A tale of woe...

[Marc Casebolt]

I am starting to put together my all neander shop, and digging through some stored items I found a really nice Stanley #5 type 9 that I got a few years ago. This thing has all of its Japaning, full sized blade, very little used. But...
My genious son had gotten hold of it and decided to spiff it up. This was a while back, and I didn't know about it. He saw that the tote and knob were kind of grungy, so he sanded them down to bare wood more or less. Now the tote is broken clear through about 1 inch from the bottom, and the knob is cracked. I don't remember them being damaged prior to this, but perhaps they were.
I am sort of new to fettling, but I have restored a few planes and chisles. My question is, can the tote be just glued if the break is clean? Will it hold up to use, or would it be better to replace it?
Another plane I got was sprayed with laquer or something (drips and all). What will take this mess off without buggering up the Japaning?
This is fun stuff. I can see how you guys get hooked.

Thanks,

Marc

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Gluing the tote is fine. It will work well, if you don't have WD-40 or something on the glue surface, and it is a tight break. You can probably glue the split knob as well. A hose clamp might work to clamp it. #5's are cheap, and if you do want to replace the wood, you can pick up a donor plane off Ebay.

The laquer is a different animal. Not sure on that one. I have a Stanley 10 1/4 that some moron painted blue. I've tried every solvent I can think of, with no luck. Probably have to have this one re-jappaned. There are guys who do this, probably one or two here? Try laquer thinner, it might work.

[Tim Sgrazzutti]

Lacquer thinner will always remove laqcuer (as long as it's not catylzed lac -- which I'm sure it isn't if your son applied it). Not sure if it will also affect the jappaning though.

[Marcus Ward]

I use superglue on cleanly broken totes. On the few I've glued, and use, none have rebroken. I just let it wick into the crack and then hit it with some accelerator. I dont know if this stuff is any better than the other glues out there, but it is what I'm using:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Glues,_adhesives/Stewart-MacDonald_Super_Glues/6/Stewart-MacDonald_Super_Glues.html

[Justin Grow]

We use a solution of h2o and arm & hammer super washing soda to remove paint from old door hardware at work. Much of the old hardware was jappaned, and the solution will loosen the paint and other coatings much easier than the jappaning. Basically mix the solution, boil on stove in a stainless steel pot, move pot outside and add metal parts to clean. Wait 30 min and check if paint or laquer is loose. Repeat at 30 min intervals till desired layer is removed. Scrub off with toothbrush in sink. Also, if you have a gas grill with a side burner, you could just leave it on simmer like that outside.
-Justin