Got this plane for free! Is it decent?

[Mike Dowell]

It is a Stanley and says No. 5 1/4. Decent?
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[Jim Matthews]

Better than decent.

It won't need more than 30 minutes of attention to be ready for work.

I sort of like the narrow, long profile.
Nice balance, good quality and you can't argue with the price.

you suk

[Mike Dowell]

Better than decent.

It won't need more than 30 minutes of attention to be ready for work.

I sort of like the narrow, long profile.
Nice balance, good quality and you can't argue with the price.

you suk
That's GREAT NEWS! I don't know much about planes at all. I'll have to do some reading on how to set up and adjust this guy. I bought the apron plane from Lee Valley and it is unbelievably amazing, but it's so tiny. Does this type of plane have any specific uses where it does best? My apron plane works well for small work but I don't think it'd do much on the side of a door.

[ken hatch]

Not that it makes a difference but....The plane may not be a Stanley plane. The lateral adjustment leaver is folded metal, Record and other makes used folded metal leavers but not Stanley as far as I know. Let add that I know squat about post WWII Stanley planes and this may be a Type 20 or newer Stanley.

Again, if after clean up it works great who cares if it is a Stanley or some other make with a Stanley leaver cap.

ken

[ken hatch]

One more thing to add: Look at the frog and the bedding of the frog. If the bedding looks machined or at least bare metal the plane may be worth the effort to clean up. If painted not so much.

ken

[Tom Bussey]

It is a newer Stanley, If you take a closer look the color of the plane is probably Blue. It is not one of the nicer 5 1/4s but it is serviceable. It should have machined seats and worth you time sharpening, It should make you a very nice plane It was made for schools when they had more shop classes. I will say that you got a real bargin on the price.

Enjoy,

Tom

[Hilton Ralphs]

I think the 5-1/4 were used in school shops and if you can't get it tuned up properly, it will probably make a decent scrub plane with some work on the blade camber or with a thicker after market.

[steven c newman]

Happen to have a Four Square version of this plane....love it! A #3 sized cutter in a longer sole. Of course, mine has a SW iron in it. Household Jack plane. BTW, barely any camber to the edge, as this can also work as a smoother.

A FREE 5-1/4? That just might qualify as a "You SUCK" sort of thing.

[Jim Koepke]

A #5-1/4 can be a very useful size. One was given to me and gets used often. Another pair were bought in an ebay auction and were beat all to heck. Most likely in a high school shop class.

One of the beat up planes has since been set up for use as a scrub plane.

jtk

[Mike Henderson]

I have a 5 1/4 and find it useful. It's a good size for certain jobs - not to big, but bigger than a block plane.

Mike

[Winton Applegate]

I don't think it'd do much on the side of a door.
I am sure I could make the entire door from rough lumber with the block plane if I added the optional handle (http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.aspx?p=48942&cat=1,41182)s and a couple of radiused blades. That is one versatile and brilliant little plane.

I might even prefer it to the Stanley.
But then I have an irrational and unfounded phobia of the inexpensive Stanleys.
Derek is helping me through that.
We think with a lot of work (he said with ALOTTA, LOTTA work) (that was the technical jargon he used) and completion of the proper assembly of the three dementinal (was that dimensional or demential) reality therapy tool he has assigned to me (gosh this looks sooo much like the transmission for a Porsche 356) . . .
anyway
it could take a while
he says to just go at my own pace and keep visiting him weekly
and all should be well.

Here is one of the blue ones in the Jack see last photo.

[Mike Dowell]

Interesting feedback. I added some pictures to my original post. I figured maybe it could be better identified with better pictures.

So this is not one of the better Stanley's, but just a cheapy? My neighbor was cleaning out her basement and she told me she had a bunch of tools down there which belonged to her father(she's 68). She told me to take what I wanted, so I took everything! This plane was part of the find. So, before I invest any time in it, am I confirmed that this is worth fixing up?

[Jim Koepke]

So, before I invest any time in it, am I confirmed that this is worth fixing up?

Mike, the first order of business, IMO, is to sharpen the blade. Then take some shavings. That should give you an idea of the worthiness of this plane.

