdened by too much conscience to wish these planes upon others.

Thanks again

[David Weaver]

Re-gifting? I am burdened by too much conscience to wish these planes upon others.



Good man. I tortured someone with a plane that should've been thrown away one time. I still feel guilty about it, I didn't know it was as bad as it was, and the guy has more money than time.

[Sam Murdoch]

Bookends - could be nice with the proper mount. All painted of course.