Official Luthiers Forum!

Well my Grandpa died before I was born, but based on storied I have heard about him he was a pretty cool guy. He had a lot of tools, but most were not of great quality. Except, I found the body of what looks like an old stanley block plane. None of the parts are frozen and I can probably clean it up, but is it worth it to take the time and money to restore it and buy the missing parts? I'm sure lie-neilsen sells a blade, but I'm not sure where to get any other parts. Anyone know if it's worth the trouble?

Legacy tools are ALWAYS worth it in my opinion, if they are indeed restoreable.
"This was my Grandpa's plane. He was a woodworker and made a lot of cool stuff with this plane, now I use it to craft instruments".
That's cool!

_________________
Old growth, shmold growth!

You should be able to get a blade and cap iron from Hock Tools. Their stuff is very nice. Get the parts, lap the sole, and make sure the depth adjustment knob doesn't have any slop with the adjustment lever, and you should have a great tool.

Ken

_________________
http://www.casperguitar.com

I have a very similar plane but a low angle and it is my most used plane. Go on ebay, there are always people selling parts for these planes. Mine is probably a little newer, probably from the 40's and the iron is great and holds an edge for ever.

_________________
Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

Research it here:
http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan2.htm
Looks like a #9 1/2 block plane in need of a lever cap and blade. If you want to clean it up I suggest electrolysis to de-rust it and paint the parts previous Japanned with Dupli-Color® Engine Enamel DUPDE1635 Ford Semi Gloss Black.
This is an excellent site for learning about refinishing old handplanes into users: http://home.comcast.net/~rexmill/planes101/refinish/refininshing.htm

that's a great quality plane that will clean up beautifully. Looks like maybe an old knuckle cap plane (I think that's what they're called). The adjustable mouth is a great feature.

_________________
"Preoccupation with an effect gives it power and enhances the error"
from "Your Owner's Manual" by Burt Hotchkiss.

Brian,

If it was mine, I wouldn't try to make it look new. I'd just get it clean and level the sole if needed. Keep the mojo it gained in your grandpa's hands. However, if there are cracks around the mouth (where the iron would stick through), it might be better to just fix it up enough for a keepsake.

These were very common planes, so it's likely you could find a complete one on ebay for a reasonable price and just strip it for parts.

Not all the parts on old Stanley planes interchange across years, though many do. That looks like a fairly old one, judging by the thickness of the casting in the sides. Bears checking into.


Pat

_________________
formerly known around here as burbank
_________________

http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Restore it. Even if you don't want to go to the expense of a Hock blade some of the old thin Stanley blades have very decent steel. If you can't find the parts local or on the bay give WaltQ a call, he should be able to help you out:

http://www.brasscityrecords.com/toolwor ... tools.html

I've got a very similar plane. It was my dad's (as were many of the tools I have). I use my block plane all the time. If I were in your shoes, I would definitely take the time and trouble to put the plane back into service. But I wouldn't over-clean it. Get any rust off, leave patina wherever you can safely do so, acquire the replacement parts, tune it up thoroughly and enjoy the vintage vibe.

Thanks everyone, it looks like I'll definitely be restoring it (but not re-finishing).

Ken, thanks for recommending hock, I'll look into them.

Tarhead, thanks for all the info. even though it's not particularly valuable, I still think it would be cool to get into working order.

Pat, the mojo on this plane looks awesome. I had assumed tools were like guitars, as soon as you refinish them they loose half their value and desirability. There are actually no cracks in the casting and all the parts move easily.

Also, my grandpa also had this stanley #64 spoke shave. Is it worth buying a new blade for this too? The original blade is bent and has been sharpened so much it's almost non-existant.

Well, you can buy a new spokeshave pretty inexpensively, but you'll probably have to tune it up right away, too, in order to get the most out of it. On the other hand, there sits another gift from the past--a family heirloom. It's priceless in sentimental value, regardless of its resale value. I'd definitely clean the spokeshave, find a replacement iron for it, and put it back into service along with the block plane. You'll think of your grandfather every time you use them. That's a cool feeling!
Patrick