Replies

1. 
   AdamCherubini | Mar 08, 2006 04:18pm | #1

   "Is there anything that I need to know before proceeding?"

   Yeah.  DON"T DO IT!  Just wash off the rust with kerosene and an old tooth brush and get back to work.  Powder coating is not restoring an old tool.  You'll wreck the value of the planes and regret your restoration in the end. 

   Adam

2. 
   JeffHeath | Mar 09, 2006 03:22am | #2

   Before doing anything, I recommend that you purchase "The Hand Plane Book" By Garrett Hack.  He will walk you through the process A to Z for optimal performance of the plane once you're finished.  We can talk about it here all day long, and we usually do, but it's a fantastic reference book for all types of planes, and is a must read AND must have for anyone just getting into planes. 

   Power sand blasting (which is what most, underline most, powdercoating companies do prior to coating) isn't always the best way to handle something like a plane.  Putting a plane in the hands of a machinist, sand blaster, powder coater, etc.... that has no or little knowledge of what is important to a plane can do way more harm than good.

   There's a fella who lurks here named " Mike in Katy", I forget his knots name, who restores planes for a business, and does a very nice job.  His prices are reasonable, and probably cheaper than what you are looking at getting done, as well as being done correctly. 

   All of that being said, I personally believe that you have a tremendous amount of knowledge to gain about planes by doing at least one yourself.  It will teach you how they work, what's important about them, as well as what changes you can make to improve their performance.  Once this vital information is learned by you, it will carry you to a whole new level with hand tools and planes, and make you and the tool more efficient.

   So, whoooaaaah there, fella!  :-)    Slow down and investigate this before you do something that you'll wish you didn't once your knowledge of planes increases.

   Jeff

1. 
   Bubbadaylily | Mar 09, 2006 03:36am | #3

   Thanks soooooooooo much for your advice. I will purchase the book at once.Jim

1. 
   JeffHeath | Mar 09, 2006 04:27am | #4

   Nooooooooooooo problem!  Now, one last thing.   Be careful!!  Everybody who participates on the hand tool forum will agree with the warning I'm about to post to you. 

    

   ******WARNING!!!!!!!!*************

   THIS IS A VERY SLIPPERY SLOPE YOU ARE NOW STANDING ON.  PLANES ARE LIKE DRUGS.  ONCE YOU USE ONE, YOU SHALL BE HOOKED FOREVER, WITH ABSOLUTELY NO CURE.  YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF STEALING YOUR CHILDREN'S ICECREAM AND MILK MONEY TO BUY MORE PLANES.  YOU WILL ALSO TRY TO THROW OUT YOUR WIFE'S SHOES, TO HAVE MORE SPACE TO STORE.................................YOU GUESSED IT!!!!      MORE PLANES!!!!  BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, EVERYWHERE IN YOUR WORKSHOP, THERE WILL BE.......MORE PLANES!!!

    

   Forgive me, I am having just a fantastically beautiful day!

    

   Jeff   

   P.S.  This one's for you,  Jim!

   My name's Jeff, and I'm a Planeaholic.

   Edited 3/8/2006 8:28 pm ET by JeffHeath

1. 
   WillGraham | Mar 11, 2006 06:04pm | #6

   My name's Will, and I'm a Planeaholic.

   I agree with the warning!  I would just like to add a comment.  The first plane Igot was an poorly tuned Stanly Handyman.  I was not impressed.  The folks at LV show booth let me try one of theirs. Wow!

   The most adictive part of planes is simple; using a well tune plane to work wood!

1. 
   JeffHeath | Mar 11, 2006 10:32pm | #7

   Agreed!  I just also believe that every woodworker who uses hand planes should, at least once, go through the process of tuning an older plane.  The process is not only rewarding, but the education received is envaluable.  It allows you to see first hand what changes and adjustments made allow the plane and woodworker to accomplish.  Then, in the future, if a plane in your arsenal isn't functioning properly, you'll have some hands on knowledge and experience to fall back on to make the necessary adjustments to get it working properly once again.

