Restoring a plane- where do you japan?

[Allan Speers]

I'm starting to slowly refurb the herd.

This is not the typical "japanning vs auto paint" question. I have a few quarts of Pontypool, and am happy enough with it.

What I can't figure out is wether you are supposed to japan the top of the sides, and also the very front & back of the body, which is basically an extension of the top area.

I've seen a ton of refurbed planes, and only rarely have I seen these areas coated black. Yet, I have a few old Sargents that very clearly have a little japanning left on those areas. I also note that NEW Stanley planes are indeed black in these areas. Did Stanley change it at some point, or have most restorers simply got it wrong?

Both ways look about the same to me, aesthetically, but which is historically accurate?

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Also: What's your thought on japanning levercaps, if they were once chromed but badly pitted? I think these tend to look rather ugly just buffed out, but maybe I'm doing it wrong. I tried japanning one, but I dunno if I like the result.

[Tom Stenzel]

My type 19 #4 has no japanning on the top of the cheeks and the front and never did. The rear edge is japanned. But the type might be a bit new for you to be considered "Authentic Stanley Heyday".

My type 11 #7 has what appears to be traces of japanning on the rear but it's hard to tell what it is. The front and tops of the cheeks don't have any japanning now but there's now no way to tell if it was made that way. It doesn't look like it did.

FWIW, my Groz has paint in all those areas. It also doesn't work very good. Coincidence? I don't think so! So, do you want to make it look like a Groz? :p

As far as the lever cap, do what makes YOU happy. If you paint it and think it looks better, it is better.

-Tom

[Jim Koepke]

Sargent and others are outside of my knowledge.

As for Stanley, checking the type study at:

http://www.rexmill.com/planes101/typing/typing.htm

it appears the top of the edges are not coated.

On a fixer upper it is up to the one doing the fixing. It is likely easier to mask without worrying about the edges.

As for the lever cap I have often thought of trying to hook up a plating bath kind of like some folks set up a electrolysis rust removal bath.

Then maybe use a nickel as a sacrificial anode to see if I could restore the nickel plating. Most likely would have a better chance if it was first given a layer of copper.

jtk

[don wilwol]

I deal mostly in vintage, and neither Sargent or Stanley's primary lines ever had the top of the cheeks japanned.

A few of the secondary lines, like some of the Mohawks did.

I dislike painting them. I think it makes the plane look cheap. It must be a subliminal message in my mind from seeing the cheaper planes with painted tops and even painted sides sometimes.

[Charles Bjorgen]

A few years back I put a Bedrock 604 in the for sale section here and remarked in my description that the original Jappaning appeared to be at 95 percent. A fellow member wrote to me that the paint along the top of the sides revealed that this was a redo and I had to quickly change my description. The plane sold but since then I've always been aware that Stanley did not do that.

[Allan Speers]

I deal mostly in vintage, and neither Sargent or Stanley's primary lines ever had the top of the cheeks japanned.

A few of the secondary lines, like some of the Mohawks did.

I dislike painting them. I think it makes the plane look cheap. It must be a subliminal message in my mind from seeing the cheaper planes with painted tops and even painted sides sometimes.


Thanks, Don.

So then what about the front & back edges? Also keep them clean?

[don wilwol]

Some of the Back edges were japanned, some are not. I'm not sure if the japanning wore off the back from use, or was cleaned off when it got dinged, or some vintages were and some were not japanned, but it seems the ones with the tote all the way to the back(like on a #4)/is likely to be japanned and the larger models were the tote is way forward is more likely to be clean, I leave them clean. The front is always clean.

[Jim Koepke]

Thanks, Don.

So then what about the front & back edges? Also keep them clean?

My guess (vote) is yes.

jtk

[Stew Denton]

Hey Allan,

How do you like the Pontypool? How does it go on, how does it look, and how does it stand up?

I recently started restoration work on a 606 for my son in law, and used black enamel paint, but had seriously considered Pontypool. That said, I do have other planes to restore, thus the question on the Pontypool material.

Thanks and regards,

Stew

[Allan Speers]

Stew, I like it a lot. I suspect it's "just" varnish mixed with asphaltum, but I bought mine from Liberty.

I've read reports from very respectable guys (like Johhny Kleso at Rex Mill) who say certain engine enamel looks just as good, even identical, but I don't agree. A few coats of the real stuff catches the light differently. Also, if you very lightly steel wool it after it's thoroughly dry (and we're talking MONTHS here) it gives a very nice "clean but used" look.

It's also self-leveling, which is very helpful on bumpy castings. (As typically found on old Sargents, for instance.)

Also, some have reported that it doesn't blend into old japanning well, so you have to completely strip the plane first. In my experience, with only the Pontypool formula, it is exactly the opposite: It melts into an old finish just like shellac.
Maybe I'm just not picky enough, I dunno, but I really like it.


Negatives:

It takes forever to dry. Think glacially.
Also, if you are foolish enough to try heating it in the oven, you will be sleeping on the couch for weeks, if you're even allowed in the front door.
It really, REALLY stinks.

[Mike Brady]

Years ago, I restored a 605 by stripping and bead blasting the plane body, then mixing asphaltum with spar varnish and carefully repainting it. It look great while it was (very slowly) drying, so after a couple of weeks I reassembled it. Wonderful, so I put it into service. Almost immediately I started to notice small bits of the japanning coming off. Fine. It looked more authentic. Then, not so fine. It was clear that this finish was not anything like the super-tough original. I (easily) removed it and redid the plane with a product I never was able to find after that: Seymour of Sycamore high-solids industrial aerosol enamel. Fantastic. It dries in a couple of days. I believe this product can be bought from the maker on-line. It is better than any engine paint I tried. As a rule I just avoided buying planes that needed that much work. My collection now has only that one repainted plane and I even avoided having to glue broken totes by collecting nice ones when I saw them.