A type 14 Stanley #5C restored.

I don’t have any before pictures, because this beauty came with a type 20/21 frog with the folded lateral, so I wasn’t even going to do anything with it. I changed my mind more just to see how much work it would take, since it was a jack anyhow, I figured it would be ok. I thought it was strange that it had rosewood, but I didn’t think to hard on it.

On closer inspection though, I found this wonderful type 14. Based on the broken tote tip, I would say it was dropped and the original frog busted.

I had the correct frog, so its all back to normal now.

I didn’t do the tote repair, its an old repair which seems very solid. I just sanded it out and refinished, leaving the history intact.

Check out my tools for sale…..

Another weekend of some Flea Market finds.

So I had kind of an odd weekend. I found out even flea markets are pricey in CT. The Elephants trunk was a bit of a bust. Prices were way out of norm for me. I did managed to squeak out one Sargent block. Maybe a #306? $5.

I always do well at stormville though.

I picked up a type 17ish #7 in great shape, a type 11 #5c, an earlier #4 that needs some love, a Sargent #415 that needs a lot of love, and a Nice #2 (Orange frog).

The new #2. This is after some quick clean up and sharpen after I got home. It was an odd situation. There were 3 tables together, the first had a bunch of rusty old #5s, #4s and some no names. Broken totes, rusty, nasty, my kind of finds. How much for the #5s I asked. $20 was the reply. I said, “really, they need a lot of work”. $20 came again. “The rest, are they $20 to”. “Pretty close” was the answer. Ok, nothing here for me, move on to the next table, which I think is the same group of guys. Well, apparently they had different selling styles. A #2. A sticker says $125. I look at it a bit and set it down. I hear a voice, $75 for the plane. I pick it up again. Look it over. Do I really want to spend $75? Its a later type, maybe 15 or 16. I set it down again. “Well, make me an offer” the guys says. Well he asked. $50. Oh no I can’t do that. “I understand” I say and set it back down. I turn to walk away. $65 I hear. Ok, he hit my magic number. I’m going home with a nice #2.

Then an antique shop in Milford we usually stop at. It not a plane kind of place, which explained the lower kind of price I guess.

All-in-all a fun weekend and a few decent finds, some I’ll flip and hope to give another woodworker some good deals, some will stay in the shop. The #2 and the #112, stays in the shop, and the Sargent block; well I’ve grown an unhealthy liking for Sargent blocks. The sickness grows.

New knob for a Stanley #1

There is a tool dealer I run into almost every flea market I go to. We often spend a lot of time talking tools and he’s help me find new places to pick. He’s really not a woodworker, and he doesn’t restore, just cleans them up typically. He mentioned he had a Stanley #1 that was missing the knob. So I turned him one. Here it is on my #1.

Not really a Handyman #3

This was bought on ebay as a handyman #3

As I started stripping it and as it unfolded I became a bit confused. Having never had a Handyman before, it took a while to sink it. I have what appears to be a type 5 – #3 with a handyman cap and a type 10 or 11 v shaped logo iron. SWEET.

Just find a cap of the right vintage, and now it looks better.

Saving the Stanley #48

After a lot of looking I finally purchased a Stanley #48. As many of you know, I look for the rust. Here is how it came.

 

So the first thing I did was soak it in evapo-rust. I was hoping the soaking would loosen some of the screws and parts. I had removed the knob before immersing it in the bath.

It soaked over night and in the morning I came out looking like this.

 

I took it completely apart and  took to wire brushing all the parts.

I hit the brass nut with the buffing wheel.

I then sanded the knob, Starting with 60 grit up through 500.

I laid out the part, sharpened the irons and oiled each piece.

Now I put it all back together.

All That is left is trying it out.

After the first run I realized I had the blades in backward. Switched them around and kept on making shavings.

One more plane to add to the till.

My Stanley 120 restore.

More Block Plane Articles and restores.

Another block plane I think the adjuster is cool on. I believe this is a Type 2.

A Type 1 has a 5-point star cap and a raised receiver for the front knob. The front knob is made from applewood on a type 1.

I liked the bronze look so I did not repaint it.