Hi all let me step into this area of hand plans. I have a couple and my dad has a few but they are all pretty well specific things that we have picked up for various reasons or the one general plane is a LV/Verities block plan that I gave the old guy a while back for Christmas (very nice plane that I really like)

Well lets start with the new Block plane (well only a few years old) this plan is beginning to be used more and more as my father and I get more used to working with planes. I notice that we are reaching for this more and the sandpaper or routers or what have you less.  So while it is a bit old until fairly recently it was not used much. So that being that we are getting to the point that I think it really needs to be resharpened. Now up to this point my father has always sharpened these things and I know we have some sort of three part wet stone (three different stones in one set) but I really don’t know what is going on here. And while my father is more then will to show me what he does I am the type that wants to know why vs how. (well I want to know both) and My dad just knows what he is doing because he was taught this years ago in Germany (During his apprenticeship to be a mechanic they taught basic would craft and basic blacksmithing because cars needed both back then)  So he really is not versed on the whys just the hows.  So where to I look for info on this. Yes we have had this discussion before but what do you think I should look into if all I need is the basic understanding and then I can take that knowledge and have the old guy show me the how to.

Ok next topic and maybe these should be separate post I don’t know. Anyway I have someplace (I need to find it) and old Stanley plane that a neighbor found in the garage sale of some even older guy.  It is small say about 10″ long and about 2 or so wide. It is grooved on the bottom and that is about all I recall about it. So what should I look for on this to decide if it is an oldie but a goody or if it is just something form more recent times that was just not maintained well. It visibly looks old.  Not it bad shape just old looking.

And on the same subject I have one tool from my grandfather. This is an old plane that he picked up back in the 1950s It says “Wards” On it (may not have the s) I assume that being as this was bought in a local store called Montgomery Wards that the wards on the front of it (Where you would expect to see Stanley) is just that it was made for wards. By someone else. It look like the standard 1950’s Stanley. It is about 3 inches wide or so and is if I recall someplace like 14 to 18 inches long.  And as I said the only thing I really know about it is that it was bought at Monkey Wards in the 50’s.  I did replace the handles with some sold at Woodcraft a while back as the front knob was badly chipped and the tote was cracked in half. The ones I bought were generic and made to fit Stanley and went on with not work at all.

It is my intent that I would like to make these both into users for myself but I don’t know where to look for info on these or for that matter what info others will need to be able to figure anything out about them. I can take a photo of the wards as it is in the shop but I will have to dig out the other as it is instorage someplace still.

Anyway any pointers will be a help.  Like I said these maybe should be a different post but at this point I don’t really know enough about this to know what I should be asking.  Odd as I have used hand planes I just don’t know anything about maintaining them or what is a good old one vs a not so good one.  I think this may be an issue with a lot of us here on why we buy new vs old because you need to know planes before you can tell if you are getting a good deal or a lot of trouble but you need to buy planes to help you learn. Kind of like building a work bench. Step one to build a work bench. Set all material to be used on your workbench.  🙂

Doug Meyer