Thread: Stanley or Record No. 5 used, which one?

4's and 5's use the exact same blade and they are readily available; you can buy them off the shelf at Bunnings. I would persevere with the SW one you have though; they are a laminated blade and they take and hold a good edge.

A 5 is a bit big for a scrub though; a 3 is the "best" size to convert although due to their abundance 4's are more commonly used.

Originally Posted by Chief Tiff

.....A 5 is a bit big for a scrub though; a 3 is the "best" size to convert although due to their abundance 4's are more commonly used.

I suppose it depends on your size & strength, CT. I've seen 5 1/2s recommenced as smoothers!

Before I indulged in a Veritas scrub-plane, I used a #4, which is pretty much the same length as the Veritas. But I guess what you are saying is that you certainly don't need a lot of heft in a scrub plane, which I second.

Whatever you use, it's quite a revelation how much wood you can remove in a hurry with any plane configured with a "scrub" blade. Don't forget to open the throat up as much as you can......


Cheers,

I'm doubtful about the iron in this one, the top face is quite pitted also. Will have a go at getting it serviceable but won't put too much effort into it. Will clean the rest of it up over the weekend and see if I can make a handle for it. Wish me luck! [emoji848]


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Originally Posted by Cal

I'm doubtful about the iron in this one, the top face is quite pitted also. Will have a go at getting it serviceable but won't put too much effort into it. Will clean the rest of it up over the weekend and see if I can make a handle for it. Wish me luck! [emoji848]

Must admit, I wouldn't spend much time on a blade like that myself, life's short & there are plenty of better candidates around.

At least you've got a decent pattern for a new tote in the existing one. Do my eyes deceive me, or are there two repairs on that tote, one which is a bit better disguised, above the obvious (& definitely not well-repaired!) split??

I've posted on my method for making totes a couple of times, but just checked & they've lost their pics after the server migration a year or two back, so that's not much help. The most useful hintr is to 'finger-gauge' some pencil lines around your blank, particularly a centre line, so you can check your progress as you rip the wood off. Otherwise it's too easy to lose track. And when you start out, you tend to be a bit tentative about removing wood and the tote ends up looking a bit under-done, so don't be afraid to do some heavy sculpting if you want it to look (& feel) good.....

Cheers,

Thanks Ian. I just went back to the shed and had a look at the tote, not sure if it is even original to the plane. It is over length at the rear of the mount by about 3 or 4 mm is that normal? There is just the one break and a dark piece of grain near the top.



I would be grateful for any pics or advice on constructing a new one. I don't have any rosewood, was thinking maybe a bit of maple would work for now??

http://www.leevalley.com/US/html/16j4010k.pdf

Thanks Pacman!


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Here we have the current truth.


Original handles are in most cases worth more than the rest of the plane.

Which means??


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Cal, genuine Sth. American Rosewood isn't easy to come by nowadays. The stuff your tote is made from is a CITES listed species, so there isn't a lot of that bout, but there are quite a few other Dalbergias used as substitutes, & some are fairly close. Cocobolo is one possibility. It starts off quite a different colour from the 'real' Rosewood when fresh, but mellows to a much darker shade after a few months. The Dalbergias are ideal handle woods because they are oily & take a fine finish that is very 'tactile' & resists sweaty hands.

Pity about the botched repair job, those old pre-war handles are so much better-shaped than modern monstrosities. If it were mine, I'd be tempted to try a 'proper' repair by trimming off the broken piece & glueing on a scrap that can be re-shaped for the toe. If you scout about, you might be able to locate a scrap of 'real' Rosewood from some luthier supplier, or a friendly luthier. I had a scrap somewhere that should be big enough, but I might've used it for something else - I'll have a look if you are interested in trying a repair.

Maple (I assume you mean Qld. Maple?) would be ok, but would be a rather stark contrast with your knob, wouldn't it? Most of our Acacias are pretty good, some old dense Blackwood would be fine & a bit closer to the knob colour than Maple. Qld. Walnut (if you can get hold of any!) is also good. I like the She-oaks, which also take that nice, tactile finish, but the prominent ray patterns aren't to everyone's taste. Some of the finer-grained & workable Eucalypts like River red gum are tolerable, but they are more open-grained & just don't finish like the woods I mentioned.

If you've not made a tote before, it's a good idea to try a mock-up or two in some cheap scrap before ripping into an expensive bit of wood. The hardest part is drilling the stud hole. Drill bits do have a habit of wandering unexpectedly, particularly smaller diameters on long holes - withdrawing & clearing the flutes often, helps to keep it going true. Regular 1/4" bits aren't usually long enough to go right through, so you'll probably have to drill from each end. That needs careful set-up & a drill-press & vise are the best aids for that. Some models of Stanleys have a knob cast in the base for the stud to screw into, & that complicates things a bit more because you need a 5/8" (16mm) diameter recess in the tote to accept it. You also need a 7/16" countersink for the nut - a bit size not everyone has on hand. I always drill the stud hole early on, before doing any real shaping.

It's not all that hard to end up with a nice tote if you take your time, and the one you have is a fine old example, so if you can get a newie close to that shape, I think you'll be pretty pleased with it (& yourself! ).

Be warned, once you make yourself a really nice tote, you will start looking at the lumpish things attached to any planes you have made over the last 60 ears or so & they'll have to go.....
Cheers,

Thanks Ian. The maple I have is from a yard tree here in the Adelaide hills. Not sure what specifically it is, nice to work and shape and still quite solid. I have enough of it to turn up a knob also, which is what I would do if I use it.

I would be grateful if you did have a piece of rosewood too!
I have some redgum but it's still green, blackwood that is too young and soft also. I will see what else is in the shed, ohh some cootamundra Wattle in there too.
I have a pedestal drill and vice, so that's no issue. And I understand what you say about getting the hole through the height of timber, challenging but I'm up for it [emoji1]
No knob cast in this plane.

I can see how passionate one can be about hand tools, I am the same with old harmonicas. I have rebuilt 3 of them this year that date back to the 1920's, now that was complex work all in tune, timber back to better than new and play like a dream. Even went to the effort of nickel plating the big one and reusing the original shellac that was on it.







I think with this plane, getting it to a nice working condition is the main point of the exercise, I will keep my eye out for another one in better nick also. I will start by making a new tote first and see if I can find some suitable timber that is better than what I have or repair the original one. It's a new challenge [emoji848]and I am ignorant as to what I don't know, haha [emoji23]

The knowledge bank here is amazing too, thank you all!

Originally Posted by Cal

Which means??


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That intact original handles on a number 4 or 5 plane are worth just as much without the plane as they are with it.

I have noticed that, like having the box it came in adds double the value [emoji15]
I guess all I really want out of this one is a good usable plane. I appreciate the value of a "mint" one but I don't see any value in a shelf queen in my shed.

Originally Posted by Cal

.... I appreciate the value of a "mint" one but I don't see any value in a shelf queen in my shed.....

With you there, me lad. If something very valuable fell into my lap, I'd feel obliged to pass it on to someone who collects rather than uses, & appreciates the "iob" tag or whatever it is that makes it so desirable. It's highly unlikely, as I'm too cheap to pay absurd amounts for any hand tool, and I'm probably too ignorant to recognise a true gem if I saw it....

Cheers,