Southern Indiana Rust Hunt

[Rob Luter]

The Missus and I are planning on getting out of Dodge for a few days and touring Southern Indiana along the Ohio River. There seems to be a load of antique shops down there. We're focused on the north (Indiana) side between Louisville and Evansville. We'll be in Corydon for a night and Jasper for another, with night three to be determined.

Any Creekers out there that know the turf and might recommend a good place or two for a rust hunt?

[Joe A Faulkner]

I’m assuming you will be taking I-65 south out of Indianapolis. Near Columbus is the Exit 76 Antique Mall. It is huge. Only a mile or so west of the highway. There are a couple of tool booths, but it may take some time to find them. The prices are not super low, but if you like browsing antique malls it is worth the stop.

[Rob Luter]

Thanks for chiming in Joe. We're very familiar with that mall, and usually stop in when we travel to Indy. I've made a few good scores there. We may stop in this trip as it's in a good spot to stretch one's legs traveling from South Bend, but we'll see. We want to maximize our time down near the river and may just breeze through.

[Rob Luter]

Just bumping this up to see if anyone has any suggestions near Corydon, Jasper, Leavenworth, or Evansville.

[Rob Luter]

Well, we had a great trip. Regrettably it was light on rust results. Over 800 miles of gorgeous Midwest scenery (highlight below), we hit about a dozen antiques shops. The tool finds took about three basic forms: scrap metal, “restored” (ruined), and stuff I already have. One store reportedly had several hundred planes, but the owner picked this week for a vacation. A store in Bloomington, IN had a couple older Stanley planes that were like brand new, with a mint #3 in the original box. Too bad I have one. My target was a user #5. Despite being the most common plane Stanley made, they were not to be found. I did find a steel version, and an iron version with an aluminum tote. Neither spoke to me. The quest continues…..

466502

[steven c newman]

Next time..stop by the Dungeon Shop....and we will talk about it....

Shop is almost always open for visitors....

[Scott Winners]

Can you spell out what you want in a #5? Type number, flat or corrugated bottom and so on? I reach for my #5 a lot. Mine belonged to my grandpa and was a later type number than I really want, but it is a versatile size for sure.

[Rob Luter]

I was looking for something from the Sweetheat Era. I think that's type 11 thru 14? I've had a couple of those and they always worked well. I don't need mint condition as I plan to refurb and replace the iron. I think I've owned a half dozen #5, plus a # 5 1/4, and a #605. A type 11 was my favorite. They all got let go in the great tool purge of 2019. My goal was to only keep only what I used, and I wasn't using them.

I have a LN #62 and figured that would suffice for jack duties. My shop activities have changed somewhat and I'm truing up boards by hand now. I'm looking for a solution for boards with twist. I can easily put a camber on a #5 cutter and make short work of higher areas. The #62 doesn't work as well for me in this regard. With the abundance (I thought) of #5 planes in the wild, it seemed an affordable way to have a plane dedicated to that task. I suppose I could buy another iron for the #62 and grind a camber on it. Derek Cohen has a great tutorial on his site. It would be a relatively inexpensive experiment.

[Jim Koepke]

Hi Rob, in a small way my shop benefited from the "great tool purge of 2019." Only one plane but it is a nice one.

The type 10 & type 11 are virtually the same plane. The type 10 has the frog adjustment features but only two patent dates.

Type 12 (~1920) was the first ones to have the SW Hart logo on the blade. They also had a larger depth adjuster and a tall knob.

Type 15 (1931-1932) was the last type with the SW Hart logo. It was the last year of the 'tombstone' frog, keyhole lever cap and the first without a patent date cast into the base.

These are all nice planes. If you are thinking of dual purpose then it would be a good choice. If you are thinking of a scrub only plane, that is the best repurposing for the ebay reject pile.

The aluminum tote was often used in shop classes when the original tote was broken by the students being young idiots, kids being kids.

