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Thread: Falcon bench plane tidy up
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8th January 2024, 06:07 PM #1
Falcon bench plane tidy up
I have an old Falcon 9 inch plane (equivalent to No 5?) that I have been using but it needed some work to flatten the sole. While working on that I decided to refinish the handles because they were rough and uncomfortable. This required pulling it all apart so it's getting a good clean all over.
Found what appears to be an old wasp nest inside.
IMG_20240108_142349 [800x600].jpg
Had trouble getting the rear handle off but some brute force pulled it up far enough to unscrew it from the bottom of the screw. There was a piece of metal wrapped around the screw near the top and this is what stopped it coming off easily. There is also part of a metal ring inside the handle near the top. Not sure if these were original or part of an attempt to tighten the handle. Anyone know if there would have been a metal seat in there or just a washer?
IMG_20240108_143922 [800x600].jpg IMG_20240108_144127~2 [800x600].jpg
Still deciding how far to go with tidying it up. Will definitely refinish the handles. Probably just remove the surface rust on the chip breaker, blade and lateral lever. Clean the rest with turps. Lever cap looks terrible but I don't want to go to the trouble of having it replated. May end up removing the rest of the plating and just painting it.
IMG_20240108_153842 [800x600].jpgCheers, Bob the labrat
Measure once and.... the phone rings!
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8th January 2024 06:07 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
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8th January 2024, 06:48 PM #2GOLD MEMBER
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Looks too short for a Stanley 5 equivalent, maybe a 4? Some of the plane experts will know.
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8th January 2024, 07:02 PM #3
Yep you're right. Found a chart that says a No 5 is 14 inches.
Cheers, Bob the labrat
Measure once and.... the phone rings!
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9th January 2024, 10:48 AM #4
Bob, at 9 inches long it fits the #4 size, but it looks too wide for a 4 but I guess that's just the camera distorting perspective? Anyway, it's an easy one to resolve, the 4 has a 2" wide blade, the 4 1/2's has a 2 3/8" blade and should be a bit longer (10") but there is variation in length of the many Stanley clones (& variation in Stanleys over the model years as well).
My guess is the washer was someone's attempt to tighten the handle - the single Falcon I've had had no washer & most of the planes I've had apart don't, so I have always assumed those that do were added by owners.
Despite a bit of a reputation for being inferior to their Stanley cousins, the Falcon I had was a perfectly good performer - I swapped it for a beautiful D8 saw when I got my #7 because it sort of fell in a fallow area between my 5 1/2 & the 7 & was seeing very little use.
Mud wasps are the bane of our lives up here - we have several different species and they are all highly industrious & find the weirdest places to build their mud huts. LOML gets apoplectic when she sees them inside the house - their visits are cut very short, but despite that, they still manage to leave nests in the house.
Carpenter bees are worse pests in the shed - their waxy building material is much tougher than mud & can be very difficult to remove. I've several times had files glued in their holder by them & it was a real struggle to get the files out!
Cheers,IW
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9th January 2024, 01:36 PM #5
Ian, thanks for the comments re the handle - it's what I suspected but was not sure.
As for the width, I found this on the blade after removing the surface rust:
IMG_20240108_212101 [800x600].jpg
When I was working I would have measured it to be sure but these days I'll just take their word for it that it's 2" .
I also have a Falcon F220 block plane and it's been one of my favourite tools since buying it.Cheers, Bob the labrat
Measure once and.... the phone rings!
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9th January 2024, 02:45 PM #6
I don't think you need to bother, Bob, I think it has been nailed beyond any reasonable doubt.
It's probably just my browser making the plane look wider than it is & because I committed my usual sin of only looking at the thumbnail, which seemed to have 4 1/2 proportions.
As to the quality of Falcons generally, I'm sure they made their share of lemons the same as any other maker, but not everyone is skilled at fettling a plane, so I always take sweeping statements about the poor quality of Australian-made Bailey types with a grain of salt. Some at least were as good as any other brand from the era. Perhaps one type to avoid unless you are a collector would be the Turners with aluminium frogs - they may be ok if you are the gentle type, but corrosion is an issue too & time has not been kind to many of them...
Cheers,IW
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9th January 2024, 04:00 PM #7
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9th January 2024, 05:28 PM #8
Mud wasp I think. As far as I can ascertain carpenter bees were believed extinct in mainland SA after the 1906 bushfires.
Cheers, Bob the labrat
Measure once and.... the phone rings!
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9th January 2024, 07:35 PM #9
Yes your nests look like mud wasp work, the bee nests are quite different, and much harder to remove & I doubt they would make a nest in a plane in any case; they like to excavate rotting or soft wood & use the sawdust mixed with a salivary excretion to build their brood chambers. It sticks better than the proverbial baby excrement to blanket, so you will know their work if you ever come across it.
There are several species of carpenter bees distributed throughout the country, but fortunately, they are not as prolific & industrious as mud wasps!s...
Cheers,IW
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