Thread: Cleaning up a No5

While recently completing some finished touches on a project, I discovered, much to my disapproval and much too late, that my Bailey no 5 (purcahsed new 2006) had a fault (<1mm) and I now had some stratched work.

This inspired some improvements.

1. I took a diamond file to the back lip and smoothed the edge (removing the fault), and smoothed the front only slightly to prevent further problems.

2. Then I stuck a piece of 400 grit wet and dry to a thick piece of MDF, added some light oil and ran the plane over it on it's three surfaces. (with the blade removed of course). Removing gunk and taking the stadard rough surface and making parts of it shine.
q. There's no reason why the surface is rough is there? If not I'll keep going make it shine. I thought a sheet of glass better, but you do with what you have.

3. I took some tas blackwood I had lying around and turned a tote for ht front and cut the outoline for a new handle. A little bigger to fit my hands better, but more so to replace plastic with a nice ozzie hardward.
q. Any one know what ankle is the center rod in the handle is? Drilling it is the next step.

Any other thoughts? or improvements?
I will upgrade the blade at some point. I hear academy ones are the best.