Hand Plane Restoration Question

[David Trustman]

I picked up a #5 Bailey at an estate sale quite a while ago. I just got around to cleaning it up and found a major repair that appears to be out of brass that runs the entire side of the plane and into the mouth. (Pictured below) Is it worth using or is it just a door stop?

350447

[Pat Barry]

Looks like it was cracked and brazed closed. From the picture it looks decent. Should be very usable.

[Jim Koepke]

It looks like it was repaired by someone who knew what they were doing.

If it works well it should be a fine plane. If it bothers you, plane bottoms/sole/bases are a common item on the big auction site. Just make sure you get one that is of a compatible type (time period).

If nothing else, the handles and hardware often sell for more on ebay than a full working plane. That is one reason why there isn't a shortage of the main casting.

jtk

[Dan Barr]

My stanley 10 1/2 has the same repair. No problems... Except the blade getting short now. 😀

[john zulu]

Looks like they v grove the crack then braze it. It should be plenty strong for you application. Just don't go gorilla on it.

[Frederick Skelly]

Should be just fine. You should use it!

[Dan Barr]

Make sure the sole is flat

[Mike Henderson]

It should be usable but it kills the resale value. Not that a Stanley 5 has a lot of value - there are many of them out there - probably the most common plane in the used market.

Mike