I got hold of my old grand dad’s No 4. which was looking in a bit of a state. According to online flow charts, it’s from 1940s - early 1960 model.
The handle had broken an there was rust and pitting all over so I thought I would spend an hour or so cleaning it up. 2 days later, with blackened fingers it transformed into a decent working plane.
@lewisss tells me that the weak point is the tail of the handle when dropped which is likely what happened to this. Luckily it was a clean fracture that glued well.
I removed the patchy lacquer and rust with 80 grit sand paper, and spent about 4 hours flattening the bottom on a plywood board with 60 then 80 grit which left the sole flat but with some deeper pitting that doesn’t seem to affect it’s use.
I put a edge on the blade with the tormek and flattened back with whetstones.
I learnt a good tip afterwards. If you soak a blade in vinegar over night, the rust it comes off with a few scrubs of a kitchen scourer.
