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Thread: Intro and first plane restoration attempt

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Thornton Colorado
    Posts
    12

    Intro and first plane restoration attempt

    Hello all, this is actually my first attempt at hand tools really. Up until now I've been rather fond of power tools, but lately I've been favoring more and more hand tools at home, about three months ago I got me a set of planes, a block plane, #4 and #6 which I used to build me a work bench. Exciting times...

    I wanted more but since I don't have unlimited funds, off I weekbut towards the fleas market. I bought two pretty beat up ones, what appears to be a #3 equivalent fulton plane #5272 made by miller falls. The other is a stanley #4 and reading all the dating web pages it seems it's a type 7, has the "s" cast on the bed, tote and the lever cap. Feels like buying the two used ones was more exciting than when I got the new ones, so now i'm constantly looking for older planes.

    Here are some pictures, there a lot I'd things I will do different next time since I basically just used what I had on hand. The finish being one since i had a bottle of min wax stain plus polyurethane. I decided to clean up the fulton one since from what I read they're not that special, and save the stanley for when I know what i'm doing, I can't believe I stumbled on a pre1900 tool.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    South West Ontario
    Posts
    1,502
    Welcome. Lots of old tools out there, some luck required finding them. Just fettled an old $15 plane from flea bay. No name #3 ‘Made in Canada’. Not well made, depth screw barely reaches the wood, however with a re-ground edge it cuts!
    Gift for my son.
    ​You can do a lot with very little! You can do a little more with a lot!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Missouri
    Posts
    2,151
    They look good. The important part is that they work well. Restoring older tools is very enjoyable.
    Jim

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Longview WA
    Posts
    27,312
    Blog Entries
    1
    Welcome Hugo, Your work on the Fulton looks good.

    Have you found the Neanderthal wisdom/FAQs archive:

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

    There are a few posts in there by Bob Smalser and myself about restoring old planes and other tools.

    My current #7 jointer was a lucky find:

    https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?114373

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

  5. #5
    There definitely is some satisfaction in returning a clump of rust to a nice usable tool.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Thornton Colorado
    Posts
    12
    Yours was actually one that read because I googled restoring a type 7 stanley, very nice thread. I'm still working on my patience, that's why i'm starting with what I think are not so desirable planes, or ones I won't feel bad about messing up. This is all new to me. I get excited and just want to go through it, once I get an idea is when is start slowing down and actually getting the results I want. Also I need to start working on my picture taking

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Thornton Colorado
    Posts
    12
    Keeping older tools working is a great feeling. That's why I feel I got so lucky just finding these two. $15 for both, not bad.

    Here's the stanley. The tote was broken and I used clear epoxy to put it back together, not too noticeable. I decided to just clean it up for now, flatten the bottom and sharpen the blade. It was nice to clean the rust off and see the patents, I thought the first had erased them completely, well the blade logo was almost erased.
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