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Thread: Millers Falls restoration questions

  1. #1
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    Millers Falls restoration questions

    Hi All,

    I recently picked up a millers falls no 9 and no 14 on ebay that I'm looking to lightly restore and I'm seeking some advice!

    For the millers falls no 9 the tote is slightly moving. I noticed a Paul Sellers youtube video suggests removing the screw and filing down the part that screws into the sole until it stops moving. Is this what the group would also recommend? The cutting iron has a slightly different logo than my other millers falls planes. Is there a way I can see when the cutting iron was produced?

    For the millers falls no 14 it wasn't as good shape as the no 9. The tote was cracked at some point and glued together. Should I replace the tote with a new one? I already have a millers falls no 14 so thinking of keeping this one as a back up for spare parts but perhaps I can find another use for two no 14s on my bench! Also, the cutting iron is a stanley cutting iron. Thickness seems to be about the same as my other planes but is there a way I can date the cutting iron?

    Thanks in advance!

    Luis

  2. #2
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    For the no 9, if you can find a small lock washer or some sort of shim to put in the hole you can tighten.it up without having to grind the pin. Also, most totes I have seen have the grain running parallel to the sole, so it could be that the wood is dry and shrunk a little. Maybe a little boiled linseed oil would help too depending on the finish you have on the tote. If the finish is cracking and peeling, I have scraped and sanded old finish off totes and knobs and replaced with boiled linseed oil and wax. It's a comfortable finish.

    As for the cracked tote on the 14, I have had success using epoxy to glue totes back together. Don't use wood glue, it doesn't hold up very well.

    I'm not much help for dating the irons, sorry.

  3. #3
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    As Jason said, sometimes a washer under the top of the tote screw will help to tighten up things.

    Another trick is to place a shim under the tote. This helps especially if the tote has shrunk or the bottom has curled a bit over time.

    A spare #14 (Stanley #5) can have the blade cambered heavily to be used as a scrub plane for hogging off material quickly.

    Stanley blades can be dated from this page > https://www.antique-used-tools.com/stantms.htm

    Millers Falls plane dates are here > http://oldtoolheaven.com/millers-fal...benchtypes.htm

    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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    Robert Porter has a youtube video where he discusses the MF types in detail and it's a good companion to the oldtoolheaven page that Jim linked to above. As for the vintage based on the lettering on the irons themselves, the only real demarcation point that I know of is that the "SOLID TOOL STEEL" lettering is indicative of a type 4 or newer. The "since 1868" vs just "1868" is not really conclusive and you must use other features to type your plane - namely, the red infill on the lever cap, the knob/tote material, and the presence of brass vs steel bits. That will usually confirm a type 2 or type 3. "Type 1s are easy to tell."

  5. #5
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    I have and use a lot of Millers Falls planes ( and drills)....usually, for a "loose" tote (and the knob, too) it is just easier, and quicker to grinder the bottom 2 threads off the bolts, add a slight bevel to the "new" end...Besides, when you go adding washers under the top of the bolt...it also winds up making the top of that bolt stick up above the top of the handle, tends to dig into the hand..

    I have 4 No. 14s....each one has a slightly different iron....some straight edged, and 2 with a camber...

    Have both the No. 8 and No.9 planes....and a No. 11, and No.15.....may use that 15 later today.

    There were 2 Type 2s....one before WW2, the other right after...a type 3 was during the war, hard to keep track of all the changes in those 4 years...bolts were blued steel, no brass used.

    Been using a No.9, Type 4, lately.....and have never had any chatter issues....still has the original iron and chipbreaker, too...

    Type 3 did not had the red infill. And used domestic Hardwood for the handles....

    Do NOT buy any Type 5 models....if you see phillips headed bolts, walk away...better yet, RUN!
    A Planer? I'm the Planer, and this is what I use

  6. #6
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    Thank you for all the tips and suggestions! I started taking some of the rust off the sole and checking if it’s flat on the no 9. It seems to have a small hollow behind the mouth. Will this impact the performance if I leave it as is or should I try to flatten it? The marker is gone at the bottom of the sole where it looks dark in the picture.

    71DAD0B9-0984-453A-820F-97D23CCCF0F3.jpg

    the tote of the no 14 does look dry. Any suggestions on something other than boiled linseed oil to coat it? I’m worried if the paper towel catching fire with it!

