You warned me this would happen!

[Bill McCarthy]

They're multiplying.

A Stanley Bailey No 6 showed up at my door today. I got it off E-Bay, $75 including shipping. I now have a No 3, No 5, No 6, and G12-116 block plane in Stanley and Millers Falls 9, 14, 22, and a 57 block plane.

It only took a few minutes with the wire wheel on my drill to clean up the rust. The iron has never been sharpened, I can still see the original machining marks. I really don't know how old it is; not very I suspect. I'm not collecting, I was looking for a user. To me, it looks like it is painted, not japanned; its a purpleish color. The word Stanley on the lever cap is backgrouned in yellow.

The face of the frog, that rests against the iron is also painted. To those in the know, should I remove this paint? All the other planes I have, have a machined or ground face to them. Should I strip the paint and try to flatten the face or should I just leave it alone?


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[steven c newman]

About 1967-1969 era, colour is called Cordovan......Frog face? You can flatten it IF needed.

At least it isn't one of those ugly "Tu-Tone" that Stanley tried...

[Andrew Pitonyak]

looks very nice, how does it work?

Side note: Steve is a very useful resource on these things, glad I live close enough that he is a day trip away from him.

[Frederick Skelly]

As soon as I read your title, and saw which forum it was posted in, I knew what had happened...

Please let me be the first to say "TOLD YA SO!" :D:D:D

[Hasin Haroon]

Bill, welcome to the extremely slippery slope of hand tools. You'll have a lot more before you know it if you keep your eye out.
Please don't take this the wrong way, and I'm sure you can tune this up to be a fine user, but I learnt by spending money on planes I wouldn't pay quite as much for. The plane you purchased is a relatively newer type, I typically avoid these...While a ribbed frog is no matter, the painted bed is part of the downhill slide in quality experienced by Stanley. Keep your eye out for garage sales and ebay auctions, and try and stick to the older types (pre WW2) and you should find better examples for cheaper than what you paid. Patrick Leach's type studies are a good resource to figure out types, but some general guidelines would be to avoid painted frog beds, twisted or folded lateral adjustment levers (go for the two piece ones instead), and bodies painted blue or maroon.

[Bob Leistner]

Do I see a crack at the left side of the mouth?
Bob L.

[Bill McCarthy]

Do I see a crack at the left side of the mouth?
Bob L.

Bob, you scared me for a moment. I had to go check. I guess my camera is better than I thought. There is not a crack, there is a small scratch though.


Bill, welcome to the extremely slippery slope of hand tools. You'll have a lot more before you know it if you keep your eye out.
Please don't take this the wrong way, and I'm sure you can tune this up to be a fine user, but I learnt by spending money on planes I wouldn't pay quite as much for. The plane you purchased is a relatively newer type, I typically avoid these...While a ribbed frog is no matter, the painted bed is part of the downhill slide in quality experienced by Stanley. Keep your eye out for garage sales and ebay auctions, and try and stick to the older types (pre WW2) and you should find better examples for cheaper than what you paid. Patrick Leach's type studies are a good resource to figure out types, but some general guidelines would be to avoid painted frog beds, twisted or folded lateral adjustment levers (go for the two piece ones instead), and bodies painted blue or maroon.

Hasin, sometimes I can be a little impatient, I only looked at the "buy now" offerings. The price was $54.95 with $20 priority shipping. The paint, in and of itself, didn't bother me, because that's what I do to the ones I've restored, 'cept I use gloss black. I had a slight feeling that this was from the era towards the end of production, as Steve indicates, because of the yellow on the lever cap. I had no idea that the face of the frog would be painted. I also thought it had a brass adjustment knob. Must have been the lighting of the photo. As I look at it here in low light, it looks like brass, but its not. I guess you live and learn. If it works, I'll be happy.


looks very nice, how does it work?

Side note: Steve is a very useful resource on these things, glad I live close enough that he is a day trip away from him.

Andrew, I don't know yet. I've only cleaned it, I haven't tried it. The iron that came with it needs to be sharpened and I haven't had a chance to do that yet. I have an old worn iron from the Millers Falls 22, that I've been toying with (mainly because I can afford to make mistakes with this iron, put a new Veritas Iron in the 22) trying to get the back flat, then I'll put a 7" radius on it. Its slow going because I can only sharpen/grind by hand at the moment. After I get the knack of doing it on the old iron, I'll work on this one.

I did put a level, as a straight edge, across the sole and its pretty flat. It has an ever so slight bow, which as I understand it, will flex flat with the force applied in use. I guess I'll find out.


As soon as I read your title, and saw which forum it was posted in, I knew what had happened...

Please let me be the first to say "TOLD YA SO!" :D:D:D

Fred, hasn't any body told you that no one likes a Smart A**? :)

[lowell holmes]

I have painted a rust bucket plane after sanding the rust off with automotive black paint. It looks normal.
I would not paint a plane unless it was rusty though, I think the japanning is superior.

[Jerry Olexa]

Ah yes, the slippery slope....I know it well....

[Ray Selinger]

The story of three jacks from Roxton Pond . Two of the jacks are cousins, one early, on late '30s.Canadian sweethearts no less. The third is the purple step sister, or in this case brother. The only plane that was both flat and square was the plane from the '70s.

[Frederick Skelly]

Fred, hasn't any body told you that no one likes a Smart A**? :)

Guilty as charged, my friend. But I can say it because I fell down that slope 3 years ago myself. :D (Wanna guess how much I'VE spent? :D:D:D)