Few restoration questions - and then some...

[John Dykes]

This time last month I had 3 planes. Yesterday, 3 more ebay purchases arrived, I'm up to 14. Certainly not a "gloat” by any means - I've overpaid for clunkers and decent users alike... I have no desire to collect planes or become a hobbyist restorer. While I enjoy the hunt for decent plane I can use, and the restoration process - I’m trying to build a stable of cheap, well tuned users. I’ll sell the ones that sit…

That said – There are two planes that have small chips in the side of the mouth. That is, the mouth isn’t a perfectly square rectangle. I can’t see how it would impact the performance of the plane, but I would never know if it did. Should I file the side square if possible?

Secondly, it’s easier for me to use Hock blades and chip breakers vs too much fiddling with the originals. But a few of the lever caps have chips – nothing I would consider major – but in a craft where the masters measure shavings in the “mils,” I want to ensure I give myself the best possible chance at success. Would (do?) shavings become caught on these chips and end up clogging the plane? Is it safe to grind these chips out? That would reduce the length of the cap by perhaps a 32nd or 16th in some cases….

Next, David Charlesworth uses a smooth 5 ½. I’ve not found one yet – only the corrugated version (I’d like to try both). It seems it has an earlier blade (2 3/16”?) rather than the 2 3/8” variety. I’m ordering a 2 ¼” from Hock – but they don’t have a “matching” chip breaker. I’m assuming I’d use a 2”, or should I stick w/ the original?

Lastly, I’d like to dimension all my wood for my dining room table top by hand. To that end, I’ll probably order the LN scrub; and at $135, I’m not sure I could find a Stanley #40 cheap enough. I also have the Veritas 36” straightedge on order. The problem is – I don’t have a workbench. My shop is contained to under ¼ of a two car garage; tablesaw, jointer, router table pretty much fills it. My “bench” and face vise area is a reinforced garage shelf, 2’ x 4’, closed in on 3 sides. Is it practical (possible?) to use my contractor saw and extension table as a bench to do accurate dimensioning?

I do pretty well practicing with 4/4 18” long stock on my “bench” – but taking the leap to really trying to flatten a series of 48” boards for a project resting on the sawtable – I’m hesitant and don’t know what provisions to take or results to expect. I have visions of turning nice 6/4 walnut boards into a toothpick!

For whatever reason – I’ve honestly had visions of selling my jointer… Might be able to put a real bench in that space… hmmm….

Warm regards,

- jbd

[Sam Yerardi]

Hi John,

It sounds like you are into it as much as I am. I collect old metal and wooden planes, restore them and use them. I'll try to asnwer your questions as best I can but I can only speak from my experience.

Should I file the side square if possible?
I'm not sure if I'm visualizng what you're describing. If I understand correctly, you're saying that in the corner or side of the normally rectangular opening where the iron protrudes there is a chip. I think if you file that, you'll increase the chance of clogging/jamming the mouth with shavings that aren't actually getting cut. More than likely they'll result in being tears.

Would (do?) shavings become caught on these chips and end up clogging the plane?
I place the cap about a 1/16" down from the end of the iron. The junction between the back of the iron and the cap must be such that you can't see light through it. If you can, then guaranteed you'll jam it with shavings.

Is it safe to grind these chips out?
What I have done (and I've had good luck with it) is to grind past the chips. If the chips aren't HUGE then I grind past them, and re-bend the cap as necessary, put a new bevel on the cap, set its distnace, test for light. it usually works for me.

I’m assuming I’d use a 2”, or should I stick w/ the original?
I think you will have problems (depending on what kind of planing you're doing) if the cap width is smaller than the width of the iron. The shavings that get past the cap won't peel up and away light the rest and I believe it will cause tearing and jamming.

I’ll probably order the LN scrub; and at $135, I’m not sure I could find a Stanley #40 cheap enough. I also have the Veritas 36” straightedge on order.
If I could afford Veritas or Lie-Nielsen tools I still probably wouldn't use them. Especially a scrub plane at $135. IMHO, you don't need it. There are those that will disagree but I think while their tools are great, they're extremely over-priced. I would like to have their straightedge. I do all of my surface planing by hand. I have a small Ryobi 10" planer but I rarely use it. Maybe once a year. I use a Stanley #5 that I restored for rough planing. I want to get a scrub plane one day but I know I will find an old one and restore it. I use the Stanley #5 for diagonal planing, then a Stanley #4 for smoothing, and then use a Stanley #80 scraper. Getting them set up right is half the battle.

