Hand Plane Restoration

[Michael Gabbay]

I'm taking apart my #5 Stanley and doing a light restoration. What do you guys use for cleaning the brass adjustment knobs?

Thanks, Mike

[Steve Clardy]

Mineral spirits and tooth brush.

[Jim DeLaney]

I use Flitz or Wenol and a toothbrush on the brass parts. Shines up like new. Doesn't last, though. The brass tarnishes pretty quickly unless protected/coated.

[Brad Schmid]

I use Brasso, a tooth brush, and sometimes a small brass wirebrush.

[Bob Noles]

Brasso and wire brush here also. I have been know to take the Drimel to it in some cases :eek:

[tod evans]

goop, braso, mineral spirits, lacquer thinner, whatever it takes to cut the gunk that`s accumulated over the years. personally i only clean to servicable condition and do not polish. but i collect and use antiques and stuff like polishing and painting devalue them, using does not.(unless you drop it on concrete:) ) .....02 tod

[Michael Gabbay]

Thanks guys. I'll try Brasso. I don't want it immaculate just clean.

Mike

[philip marcou]

A quick and easy way is to use a brass wire wheel-it will clean out the milling grooves and reach into those corners, leaving the brass bright , smooth and shiney. It should be a fine wire, and flexible. An ordinary wire wheel can do , but it is more aggressive and you end up with a textured surface-not as it was originally.
I stay away from the likes of Brasso and other metal polishes-too slow, and you still have to remove all traces of it.

[Kevin French]

If you want it to glow like new put it in a coreless drill chuck and spin it in a bit of steel wool pushed up inside with a finger.

This also works great on the brass screw caps. If the cap are scratched start with some sand paper then go to the SW. Dont spin it into the whole pad just a bit or it will twist up in it.

Finish with a clear coat.


Or any of the above methods if your worried about losing the antique value of the plane.

I also like the wading type polish for brass.

[Michael Gabbay]

I tried using mineral spirits last night and a soft wire wheel on the Dremel. I cleaned the knob but it did not really bring it to a shine. Since this is a working plane I'm not too concerned.

I then turned my attention to the frog and polished the surface with 400 and 600 grit paper to even out the surface.

Tonight if I feel up to it I'll continue polishing the back of the new Hock blade I got for it. It's A2 steel and a PITA to polish. I have the same problem with my LN irons and chisels. I've been using 1500 and 2000 grit paper and then a 8000 grit stone. It just takes forever to get any type of polished surface.

Mike

[Steve Clardy]

Mineral spirits doesn't make it shine, just cleans the metal.