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View Full Version : Finally found some usable iron



Rob Luter
05-08-2022, 11:44 AM
Over the years I've probably had eight jack planes, including six #5 of various vintages and a mint #605 1/2. They all came on the cheap at garage sales or flea markets and after cleanup I sold them or gave them away due to not ever using them. I invested in a LN #62 a few years ago and figured with a couple of extra irons it would cover all the bases. It mostly has. In the last year or so I've been looking to for a #5 to use as a single purpose Jack for prepping rough sawn lumber. Something I could grind a nice camber on and use to true up boards. The last couple years decent #5 jacks seem to have been rare as Kosher bacon. The ones I did find were usually junk and selling for a serious premium. Once I restored them to working order and replaced the irons and chipbreaker I would have been better off buying new.

The missus and I were vacationing this last week and happened on an antique mall in Madison, IN on the Ohio River. I was surprised to find three serviceable Jacks to choose from. The first was a Winchester #3010 (same as a #5). It was probably worth more than the asking price but I'm a Stanley guy. The second was a Cordovan (Maroon) Type 21 with what appeared to be a poplar knob and tote. No thanks. I'm just petty enough that I need black japanning and rosewood. This third was a keeper. A type 19 in pretty fair shape. Lots of filth but no rust or pitting. Flat bottom with no cracks. Rosewood knob and tote. Not many paint speckles. A hanger hole was added at the heel by someone. I can live with that. More than I wanted to pay but less than a replacement Hock Iron will cost. Shown below after a brief cleanup. I'll likely do a wholesale restoration just so it looks pretty.



https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52057971547_03ffb0dbb8_b.jpg

Jim Koepke
05-08-2022, 12:28 PM
Nice find Rob. My recollection is my type 17 - #5 has a hang hole.

It's a little flakey with the lateral adjustment so it is set up as a mid-jumbo scrub plane.

jtk

Rob Luter
05-08-2022, 2:58 PM
That’s how this will be set up. Open mouth, generous camber. I’ll follow up with my #62 and #7 to get everything flat.

Rob Luter
05-10-2022, 8:40 AM
Follow up.....

Ground a camber on the iron and honed it at 30* using my regular stone schedule (1000-6000-16,000-Strop). Once I got everything set up it made quick work of a rough sawn board I had with a twist in it. You can really peel the wood off in a hurry with this setup.