When patience pays dividends

[Jason Buresh]

I missed out on a Stanley 5-1/2 last year and it kind of has haunted me ever since. Not that I truly needed one, but it was the only one I've ever seen locally.

Today I stopped in my usual haunt and low and behold there is a Type 11 5-1/2 with a price tag of $19.

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I don't think the front knob is original, and the horn is broken from the tote, but being it's only the second one I've ever seen I wasn't going to leave it there.

[Scott Winners]

I am glad I grabbed the only one ever seen for sale up here. I have mine setup up as my foreplane, blades can interchange to #6 and #7 if you aren't jumping accross too many type numbers. I don't have a #7. My 6 is quite a bit younger than my 5 1/2 with a different mouth opening, so I don't interchange, I leave my 6 set up as a panel plane, like a jointer plane but for smaller panels if the source I read that on is credible.

Anyroad, with an 8-9 inch (about) radius crown on the iron, my 5 1/2 is a lovely tool for getting rough stock down to business. You have some restoration ahead of you, but for $19 I would have bought it if you had left it on the shelf for me to find. Good luck.

[Mike Manning]

Congrats! Nice when patience finally pays off in such a dramatic way. $19!!! Did you buy a lottery ticket on the way home with the plane? ;0)

[Stew Denton]

Jason,

Ya did good! It looks like you have a restoration project ahead though.

In your case, the iron in your 5 1/2 will not interchange with the irons of the #6. #7. and # 4 1/2. Those three take a 2 3/8" iron, and your 5 1/2 takes a 2 1/4" iron. In the late 1930s Stanley changed the #5 1/2 to take a 2 3/8" iron like the #6, #7, and #4 1/2.

Stew

[Jim Koepke]

There is already one in my shop and this one would have come home with me at that price, great find.

Before 1939 the #5-1/2 used a 2-1/4" blade. That might work on a #4-1/2, #6 or #7

jtk

[Scott Winners]

Jim, Stew, thank for clearing up the type numbers on the blade interchanging v- not interchanging.

OP, wait for your wife to leave on a shopping trip before you rinse the naval jelly off in whichever bath tub you choose. Points for cleaning a bathtub while she was at target for six hours good, doghouse for leaving leaving phosphoric acid residue in one of the bathtubs bad.

[Jason Buresh]

Jim, Stew, thank for clearing up the type numbers on the blade interchanging v- not interchanging.

OP, wait for your wife to leave on a shopping trip before you rinse the naval jelly off in whichever bath tub you choose. Points for cleaning a bathtub while she was at target for six hours good, doghouse for leaving leaving phosphoric acid residue in one of the bathtubs bad.

Sounds like you know from experience!