Fixing up our spare planes

#1

@woodtechs
If it’s ok with you I’ll try and turn the three spare bodies we have into some decent user planes. I’ll probably replace the crappy plastic handles with more comfortable wood ones, and try and find blades for them. Hopefully this means people will use them for rougher work and leave the finer green taped ones for finishing. That sound ok?

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#2

That would be great! There should be a spare 2” blade in the sharpening drawer

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#3

I’ve been wanting to get into precision metal scraping. If desirable I could lap/scrape a couple to precision flatness using the metal area’s surface plate as a reference?

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#4

Let me get back to you on that! Having taken a quick look last night the spares are currently short or suitable parts, but one or two definitely have a flatness problem.

Then I’ve flattened planes before I’ve generally just used the cast iron tablesaw surface and some sandpaper. I guess trying to hand scrape one couldn’t hurt if the body was tensioned correctly?

#5

Update:
I’ve added another shelf to the plane till (still wants edges putting on the sides) and checked the collection of stray no 4s, plus spare parts and miscellaneous block planes. I’ll update here with a list of what’s needed for each one and people can claim tasks to fix them up.

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I’ve also put hooks on the side of the mitre hood for the spokeshaves and scraper plane just to keep them off the table.

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Update with to do:

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These have been labelled behind the frog (and hopefully I have the info below correct to the label)

A: Narrower plane with plastic handles and maroon body:

  • Sole still has a coarse factory finish on it. Needs lapping.
  • Iron needs sharpening.
  • Potentially rehandle in wood for comfort.

B: Black stanley-bailey with wooden knob and plastic handle.

  • Clean iron.
  • Check sole for flatness.
  • Potentially rehandle in wood for comfort (leaving existing knob).

C. Black body, wooden handles, no brand, marked MADE IN ENGLAND.

  • Find suitable iron, chip breaker and lever cap.
  • Check flatness.

D. Black plastic handles, maroon body.

  • Clean iron, check flatness, sharpen.
  • Potentially rehandle in wood for comfort.

Separately, I’ll also clean up and tune the No 5, which are great planes (but this one is rusty).

3 Likes
#6

There are pieces of flat granite by the drill press and some sticky backed sharpening sandpaper rolls in the red tech cabinet by the sink

1 Like