   Jeff

2. 
   KiddervilleAcres | Mar 12, 2006 06:48am | #9

   Hi Jeff,

   My introduction to using is quite amusing now that I look back on it.  I inherited two planes from my father; a Millers Falls #9 and a Wards Master #5.  They were both badly rusted, chipped paint and irons that looked like hoes!  The tote on the WM was taped together with good ol duct tape; when removed, it was cracked in half.

   I'd never used hand planes before so I went up to my woodshop and tried them out.  On the first stroke with the MF, it actually departed my grip and fell on the floor, same with the WM!  Glad I have a wood floor.......  Looked at the hoes/irons and they were both about 1/8" or better exposed!  A stright edge rocked on the soles of both planes.

   Back to the office, hopped on the PC and went to Knots.  I read numerous posts about fettling planes.  Having limited $$$ and not wanting to take forever to get them working, I chose the Scary Sharp method.

   Using Simple Green and a toothbrush, I cleaned up the crud, flattened the soles and  sides.  Next came the plane irons/hoes and chipbreakers.  I hand sharpened them, after flattening the backs, as best I could (going through grits 100, 150, 180, 240, 320, 600, 1000) on each iron.  They gleamed, and the edge looked damn good, at least to me anyway!  I couldn't wait to try them again.

   After gluing the tote, I put the planes back together for another try.  Back up to the shop, clamped a the piece of birch back into the vise, the moment of truth was at hand.  Set the blade about 1/32" exposed and Swwwooooossshhhh.  I nice fluffy, curly shaving the length of the board (approx. 16")!  WOW!

   No truer words were ever spoken.  Tune up at least one plane.  The knowledge gained is invaluable and the reward is most satisfying.

   P.S.  Many thanks to all you folks for all the help you gave me! 

   Regards,

    Bob @ Kidderville Acres

   Kidderville, NH

    

    

   Use whatever tool needed to Git 'r Done!

2. 
   highfigh | Mar 09, 2006 05:35am | #5

   IIRC, Mike in Katy's name here is Planewood. Go to the search function at the lower left of the forum topics and enter PlaneWood, then click on one of the topics and he should have the link in the post. Very reasonable and they look great.
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

3. 
   PelhamPete | Mar 12, 2006 06:15am | #8

   Hi all,

   I mostly just lurk here, but feel that I have something -- in the way of strongly held feelings -- to add to this discussion.

   i)  I bought a tote and knob from Mike-in-Katy (for my project WWII Stanley 4 1/2) and they are simply not to be improved upon.  I HIGHLY recommend him.

   ii)  While I respect you, Adam C., and LOVE your style btw, I have to disagree about what you said about ruining the value of the plane and that he would regret it.  My tuned-to-the-hilt** WWII Stanley 4 1/2 is just gorgeous, and works much better than it did when I first got it, and therefore, in part because it wasn't worth that much before I got it (it isn't a Bedrock, or anything that rare), I CERTAINLY value it more -- and I would think that an enormous number of people would agree with me -- and whatever else value is- it has everything to do with what/how people feel about something.  And I certainly don't regret doing the work on it.   

   iii)  Even with everything that I did to the plane, it is nowhere close to the performer that my Veritas or LN planes are!

   This I find absolutely surprising.  I think that the only thing that I haven't done is filled the frog cavity with epoxy, or something of the sort, but that, somehow doesn't appeal to me.

   My thoughts ... respectfully tendered. :-)

   -Peter T.

   ** What did I do to the plane? Well, I did *it*.  What is "it"?  The Surface Grinder!!!  Yep-  the surface grinder hit my plane, and hit it HARD!!  Flat to 1/1000th of an inch (yippie!).  Loaded it with a Lie Nielsen iron and a Lie Nielsen chip breaker.  The japaning was in perfect shape when I got it so it is, in pretty much every way, optimized (and with the Mike-in-Katy Tote/knob, is one gorgeous tool IMHO).