Transition Plane Question

[Teresa Jones]

Hey Everyone,

I picked up a couple of transition planes last weekend. I have cleaned up all the metal parts and I have gently cleaned most the grim and grease off of the wood.

What type of finish was traditionally used on the wood piece of these planes?

These are not collector quality items.

Thanks,

TJ

[Bob Smalser]

http://www.cianperez.com/Wood/WoodDocs/Wood_How_To/Smalser_on_RehabbingWoodenPlanes.htm

Depends...I think usually it was just linseed and wax but some I've seen may have been varnished.

For nice looking, I'd recommend using Formby's Refinisher and 0000 steel wood to remove the dirt after all wood repairs are made, smoothing the melted finish and dirt into any new wood....followed by some additional stain to hide any repairs if necessary...followed by a 50/50 mix of linseed and turpentine applied hot...followed by wax a couple weeks later.

I think the transitionals are by far the best values today in user planes...they can be made to work as well as the modern, expensive planes easier than cast iron planes. And for boatbuilders and others working overhead on fixed stock, woodies of one manner or the other still have no equal. The downside is they wear quickly...hence my article above.

[Jim Becker]

TJ, on the one I bought at a flea market, I just cleaned up the wood with mineral spirits and applied some BLO and wax after I flattened the sole. The newly exposed wood looks pretty much the same as the older material.

[Teresa Jones]

Bob,

Thanks for the great advise and links. I flatten the soles and was just going to leave it at that but now I may add a new sole as described in your article.

Thanks,

TJ

[Teresa Jones]

Jim,

As always, thanks for the info.

TJ