Pitting Near Mouth of Plane...Is This Gonna Be A Problem?

[Matthew Hutchinson477]

This is the first old plane I bought so I didn't understand exactly what to look for when selecting a plane. It wasn't very rusty, the tote and knob were in good shape, and it was a good price so I bit. After electrolysis the seemingly insignificant pitting turned out to be worse than what it had previously looked like. Now, after doing my homework and learning more about what is important in a hand plane I come across wisdom saying that pitting isn't big a deal in most places...but around the mouth it is. Guess where my plane has the worst pitting?

http://i60.tinypic.com/2hcjorc.jpg

http://i58.tinypic.com/10x845k.jpg

If I were planning on using this plane only for rough work I wouldn't be too concerned but this being a no. 6 plus me just acquiring a nice no. 5 for rough work equals this being my jointer until I get a no. 7 eventually and then perhaps it'll either be a fore plane for flattening bigger boards and/or my designated shooting board plane (I hear it's a good size for that job). With all these grand ambitions in mind for this little guy, I'm now concerned about this pitting near the mouth. Also, not pictured is the bad pitting on the right edge of the sole...which is the side it would sit on when being used with a shooting board. That may not end up being an issue, I imagine I'll just have to try it and find out so I'm not going to worry about it for now. So back to the mouth of the plane. If it's gonna be a problem is there anything I can do about it? Maybe fill it with some JB Weld (or hopefully something prettier than that)? Please, doc, you gotta save my boy.

Thanks,
Matt

[Steve Voigt]

It is not a problem. See similar comments in this thread (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?231610-Can-Pitted-Stanley-4-Plane-be-Saved) from just a couple days ago. Don't waste your time with JB Weld. Use the plane exactly the way it is.
To elaborate a little…if a person were trying to use mouth size to control tearout, then pitting in front of the blade, right on the edge of the mouth, would be a problem. Yours looks good there, except for one tiny spot in the corner, which won't matter.
But using the mouth to control tearout is a waste of time on a Stanley/Bailey plane. It's far more effective to use the chipbreaker. If you do that, your sole could look like the surface of the moon and it wouldn't matter. In short, it's fine.
Mini rant: people worry way too much about the soles. Worry about the iron, the chipbreaker, the frog, the adjusters. The sole is the last of your worries. If the sole is not concave, convex, or twisted, it's fine.

[Jim Matthews]

If the sole is flat, in one plane - it should cut just fine.

The larger planes aren't for the finest settings.

Even money says you've got a keeper.

(Careful in lapping the older planes on an abrasive - the mouth will get larger, which further effects the fineness you can cut a shaving.)

https://home.comcast.net/~rexmill/planes101/tuneup/tuneup.htm

[george wilson]

The pitting isn't right on the edge of the mouth. I don't like the pitting,but it will not affect the plane's use.

If I just couldn't stand the pitting because of its looks,I'd make a brass bottom for the plane,and screw it on.

[Jim Koepke]

That looks just like my #5c's sole. It is one of my most used planes. Pits don't bother it a bit.

jtk

[Matthew Hutchinson477]

It's far more effective to use the chipbreaker.

That damn chipbreaker! Looks like I finally have to face my hand tool demons.

Thanks for the replies everyone, glad to hear that my concerns were largely unnecessary. It'd be nice if my planes were all pristine without pitting but looks are secondary to function.