Though it may be from what many think of the "age of junk" from Stanley, that does not mean it can not be put to good use or be a good working tool.

Many of my old beat up tools still do excellent work.

jtk

[steven c newman]

I would. Yep, it IS worth the time to fix up.

[Jim Koepke]

She told me to take what I wanted, so I took everything!

So, what else was in the haul?

jtk

[Mike Dowell]

So, what else was in the haul?

jtk

Nothing noteworthy. Bunch of screwdrivers, wrenches, old hand saws... There was a decent coping saw so that was a score.

Sounds good. I'll go ahead and sharpen the blade! I suppose I should run the bed(that's the bottom surface right?) on some fine sandpaper to clean it up?

[Winton Applegate]

My link seems to be flaky so anyway here is a side by side of my LN scrub, my main quick wood remover and the LV block showing the optional handles. If the rear handle mount was a tad more robust the block could replace the scrub. The block's blade is even wider than the scrub. I have never broken a LV optional handle scrubbing but I know it's limits in that respect. Still can scrub the heck out of things with that little block and then could finish plane it with a straight across blade.
I realize this is way off the track but was prompted to elaborate by the unpredictability of the link, going to the home page, some times rather than the specific product page.

Even further off the subject; I have a perverse desire to see how far I could go with the LN Scrub; meaning using straight across finish ground blades make an entire project just with the scrub. Some day . . .

[Stew Denton]

Hi Mike,

Yep, it is one of the newer Stanley's, in all likelihood. I'm only interested in the older Stanley's so don't know much about the newer ones. I wouldn't put any money in it, but would certainly sharpen it up and give it a go, as it might do fine.

As mentioned above, at the very least it might turn out to be an excellent scrub plane if you put a pretty good radius on the iron. The 5 1/4 was the size used in schools a lot. It amounts to a junior sized Jack plane. It is also a nice size to use as a scrub plane as folks mentioned, being fairly narrow and a little shorter than a normal Jack plane length.

For what it's worth, you realized that you may have said magic words with the term "old hand saws" here.

Stew

[Jim Matthews]

Dude.

Free plane.

[Jim Matthews]

Sharpen the blade and try it out first.
Don't make more work for yourself.

If it cuts straight and leaves a decent finish, you're good to go.

[Harold Burrell]

Dude.

Free plane.

Yep. Absolutely.

[Mike Dowell]

To the sharpening stone this morning. I'll be back here later. Thanks!

[Jim Koepke]

I suppose I should run the bed(that's the bottom surface right?) on some fine sandpaper to clean it up?

+1 on what Jim said.

The bottom doesn't look to have rusted to the point of needing cleanup.

jtk

[Mike Dowell]

*UPDATE*

This thing works really, really well. Like I said before, I don't really know too much about planes and it looks like this guy has some settings I know nothing about but, I went ahead and honed the blade out with 2000/4000. I didn't even do that great of a job, just put an edge on it, put it back together and ran it down the edge of a board. smooth as silk.

Thanks guys!

[Terry Beadle]

DUDE ... ! Free Plane !!!

Enjoy the shavings!

[Winton Applegate]

:( What ? ? ? ? no pictures.
A guy has to show the evidentiary shavings in THIS forum.
Herrrumph HERUMPH
We are not going to just take your word for it. No sir !

And what kind of wood ?
Any knots or reversing grain?
We need something to argue over here.:eek:

Throw us a bone will yah ? :)

[Mike Dowell]

Will do. I'll grab some pictures tomorrow when I get into the shop!

[Dave Zellers]

LOL!

Tough crowd, tough crowd.

:)

Doubt anyone would want it any other way......

[Joe A Faulkner]

As someone else said, the old hand saws may be of more value than you might think. Post a few pictures of those with close ups of the handles, sight down the blade and see how straight they are. Could be a save or two in that find.

[Mike Dowell]

*PROOF OF SHAVINGS*

As has been requested, I hereby furnish proof!

From left to right: Maple, Red Oak, Poplar, Mahogany, Walnut
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