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Thread: Need help: #5 Stanley for $25: Good deal or not?

  1. #1
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    Need help: #5 Stanley for $25: Good deal or not?

    This is on sale on Facebook near me. Need to know if there is anyway to tell from the photo tif its worth it?

    https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...2375869091158/

    I figure for $25 I can't go too wrong. But I really don't know what all to look for? Missing pieces? Heck I don't even know ho many pieces it should have.

    I need help fast before someone jumps on it.
    Marshall
    ---------------------------
    A Stickley fan boy.

  2. #2
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    Hi Marshall,

    $25 isn't a great price for what looks like a type 17 (WWII vintage with painted black handles). It isn't a terrible price either. Recently it cost me not much less than that just to buy a #5 for the base and spare parts.

    There is so much to look for when buying a plane it would be hard to post here. By the time you finished reading the thread on it that one would likely be gone.

    Make sure there are no cracks around the sides or the mouth. The tote should be tight to the base. Heavy chips to the tote or other parts usually mean the plane was dropped or tossed across the shop.

    Good luck let us know how it goes.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  3. #3
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    Just for fun the thread mentioned in my previous post is in the Neanderthal wisdom/FAQs:

    https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....al-wisdom-FAQs

    Here is a link to the post:

    https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....gs-to-Look-For

    Hope the plane is still there if you want it after reading that post.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  4. #4
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    Contacted the seller. Someone is coming to loo at it tomorrow and if he doesn't buy it then the seller will contact me. So I guess, Im in a wait and see mode.

    I offered to come today to see it if he was willing. He said he had to wait for the other guy first. So sounds like an honest seller and that's good.

    Thanks for those links JIm. I'm off to read them.
    Marshall
    ---------------------------
    A Stickley fan boy.

  5. #5
    If the plane is in good enough condition, $25 isn't a bad price. After you get it fixed up it will be worth double or triple that. Some would argue it should be closer to $20 maybe $15, but it isn't full of rust like many garage sale ones are, and really your only talking about a price difference of a six pack of beer.

    Make sure that it comes apart easily and that the screws on the lever cap and frog are not frozen with rust. It is nice if the screws on the tote are removable, but not essential. Based on the lack of surface rust and chipping, it probably is in pretty good condition internally as well. As Jim said, watch for cracks, particularly around the mouth, and check that the blade doesn't have a lot of pitting on the bottom (cutting) side.

    Also, as Jim says, it looks like around WWII vintage plane. These don't have the highest monetary or collector value, but they make excellent users. Most of my "good" planes are from around then and are my most commonly used ones as well.

  6. #6
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    About a bazillion #5 planes were produced, so it's not rare by any means. I'd pass on it in favor of older versions with Rosewood knobs and totes. That's just me. For a user, $25 is't a bad price though.
    Sharp solves all manner of problems.

  7. #7
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    I didn't state it but I'm looking for a user not a collector. I don't know enough to try my hand at collecting.

    I'm not even sure what a frog is. I think I know what the lever cap is but not sure.

    Does anyone have a link or resource showing what parts a #5 Stanley should have?
    Marshall
    ---------------------------
    A Stickley fan boy.

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  9. #9
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    I'd buy it. By the time you figure shipping from that auction site (Ebay) and other costs....$25 is about the going rate.

  10. #10
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    I'd buy it, but not for $25, There's a fair amount of rust suggesting it wasn't really taken care of properly. Also, the blade "might" be pitted" something not desirable. Given its condition, plus the comments noted above on what to look for, I'd offer $15 then go from there. If he took the time to take a picture & post it, then he wants to get rid of it. You've got some work to do to rehabilitate this tool & make look/work decent.
    Thoughts entering one's mind need not exit one's mouth!
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  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Marshall Harrison View Post
    I didn't state it but I'm looking for a user not a collector. I don't know enough to try my hand at collecting.

    I'm not even sure what a frog is. I think I know what the lever cap is but not sure.

    Does anyone have a link or resource showing what parts a #5 Stanley should have?
    Anyone who mentions the collector value of a plane they are trying to sell should be ignored. For one, the moment it cuts wood it drops in value as a collector plane. Two, if it isn't in pristine original condition most collectors are not interested.

    For more information on planes try another old post in the Neanderthal wisdom/FAQs:

    https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....th-Hand-Planes

    It starts with a few links to other writings including my Junker to Jointer post on fettling a plane:

    https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....ker-to-Jointer

    Bob Kaune has a site where he lists parts for sale. Not sure how his business is going these days but the site has interesting information:

    https://www.antique-used-tools.com/index.html

    The Stanley plane parts page has a similar illustration as the one Stewie posted.

    The page on Stanley trade marks as stamped on blades is handy for putting a date on when a plane blade was made:

    https://www.antique-used-tools.com/stantms.htm

    My favorite site for learning about when a plane was made is Rexmill:

    http://www.rexmill.com/planes101/typing/typing.htm

    Others like a chart format:

    http://primeshop.com/access/woodwork...e/pftsynch.htm

    And if you really want to go nutso on Stanley planes and get some taps and dies to rethread things try:

    http://www.victornet.com/cgi-bin/vic...:618,1170,1171

    They usually carry 12-20 taps which are the threads Stanley used on their bench planes.

    Have fun,

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  12. #12
    Looks like someone bought it. I hope it was you. Not a ton of old Stanley planes in Florida. That was a fair price and learning to take it apart, clean it, and assemble again is great experience.

  13. #13
    I suggest that you keep an eye open for a 5 in the classifieds here. Yes, it will cost more initially, but you could probably get one that has been rehabbed, tuned and sharpened for $50 delivered to your door. $25 is certainly less, but you might have to put 3 or 4 hours work into it.

  14. #14
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    Thanks for all the info. Love the chart Stewie and all the links from Jim.

    I'll be meeting up next week with James Waldron to get a crash course on planes and see some of his. He PM'ed me after reading this. That's part of what makes SMC so awesome.
    Marshall
    ---------------------------
    A Stickley fan boy.

  15. #15
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    I treasure my Bedrock planes. I also have a 5 1/2 Bailey I treasure. Yea, I'm bragging.

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