Is it practical (possible?) to use my contractor saw and extension table as a bench to do accurate dimensioning?
I would think so. I have a woodworking bench but I do a lot of my hand planing on an old kitchen cabinet that I've added a surface to. I found some 2 1/2 " thick marine plywood and made the top from that, added a clamp and drilled some dog holes. But even if I didn't have that, I think you can plane essentially on just about anything. A lot of purists will say no - you have to have only the best surface with the best tools. I disagree. I'm not bragging but look at my post on the low boy. I did that with probably the most inexpensive tools (old hand planes, etc.) so you can do it.

but taking the leap to really trying to flatten a series of 48” boards for a project resting on the sawtable – I’m hesitant and don’t know what provisions to take or results to expect.
You can do it. I didn't think I could but I proved myself wrong. Actually the more you do it the more it starts to become like riding a bike. It becomes second nature. I know there are those that can do it much better than I can but it's really not as hard as it looks. Study the board or panel you've made and see which surface is best to start on first. Get that surface flat (reasonably - not smooth just yet), and use that surface to mark against to set up the other surfaces.

For whatever reason – I’ve honestly had visions of selling my jointer… Might be able to put a real bench in that space… hmmm….
There are times when I wished I had my jointer (6" Craftsman) set back up but I've been using a couple old wooden jointer planes that I restored and you simply can't beat them. The machines are great and I still use them but once you get bit by the hand tool bug you'll start using them less and less.

[Brian Kent]

I see two of your problems magically blending together into an opportunity. Why not take one of the planes with a chipped mouth, filing the mouth smooth, putting a radical curve on the existing blade, and turing it into a scrub plane.

Scrub planes are the blunt object of the plane world (except for needing to be sharp… OK, so the metaphor didn't work):rolleyes:

There are quite a few articles on how to convert a narrow old plane into a scrub. Here is an example:

http://www.inthewoodshop.org/methods/wwc03w.shtml

Have fun!

[Brian J. Williams]

Happy Friday, John.

I, too work in the garage, but I'm fortunate enough that SWMBO has let me have the run of our 1-1/2 car "shop". My main work bench is attached to my table saw as an outfeed table (see the attached photo). I've got a Harbor Freight cheapo woodworker's vise attached to one of the faces, and I install some home-made pins at various locations on the same face to provide support for boards when I edge-joint- the board gets clamped in the vise, supported along the edge by the wooden pins, and things seem to work out well (for now). When I surface plane, I pin some flat 3/8" stock to the bench top (as opposed to bench dogs) and then clamp with the vise- again, it works out.

The work bench was assembled using 4x4's for the corners, dovetailed or mortised 2x4's for the stretchers, and a top of 4 layers of 3/4" OSB with a 1/8" MDF top glued into place.

- Please note the hand-dovetailed maple case sitting on the bench.

I'm in the process of designing a new bench that will store all of my hand tools, and which will have at least one additional vise, holes for real bench dogs, and some type of home-made wide-panel vise that I can more easily cut dovetails on wide panels. I'll stick with the same basic construction concept, mostly because it worked the first time and it's rock-steady.

Regards,

Brian

[Sam Yerardi]

Nice dovetails, Brian!

[Bruce Haugen]

I would really like to have a scrub plane. I've wanted one for many years and can certainly afford one. However, I have a spare post-war #5 with a radiused iron and it works just fine. Set the mouth wide and away you go. While it would be nice to have a dedicated scrub (if only to fill out a set), it seems I can always find something else to do with the money since the Stanley pseudo-scrub works so well.

WRT surfacing your table, I'd joint the edges, glue the top together and then surface it. Make sure the grain is running the same direction so you don't get a bunch of tear-out. You'll end up with a thicker top this way. Tried it the other way only to experience a lot of frustration.

Bruce, scrub-less in MN

[Sam Yerardi]

John
In reading over the responses Brian K. has a very good suggestion. Modifying an old plane for a new purpose is a real good idea. And I need to clarify some things I said above:

I use the Stanley #5 for diagonal planing, then a Stanley #4 for smoothing, and then use a Stanley #80 scraper.
The beauty of woodworking is there are a lot of different ways to do things. This is just how I do it because of the few tools I have. I know others have different and/or much better ways but this does work for me.

Especially a scrub plane at $135. IMHO, you don't need it.
I meant the cost, not the scrub plane. I'd love to have a scrub plane and have been considering modifying an old Stanley I have onhand but I'm hoping I can find one I can afford to get. If there is one thing I'm opinionated about it is that a lot of the upper-crust tool manufacturers are ripping a lot of people off. You do get better quality but $150 for a dovetail saw is a bit much.

I'm not bragging but look at my post on the low boy. I did that with probably the most inexpensive tools (old hand planes, etc.) so you can do it.
I am proud of my work but I have so much to learn. My point was just to say that you can do a lot with very little. One thing that I didn't point out about using the table saw surface. Whatever surface you use, it needs to be solid because you will be putting a lot of force it into and you don't want the surface moving on you.

Study the board or panel you've made
As someone pointed out, if you're making a panel, then flatten it after you have the panel made. I mentioned board for the instance where it is only a board you are working on.

Hope I didn't confuse things.