bill howes
01-12-2014, 6:40 PM
Last fall I picked up 4 transitional plane remnants and undertook to restore, rebuild or otherwise return them to use and I thought I would pass on what I learned. The first was a Stanley 26 and everything was present but the tote. That I replaced and after sharpening and cleaning this became serviceable but not a great user.
One was a National a less well known Canadian manufacturer and one an unnamed 27. These two I rebuilt with some e-bay parts, birds eye maple and lignum vitae wooden bodies, new totes and nobs- again usable but looked better than they worked. There is a lot of play in the adjustment and the national blade will not hold an edge.
However the success was the last one which I tried to make into a "scrub plane" . New tote etc . I then round the blade to a camber of 5 inch radius. I added 1/4 inch oak sole which I shaped to the conture of the blade. Its great for rough planeing to flatten a board and even better for hogging off thick shavings off edges for dimensioning.
I'm new at posting and hopefully have attached pictures
One was a National a less well known Canadian manufacturer and one an unnamed 27. These two I rebuilt with some e-bay parts, birds eye maple and lignum vitae wooden bodies, new totes and nobs- again usable but looked better than they worked. There is a lot of play in the adjustment and the national blade will not hold an edge.
However the success was the last one which I tried to make into a "scrub plane" . New tote etc . I then round the blade to a camber of 5 inch radius. I added 1/4 inch oak sole which I shaped to the conture of the blade. Its great for rough planeing to flatten a board and even better for hogging off thick shavings off edges for dimensioning.
I'm new at posting and hopefully have attached pictures