Bailey Tool Co. #17 Restoration

I bought my first Bailey Tool Co hand plane . I’ve been researching the Bailey plane with little success finding information outside of the Stanley part of the story.

Its a defiance #17. Made by Bailey Tool Co. which was owned by Selden A Bailey and William Bailey (no relation to Leonard Bailey). Located in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.

It’s 21” long, so I’d assume that’s like a #7.

Here are the before pictures. Someone had painted it an awful blue color. The knob and tote had been painted black as well.

After stripping the knob, I am pretty sure its beech. The tote was rose wood, but it has a spacer piece on the bottom. I’m not sure at this time if that’s original or if the tote has been replaced.

   

 

During the restore

After sand blasting

   

 

I was kind of surprised at the closeness of the mouth opening.

 

So I don’t really plan to use this plane, but as most of you know, almost every plane in my collect “can” be used. Its tuned, sharpened and tested even if I plan to retire it as a collection piece.

What’s left of the iron on this old girl is pretty short. The previous user sharpened free hand and you can see the slight camber and the rounded bevel that’s much stepper than I normally sharpen. I seen no reason to remove it, so I just dressed it up on the oil stone.

The results where astounding.

Here is the very first swipe on a piece of red oak.

And subsequent swipes proved just as rewarding.