Source for ready to use Stanley #7?

[Brandon Hanley]

Is there a reputable place to buy ready to use vintage hand planes? I am new not only to hand planes but woodworking in general so I don't trust myself to know what to look for or how to refurbish one yet. Currently I only have a Kobalt number 5 bench plane and block plane but am looking into buying a large jointing plane like a Stanley number 7 to flatten some slabs and the workbench top I am about to build.

Also what should I expect to spend for an old Stanley and ready to use condition? I'm not looking for any sort of collectors item or beauty queen just a ready-to-use Workhorse.

[steven c newman]

Might check with Don Wilwol at timetestedtools.....?

[Matthew Hills]

How is your #5 cutting? You can get a lot of mileage out of the #5 and a straightedge/winding sticks.

I got my #7c maybe 10 years ago in the 85-100 range from a seller on another forum who advertised it as ready to use. It was in pretty good shape and hadn’t had any recent milking of the iron body. I did buy a Hock iron (not sure that it was necessary to replace the iron; but I’ve been happy with the performance since).

I do like the weight of the old Stanleys; not sure that the corrugation adds anything of value.

Matt

[Roy Turbett]

Don't be afraid to start with a restoration because you will gain a good understanding of how the plane works and what to look for when buying one. You will also learn how to make your Kobalt plane work better. If you're looking for a good jointer plane, don't ignore the transitional planes with metal tops mounted on wood soles. Unlike all-metal planes, these are easily flattened on a smooth surface with sand paper which is why they are preferred by some woodworkers.

Check out Paul Sellers on YouTube. He has a very good video on how to restore old planes and shows you what to look for when buying one. A lot of old planes just need to be cleaned and sharpened which can be done in under a few hours. Price varies as to size, condition and age. I typically try to stay in the $30 to $60 range.

Also check out the "Plane Collector" videos. He does complete restorations and sells the planes in like new condition on Ebay under "Second Chance Antique Tools". Most of his prices will be comparable to new planes sold by Woodcraft under the WoodRiver brand, but some will cost more than a Veritas or Lee Nielson.

[Jim Koepke]

You could try Patrick Leach at:

http://www.supertool.com/forsale/decemlist2017.html

He has other tools that are not listed. He tends to be full retail in his prices, but he stands behind what he sales.

It is tempting for me to offer to sale one of my planes. Currently my only jointers that would be considered are a #8 that is in a pile of parts and a transitional 22" plane from Sargent and mostly my spares are kept until money is needed to buy something. Otherwise the money tends to get spent if it is just sitting in my wallet.

There are even posts with in depth coverage of plane restoration here on SMC. The Neanderthal wisdom/FAQs has a few:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?103805-Neanderthal-wisdom-FAQs

My story is at:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?114373-Fettling-A-Plane-from-Junker-to-Jointer

This is about a Stanley #7 found in a local antique mall for $21.25 including the tax. It is now a fine working plane that gives me joy whenever it is in my hands making shavings.

jtk

[Frederick Skelly]

Lee Richmond at The Best Things may also have something. He's very reputable. I've bought 2-3 things from him.
Fred

[Archie England]

Jim Bode tools (https://www.jimbodetools.com/)is another very reputable seller, as is Joshua Clark at HyperKitten (http://hyperkitten.com/tools/ForSale/).

[William Fretwell]

I've been trying to buy my son a #7 on ebay. The usable ones seem to go for $120 + shipping. That's for a plane about 100 years old!

As Roy said don't be afraid of restoring/tuning your plane as you will do that anyway, it is a simple process you should learn.

It's a plane you use much less often so should be in good shape, even after 100 years unless it's rusted.

[Pete Taran]

Brandon,

You are in a good location to look for old tools I don't know if central PA is Harrisburg or Williamsport, but head down to Lancaster County and go into the antique stores. There is a place called Adamstown that is nothing but one big Antique store. Morgantown is also well equipped as are all the shops along route 30. The biggest antique mall in Adamstown is only open on Sunday. Others would kill for the pickings you have in your own backyard.

Finding a decent plane is not rocket science. Look at the wood to see it it's broken, cracked or reglued. Next, check the cheeks and sole carefully. Look for cracks. Take off the lever cap and remove the iron assembly. Is the frog in one piece? Does it have two screws holding it to the bed? Is the screw (if it has one) to adjust the frog present? Does the lateral adjustment lever move and is it present? Finally, what shape is the iron in and the overall plane? One heavily cased in rust might be a good one to pass up. Light rust on the cheeks or solid and good wood and iron is a keeper. The cheaper it is, the harder it might be to leave behind.

