No.4 Hand Plane - free to a good home

[Ben Ellenberger]

I got this when I first got into woodworking. Whoever had it before me polished up the knob and tote very nicely. Unfortunately, the bottom is nowhere close to flat. I’ve got it much closer to flat, but there is a pretty big hollow just in front of the mouth.

This plane will work OK. It would be a good candidate to turn into a scrub plane. If you want to put a bunch of effort into it, you can probably finish flattening the sole and make it a nice smoothing plane too.

I’ve got no need for it, and it has just been sitting in a drawer for a few years, so it is free to a good home. If you live nearby, we can sort out a time for you to come pick it up. If you’d like me to ship it, I’ll ask you to cover my shipping cost.

[Scott Winners]

I already have a #4 converted to scrub, and that is a real handy size for a fairly aggressive scrub plane. The iron on mine ( I just rechecked) is crowned with about a three inch radius, and the mouth is opened up to an honest 5/16 fore and aft. Once I have a reasonably uniform surface next step at my place by hand is my foreplane, a 5 1/2 Bailey with the iron crowned on about an eight inch radius. From there I can go to a #6 or #8 with the irons ground straight across with just a bit of roundover on each corner of the iron.

I don't need two of these, but if a powered lunch box planer is a ways off on someone's event horizon, or they are handling lumber cut with a chainsaw, this could a super handy item to have around. If you decide to convert one of these, keep an eye on your chips for the accordian fold/ bulldozed look that indicates the mouth could be opened up some more. Mine has a shocking amount of open mouth in front of the iron, but it can also take shockingly large chips, throw them a shocking long way, and get the job done shocking fast. I can't help but wonder if these are popular at Wichita State University.

Not an especially collectible type number either, no guilt involved in modifying this to a scrub. Someone (not me) should grab this.

[Dave Zellers]

PM sent just now.

[Ben Ellenberger]

Mash: I’m not sure if my direct messages are going through. I put the plane in the mail. Just donate $20 to the site when you get it and we will call it good.

[Ben Ellenberger]

PM sent just now.

Dave, sorry, just shipped it out to someone else