Hi all,
I recently purchased an old Stanley no. 78 plane at a flea market ($10.00) and I had a few questions I was hoping the good people of Knots could help me with.
First, the plane came without the fence or depth stop. I can order these from Stanley for about $20.00, but will they fit my old plane or am I in for some work bodging it all together?
Second, the japanning is in rough shape. I was thinking of soaking the plane in paint thinner for a few days to soften what is left and scrape it all off. Once all the old japanning is gone I would repaint with spray enamel. (I realize this isn’t actually a question, but i would appreciate some comments on this idea)
Lastly, how can I determine the age of the plane? The only writing I can find on the plane is Stanley written on the blade, and the words No. 78 and Made in Can on the body of the plane. I suspect that the answer to this will determine if the parts mentioned in my first question will fit, so this may be important to know.
I would love to hear from people who use this plane. I bought mine not due to some need to use it, but mostly because i thought it was pretty and wanted to give it a good home
Any info would be greatly appreciated
-pjw
Replies
Rehabbing old tools. Many schools of thought there! Collecting collectors want them "factory fresh" or nearly so. Personally the old tools I get are bought to be users and treat them such.. Just stripped down a Stanley 6C and 7C and sprayed with Rustoleum Pro. The pealing Japanning and minute rust under the japanning just didn't cut it with me. Lapped in the frogs seating areas, sharpened and made everything pretty.
Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
Thanks for your reply. I really don't care about collector's value, i just want a plane i can use, so i will go ahead and strip it.
You probably do not have a very old Stanley #78. They've been making these for a century, and while they make very few planes now compared to even their recent past, this is one of them. I base the thought that it's not very old on the "Made in Canada" stamp, and more than likely, a replacement fence and depth stop will fit.
Having said that, though, you'd be well advised to go back to the flea market. #78s are extremely common, and you can more than likely find a fence and depth stop at the flea market for a lot less than Stanley will charge you for a replacement.
And, based on the "Made in Canada" stamp, and the vast numbers of these planes that were produced, the plane you have has little collector's value, so stripping the Japanning and re-painting it will not hurt its value as a user. The only 78s that are reasonably valuable as a collector's item are the ones made very early in its history, and probably up through the sweetheart-stamp era.
In fact, I purchased one made just before WWII to replace my Father's plane (that my grandfather owned) and some painters broke by dropping it on a concrete floor. Despite the pre-war vintage, and the fact that it was essentially new with all of the parts, the box, and the instruction sheet, I purchased it for $100 on E-Bay.
So I think you're safe re-habbing a Flea Market find.
thanks for your reply. Getting out to the flea markets is a real pain in the a** for me, so I will order the parts from Stanley (only $20.00 for fence and depth stop, plus shipping, of course). this is to be a user plane, not a collector's item, so i will go ahead and strip and repaint it. Can't wait to get this back into working condition
-pjw
A 78 is very handy. I use mine a good bit. It's not a very complicated or finicky beast in my expereince, so the bodging shouldn't matter much. Strip it, paint it up pretty, sharpen the blade and make some rabbets!
the 78 is a great little plane, bought mine for a couple of bucks at a flea market too, a couple of hours on stones and lapping and its a real good user although no collector value
im a pro finish carpenter, and there is always one in my toolbag next to my elderly stanley block and #5 planes
PJ.....
if yer desire is to use yer 78, I'd suggest you do a little search for a Woden W78 image (sorry-I couldn't find one right off)-almost identical to the stanley 78.
The Woden has a front knob that mounts wherever the blade ain't, easy enuf to turn on a lathe, and it adds just a tad more control to the Stanley 78. Still has only one bar holding the fence though. I think the Record 78 equivalent has two!!!
Hope that helps a tad.
Eric
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