If scrounging antique stores is not for you, +1 on getting on Patrick Leach's monthly sale list. The list comes out on the first Monday of the month (an Homage to the oldtools list where we were allowed to sell tools the first Monday of the month, an event called Flea Market Monday). His last list came out on 4 Dec. He indicated that his next list will be Tuesday, Jan 2. The list comes out around 9:00. To sign up, just visit supertools.com. If you see something you like, write him immediately. Thousands of people are looking at the same list, and stuff sells fast. I used to work with Patrick making tools, and he is first rate and knows his stuff. His last list had 3 stanley jointers, a 7 and two 8s, and the price for each was $185 plus shipping. I occasionally buy stuff from him myself.

I'd sign up for the list and visit antique stores. You also might consider Lie Nielsen's planes. It looks like his 7 and 8 are both out of stock though. Having said that, you can probably buy 3 decent used planes for the cost of one of his new planes. Some things to think about.

[lowell holmes]

Is the online auction site down?
I try to log in and nothing happens.

[Jim Koepke]

His last list had 3 stanley jointers, a 7 and two 8s, and the price for each was $185 plus shipping.

You must have missed the #607, also at $185 + shipping. The user and the wood wouldn't know the difference between a #7 & a #607 unless they often feel a need to adjust the frog's position.

jtk

[Brandon Hanley]

Any feedback on the Stanley sweetheart listed on fleebay for 155 bin shipping from Dartmouth? Not sure links are allowed.

That blood and gore site is great I forgot all about it. A Japanese woodworker and guitar Builder I used to follow on a guitar forum sent me over there while he was trying to teach me a little bit about planes.

Both the kobalt block and bench planes seem to work as they should but at my experience level it doesn't take me long to do more harm than good when trying to use them to flatten large stock. I have been working with them more and more everyday though because I would really like to get good at using them 2 thickness and flatten thin project size pieces of wood that are too small for my jointer and planer

[Jim Koepke]

Any feedback on the Stanley sweetheart listed on fleebay for 155 bin shipping from Dartmouth? Not sure links are allowed.

That blood and gore site is great I forgot all about it.
[edited]


There is a lot to be learned by subscribing to and reading his monthly for sale list.

Though we are not allowed to post direct links to ebay it is okay to list the item number.

Some of the lower priced #7s appeal to me a bit more than the one you mention. That plane looks to have been well cleaned, but looking at the top of the blade makes me wonder about the condition of the rest of it. My main objection is the price. Not much of my attention has been spent on plane pricing the past few years. One point that bothers me a touch is the position of the adjuster compared to the images of the blade position.

Were you looking to get a plane from a particular period of manufacture? This is one produced during a time period that many collectors and other desire which also leads to sellers setting the prices higher.

Another point of curiosity, is there are 21 watchers. These are not buyers. Once it is gone, it is gone. Those may be people wondering if anyone is going to bite.

Just for fun, look at item #202156223970. Just copy and paste the numbers only into the ebay search box and it will find this for you even for a while after it is sold. This is a type 6. If you can enlarge the image you may see some of the letters inside the depth adjuster. It is a right hand thread which means the adjustment is backwards from newer planes. The tote is from a Sweet Hart era plane and it is clearly shown by the seller that it is broken. There isn't a lot of blade left on this one. My thought on that is it means the plane was likely used a lot. With old tools that usually means it worked pretty good. I kind of question the blade because of the date but a lot of type 6 planes have a blade with that logo. Typing is not always exact across all the sizes. One of my plane bodies falls between type 6 and type 7, oops. My last problem with this one is there are no images of the sole. Before considering this one my policy would be to request images of the sole and a close up around the mouth. With the issue of the well used blade and the not expertly repaired tote, my first thought on this one is a pass.

There were some other ones in not so great condition that might garner my interest, but then my policy is to acquire as inexpensively as possible and do a rustoration on it.

jtk

[Brandon Hanley]

Were you looking to get a plane from a particular period of manufacture? This is one produced during a time period that many collectors and other desire which also leads to sellers setting the prices higher.

There were some other ones in not so great condition that might garner my interest, but then my policy is to acquire as inexpensively as possible and do a rustoration on it.

jtk

I do not know enough about the different types or time periods of this plane to have a preference. I am also not specifically looking for super desirable or collectible planes but if I found a good plane that was collectible or desirable and in the budget that would definitely be a plus in my book

As for doing my own Restorations or going looking for planes at swap meets or thrift stores that isn't really an option on any plane that I would actually need to use this century. I can't remember the last time I had less than a 70 hour work week. so I have to prioritize any spare time to try to get the most enjoyment possible out of it. To spend two hours a day in the shop I have to cut back to 6 hours a day of sleep before a 14-hour night shift.