  7. #7
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    I usually have a cheap paint brush...give it a few drops of 3in1 oil...works on not only the wood parts, also on all the metal parts....depending on how dry the wood is, might take a few times...and...3in1 oil does NOT catch fire on it's own....maybe give the oiled up wood a good buffing, too.
    A Planer? I'm the Planer, and this is what I use

  8. #8
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    Any suggestions on something other than boiled linseed oil to coat it? I’m worried if the paper towel catching fire with it!
    Howard Feed-N-Wax is my favored product:

    Howard Feed-N-Wax.jpg

    Available in many antique shops, Home Depot, Lowes and many other home care product stores.

    A rag full of that has worked for me for years. The oil is not one that will catch fire like boiled linseed oil.

    Another would be block oil. Often sold for use on cutting boards and butcher blocks. It may be more expensive than other oils.

    Another oil that helps when soaking wood is mineral oil. This is available in many different formulations. Most grocery stores carry a food grade version in the pharmacy section. It is often labeled as a laxative/lubricant. Also most baby oils are a less viscous mineral oil with conditioners and/or fragrance added. Both of these versions of mineral oil are used in my shop on sharpening stones and as wood conditioner. This is also a non self combusting oil. The less expensive varieties tend to have less additives.

    For things like oil based paints, linseed oil and tung oil my rags are either spread out on nonflammable surfaces or dropped in a bucket of water. These are polymerizing oils and create heat as they dry. A wadded up towel or rag will not allow the build up of heat to escape. The heat can reach the material's ignition point and result in combustion.

    jtk
    Last edited by Jim Koepke; 06-24-2022 at 6:52 PM.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  9. #9
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    Luis, your profile doesn't indicate your location. You may live close to another member who would be happy to help in person with tuning up your plane.

    I started taking some of the rust off the sole and checking if it’s flat on the no 9. It seems to have a small hollow behind the mouth. Will this impact the performance if I leave it as is or should I try to flatten it?
    This depends on whether or not, in your opinion, it is affecting the plane's performance.

    If the plane is working fine as is, there is no reason to try and fix it.

    Otherwise this can get a bit technical so bear with me. One test is to use a small piece of wood, an inch or two long at most, to set the blade for a light cut. Then set the plane on a piece of wood at least twice as long as the plane to see if it can take a shaving without any downward pressure. If it takes a shaving without downward pressure, then it is probably ready to go as far as the sole is concerned.

    If it doesn't take a shaving press down on the plane over the blade while trying to take a shaving. If adding pressure to the mix allows it to take a shaving at this point then the hollow in the sole may be having an effect on the plane's performance.

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

  10. #10
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    Hmmm..in use the past few times in the shop..
    A glue up Friday, Logos.JPG
    the one in the middle is a #15 Jumbo jack,,,,and the smaller one was made by Millers Falls, sold as a Craftsman...
    A glue up Friday, Motly Crue.JPG
    WR #62.....Millers Falls No. 9, Type 4, anf the Millers Falls No. 15, type 3

    A glue up Friday, taking a break.JPG
    #15 was just taking a short break...
    A Planer? I'm the Planer, and this is what I use

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by steven c newman View Post
    Hmmm..in use the past few times in the shop..
    A glue up Friday, Logos.JPG
    the one in the middle is a #15 Jumbo jack,,,,and the smaller one was made by Millers Falls, sold as a Craftsman...
    A glue up Friday, Motly Crue.JPG
    WR #62.....Millers Falls No. 9, Type 4, anf the Millers Falls No. 15, type 3

    A glue up Friday, taking a break.JPG
    #15 was just taking a short break...
    I love these pictures! There's just something about the millers falls that I'm liking but then again I haven't owned a Stanley plane yet!

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    Howard Feed-N-Wax is my favored product:

    Howard Feed-N-Wax.jpg

    Available in many antique shops, Home Depot, Lowes and many other home care product stores.

    A rag full of that has worked for me for years. The oil is not one that will catch fire like boiled linseed oil.

    Another would be block oil. Often sold for use on cutting boards and butcher blocks. It may be more expensive than other oils.

    Another oil that helps when soaking wood is mineral oil. This is available in many different formulations. Most grocery stores carry a food grade version in the pharmacy section. It is often labeled as a laxative/lubricant. Also most baby oils are a less viscous mineral oil with conditioners and/or fragrance added. Both of these versions of mineral oil are used in my shop on sharpening stones and as wood conditioner. This is also a non self combusting oil. The less expensive varieties tend to have less additives.

    For things like oil based paints, linseed oil and tung oil my rags are either spread out on nonflammable surfaces or dropped in a bucket of water. These are polymerizing oils and create heat as they dry. A wadded up towel or rag will not allow the build up of heat to escape. The heat can reach the material's ignition point and result in combustion.

    jtk
    Just picked this up and applied it to the knob and tote! It's looking pretty good! Thanks for the suggestion!

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