Gene Davis
05-20-2015, 1:20 PM
$20 to a guy selling his dad's old tools. Painted knob and handle, the cheap gray-painted cap, white metal thumbscrew. Little to no rust, but needs to be polished up a little. From the look of the blade, was maybe sharpened once. Couple of nicks in the end, no big deal.
I am guessing it may date back 25 years. Has the numbers C557B on its sole casting, under the handle. Probably used to plane the edge of a couple fat doors, then put away.
So I resharpened the blade and got it scary, set it on a piece of white oak, adjusted it to cut full width same, shavings maybe .003. It'll work fine.
I thought I wanted one of these because everyone has a #4 iron smoother of some kind. My other smoother is a wood one I've had for a long long time, an ECE Primus, also kept scary sharp. I put the ECE on the piece of white oak to do some comparison cuts, and it sure is lighter. I am used to the ECE and this new-to-me iron thing feels heavy.
It is the only size plane I now have two of. I made a trio of Krenov-style planes using Ron Hock blades and his plans, mine all have wenge soles, but I gave away the smoother as a Christmas gift, keeping the jack and the jointer.
I am guessing it may date back 25 years. Has the numbers C557B on its sole casting, under the handle. Probably used to plane the edge of a couple fat doors, then put away.
So I resharpened the blade and got it scary, set it on a piece of white oak, adjusted it to cut full width same, shavings maybe .003. It'll work fine.
I thought I wanted one of these because everyone has a #4 iron smoother of some kind. My other smoother is a wood one I've had for a long long time, an ECE Primus, also kept scary sharp. I put the ECE on the piece of white oak to do some comparison cuts, and it sure is lighter. I am used to the ECE and this new-to-me iron thing feels heavy.
It is the only size plane I now have two of. I made a trio of Krenov-style planes using Ron Hock blades and his plans, mine all have wenge soles, but I gave away the smoother as a Christmas gift, keeping the jack and the jointer.