[Pete Taran]

Brandon,

Another option is to post a Want to Buy in the Classified section. Alternatively, someone in this thread may have a ready to go #7 that they can sell you if you are open to that. Seems like if you don't have time to do any restoration, you need something ready to go. That is almost never what you get in the wild or on Ebay, or from Patrick. Someone here who has already tuned up a #7 and then found one they like more might have one they can part with. Just a thought.

[Jim Koepke]

I can't remember the last time I had less than a 70 hour work week. so I have to prioritize any spare time to try to get the most enjoyment possible out of it. To spend two hours a day in the shop I have to cut back to 6 hours a day of sleep before a 14-hour night shift.

One of my common decision points in choosing to buy a ready to go plane versus one to restore is if one has more time or more money. Apparently you time is very limited. Hopefully you are being paid well for working so many hours. In your case it may be better to purchase a plane from Lee Valley or Lie-Nielssen. The only way a used plane would be a good investment for you is if it comes from someone who will set it up before sending it to you. As Pete mentions even used planes from reliable vendors will likely need at least having their blade sharpened. In the future you will likely have to sharpen your own blades.

jtk

[Brandon Hanley]

I don't mind needing to sharpen a blade or something like that. The big issue with a full-on restoration isn't just the time working on the plane but all the time it would take me to research how to do it also. When I got my first dirt bike and it was time for a rebuild my friend swore up and down I should be able to do a top-end rebuild in 2 to 3 hours but it took me closer to a month because I had no idea what I was doing and had to research every step of the way and second-guess myself and occasionally buying new parts that I screwed up along the line.

[Jim Koepke]

I don't mind needing to sharpen a blade or something like that. The big issue with a full-on restoration isn't just the time working on the plane but all the time it would take me to research how to do it also. When I got my first dirt bike and it was time for a rebuild my friend swore up and down I should be able to do a top-end rebuild in 2 to 3 hours but it took me closer to a month because I had no idea what I was doing and had to research every step of the way and second-guess myself and occasionally buying new parts that I screwed up along the line.

At least on a hand plane you don't have to worry about cam dwell or valve clearance. :D

jtk

[Dave Parkis]

If you are still looking for a jointer, PM me and we'll see what we can work out. The planes I sell are cleaned tuned, sharpened and ready to work. Prices for a 7 run $100-$125 plus shipping.

[Brandon Hanley]

Out of curiosity what are the more desirable time periods for Stanley number sevens?


I'll send you a p.m. Dave thank you

[John T Barker]

Brandon-

If you are still looking I would recommend Craigslist and flea markets. I'm in Chester County and I know if I go to the flea markets easy and west of me I could probably find a few #7's. Typically there is a guy selling on CL and he has a bunch of Stanley planes. The flea markets in Adamstown (hope I got that right) typically draw tool sellers and worth the drive...you must have some near you? No? I love the idea of slightly worn tools from a flea market and I have quite a few. The woodshop I worked in years ago was full of tools bought at the flea markets. Got a couple of #2's and all sorts of other stuff.

Good luck

Found this guy on CL. He's in Columbia (between York and Lancaster). I think he might have one.

374604

[Jim Koepke]

Out of curiosity what are the more desirable time periods for Stanley number sevens?
[edited]


The planes before type 11, other than a type 3, are all good users. Type 11 starting circa 1910-19 has three patent dates. Other than the patent dates the type 10, 1907-09 is virtually identical other than the patent dates. Next came the Sweet Hart era, types 12 through type 15 1920 through 1932.

In 1920 Stanley Rule & Level merged with Stanley Works. Stanley Works used the SW designation on many of their products. The heart was a tribute to William H. Hart who worked with Stanley Works for 61 years and served as Chairman of the Board from 1915 to 1918 when he retired. He died a year later. Some of the Stanley Works products had the Sweet Hart logo before the merger.

That is the time period most coveted by collectors and many users.

My preference is for a low knob. Most of my planes are before type 10. They all work fine. Most folks do not want planes before type 6. The type 5 has a lateral adjuster but it can get worn. Before type 5, circa 1885, do not have a lateral adjuster. Type 6 and earlier have depth adjusters that work in the opposite direction of the later types.

Please note this is only applicable to Stanley/Bailey planes.

jtk