hand plane id and restoration

[dmarriner]

Hi All,

I'm pretty new to the whole woodworking scene, I've managed to borrow a couple of hand planes off my dad which I'd like to have a go at restoring to good working order. The bigger one appears to be a Carter C4 but the smaller one I'm not sure of, the only markings I can find are 'Made In USA' stamped on the main casting, '0241' stamped under the clamping plate part and the blade has a Stanley logo on it, any ideas?

Cheers,

Dave



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[The Bleeder]

Looks pretty much like this one.

[IanW]

Yep, the smaller one looks like a 110 block plane (http://supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan12.htm)- there must be many more of them out there than Volkswagons (yours is a little younger than the classic version Patrick has illustrated). I've had mine since I was 12, so it's now been with me for 55 years, which is a testament to its indestructibility, and to the fact that it does work quite well, given that it is a small plane with zero refinements. Mine is the English factory version, but essentially the same tool. As I said, these planes lack refinement, & usually come with large & often not very even mouths, so don't expect it to make glass-like surfaces on gnarly-grainedd wood, but with a sharp blade, it will do a good job on straight-grained material. You can even experiment a bit with steepening the blade bevel, since it's a bevel-up design. These are good to have around for one-handed jobs, like easing sharp corners & so on.

The Carter is a knock-off of the Stanley #4 (http://supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan1.htm) smoother, perhaps the most common metal plane in the world. With a bit of fettling, it should be capable of doing a good job for you. If the blade is a bit worn or badly rusted, one of the best favours you can do for yourself is buy an after-market blade for it, like a Hock, Lee-Valley or Lie-Nielsen. They are slightly thicker, and will hold their edge a bit better than your original blade.

If you are getting into hand work seriously, you should think about getting yourself a larger plane to complement these two, as neither is ideal for general stock preparation. Flattening & straightening boards are among the major tasks in w'working - smoothing & finishing are almost an anticlimax. There is no end to the number of planes you could buy, but something longer than a #4 (which is appoximately 225mm) is better for stock preparation. For straightening boards, a very long plane like a #7 or #8 is ideal, but you can get by with a shorter plane like a #6 or even a #5 1/2, if need be. The 5 or 6 are more versatile, and will generally cost you less, partly because they are more common. A rough rule of thumb is that the shorter the plane, the more patience & skill it takes to put a straight, square edge on a board. However, it can be done, for years & years, the only plane I had apart from my little block plane was a #5, so it had to do almost everything....

Happy planing,

[dmarriner]

Thanks guys, I thought it might be a 110 but I couldnt find any pics that matched exactly. I have also spied an old long wood bodied plane under one of Dad's benches so if I get these two going that might be my next project :U

cheers,

Dave