My #5 used for a scrub plane is a type 17 (WW II era). It was one my neighbor purchased for me, $10, that wouldn't have come home with me at that price. It always had troubles with the lateral adjuster. Just one reason the ogee style frog is not liked by me. It works fine for a scrub plane.

At one time a scrub plane seemed not to have any use in my shop. Then one day some rough lumber needed some work. There were a couple or #5-1/4 planes in my junk box. These were from an ebay deal that wasn't a deal. Both planes had cracks around the mouth area and were pretty beat up. They likely were refugees from high school shop classes. One of them was fitted up with a cambered blade and got me started on the slippery slope of scrub planes. Now there is not only the #5-1/4 but also a #5 and a #40 scrub plane in the shop and a #5-1/2 that has a cambered blade if needed as a scrub plane.

466514

My #40 at work.

jtk

[Rob Luter]

Hi Rob, in a small way my shop benefited from the "great tool purge of 2019." Only one plane but it is a nice one. jtk

A #46 as I recall?



These are all nice planes. If you are thinking of dual purpose then it would be a good choice. If you are thinking of a scrub only plane, that is the best repurposing for the ebay reject pile.

It will be primarily used as a "scrub-ish" plane, but will see some dual use. That being the case I'd like to find something in reasonable shape. I kind of wish I had kept this.

466516

[Richard Hart]

Hi Rob, in a small way my shop benefited from the "great tool purge of 2019." Only one plane but it is a nice one.

The type 10 & type 11 are virtually the same plane. The type 10 has the frog adjustment features but only two patent dates.

Type 12 (~1920) was the first ones to have the SW Hart logo on the blade. They also had a larger depth adjuster and a tall knob.

Type 15 (1931-1932) was the last type with the SW Hart logo. It was the last year of the 'tombstone' frog, keyhole lever cap and the first without a patent date cast into the base.

These are all nice planes. If you are thinking of dual purpose then it would be a good choice. If you are thinking of a scrub only plane, that is the best repurposing for the ebay reject pile.

The aluminum tote was often used in shop classes when the original tote was broken by the students being young idiots, kids being kids.

My #5 used for a scrub plane is a type 17 (WW II era). It was one my neighbor purchased for me, $10, that wouldn't have come home with me at that price. It always had troubles with the lateral adjuster. Just one reason the ogee style frog is not liked by me. It works fine for a scrub plane.

At one time a scrub plane seemed not to have any use in my shop. Then one day some rough lumber needed some work. There were a couple or #5-1/4 planes in my junk box. These were from an ebay deal that wasn't a deal. Both planes had cracks around the mouth area and were pretty beat up. They likely were refugees from high school shop classes. One of them was fitted up with a cambered blade and got me started on the slippery slope of scrub planes. Now there is not only the #5-1/4 but also a #5 and a #40 scrub plane in the shop and a #5-1/2 that has a cambered blade if needed as a scrub plane.

466514

My #40 at work.

jtk I find scrubbing very therapeutic. Works frustration off.

[steven c newman]

Hmmm..
466524
This one is just sitting around, doing nothing....since I already have a pair of T-19s in the tool cabinet...

Has a few patent dates on the back porch.....tote has been repaired...missing it's lateral lever.
466525
However..it has a smooth sole....

[Jim Koepke]

A #46 as I recall?




It will be primarily used as a "scrub-ish" plane, but will see some dual use. That being the case I'd like to find something in reasonable shape. I kind of wish I had kept this.

466516

Yes, it is a #46.

Not sure why but your attachment didn't come through.

jtk

[Rob Luter]

Yes, it is a #46.

Not sure why but your attachment didn't come through.

jtk

Me either. Maybe too big. Here's another try.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51598702416_f5c71df9ab_b.jpg

[Jim Koepke]

That would be one that might stay in my shop even though my Bedrock planes tend to get sold for the money.

Rob, you may have also sold me a #103. It was being used yesterday and it occurred to me it may also have come from you.

jtk

[Rob Luter]

I think so. I had a couple. One went to you and one went to Chicago.