Thread: Honest eBay description of #60 1/2

Originally Posted by apricotripper

Hey, hey, HEY !......I'M the highest bidder ! if I win though, I'll be in trouble with the misses.

Just to make sure you dont go over the budget ,I bought a brand new (old stock) Stanley 601/2 a few months ago for $85.00 .But normal price is around $120.00


Cheers
Kev

Originally Posted by Woodlee

Just to make sure you dont go over the budget ,I bought a brand new (old stock) Stanley 601/2 a few months ago for $85.00 .But normal price is around $120.00


Cheers
Kev

yep. I'm pretty much on budget now Kev.

Looks like nice jobs on those other planes GW . I like the handle on that #4. I don't need another one though.

The main problem I have with plane blades is there edge doesn't hold up long enough on a lot woods. At work I'm using one on blue gum. I use one prior to using a belt and orbital sander, because its quicker to remove stock with it.......but after that sanders become the go because tearout from the plane is too unpredictable at least on the wood we're using right now....times always an issue unfortunately.

...but the blades wear too quickly. spose people could always replace with an aftermarket blade.

What I have done recently, that I thought you may find interesting since you seem keen to tune them, is re-harden old blades. Which I've done with the one I use at work, and I've found the blade edge holds out all day....bring it home and sharpen it here.

just use mapp gass torches....just a couple and requench. The blacksmiths would know more on it, but what I'm doing at the moment seems to be working reliably even if I don't really understand the science behind it.....get you some pictures if you want. Its pretty easy. You'd have to buy some torches though.

Hey Apricot
sounds like a neat idea.
What colour do you get the blade to and do you quench it in water?

cherry red. thinking now that maybe I shouldn't be giving advice on that one. I'd hate for someone to stuff up their blade on my advice.

Just found I could get a plane blade hot enough quite quickly with two mapp gas torches from below and a propane gas waving in from above.

Jake,

You might have the top bid but it was me you knocked out of the running , looks like a nice plane and full marks to GW for the description at worst we've set it up for a good final run and price. Not sure what I'd do with a second one, it would be just something else to sharpen.

John.

Originally Posted by apricotripper

cherry red. thinking now that maybe I shouldn't be giving advice on that one. I'd hate for someone to stuff up their blade on my advice.

Just found I could get a plane blade hot enough quite quickly with two mapp gas torches from below and a propane gas waving in from above.

Jake

I've been thinking about this point.

Presumably the plane blades at your work are newer and in my experience, recent Stanley blades are softer than the old ones - presumably they do this so that they are easier to sharpen, trading this off against the fact that they don't hold the edge as well.

Re-hardening to cherry red, will presumably set a higher degree of hardness (depending on the underlying quality of the steel) which makes the edge last longer.

Do you notice whether your re-hardened blades are any more difficult to sharpen? (I suspect not, but that's because you are a king among sharpeners... )

Originally Posted by johnc

Jake,

You might have the top bid but it was me you knocked out of the running , looks like a nice plane and full marks to GW for the description at worst we've set it up for a good final run and price. Not sure what I'd do with a second one, it would be just something else to sharpen.

John.

Sorry about that John. I don't really need one either. Shouldn't have bidded really. Half hoping I loose so I don't have to tell my wife.

I think its a good description too GW, but maybe (just a suggestion) make it a little shorter.

I'm no better than anyone else at sharpening Jeremy.....it seems a bit harder to sharpen, but I think it was worth it.

I'm going to make a Cranked necked chisel next out of an old file for work. Re-harden the same way. Should be fun.

You're too modest, Jake.

You must be good at sharpenig - you can get the multiplanes and other "difficult" planes to work and create mouldings like that picture frame. Of all the hints you gave when I asked, a really sharp cutter, was the best.

Hey Jake.

I do hope you win the plane, but I have to say with a day and a half still to go, and nearly 70 people watching it, I don't like your chances. Call me immodest, but I think it will go for more. Even if it went for $46, I'd be happy. And for your sake, I hope it does. But if I were a betting man ...

As to the comment about blades and retempering ... sorry, mate - I'll leave that one to you. My job is just to get the plane to a certain point, and that costs me a fair bit of time as it is.

You think my descriptions are too verbose. I think you're probably right. But I'd like to know what others think. I guess it arises out of my own disillusionment with descriptions which read, 'playner for wood. collectable.' And I'm also a person who just loves using words! So you tell me: is it entertaining and informative, or is it just waffle and bulldust? I want it to add to my credibility; not detract from it.

Thanks all for the interest. Be fascinating to see whether or not my crazy strategies are working. BTW ... I just noticed before that my 'More common than mud Stanley 110 copy' is already up to $14.50 with 5 days to go. Of course, it might just end there as well. Still, that's respectable for a clone, I think.

Cheers,
GW

Your titles certainly stand out from the crowd! which can only be a good thing. I think your descriptions are too long, but at the same time I think you need to put that amount of information in to fully describe what you're selling. It will be interesting to see whether it earns you a higher selling price...

I've just had a look at your description, and to be honest, I can't see any word or phrase which doesn't add to the listing. The tone is friendly, but authoritative. The grammar, spelling and style are all spot on. Reading it again made me want to bid on it, but I'll leave it for Ozwinner.

If you were going to change anything, I'd say you could take the photos closer and cut out the unnecessary background other than that, keep up the good work.

Maybe you should write an Ebay guide on how to create a decent listing!

Thanks for the feedback, Richard.

I know I can do better with photos. And in the future, I'll need to. The whole package - words and pictures - needs to be cohesive and clear. Good pictures tell half the story.

Cheers,
GW

I really like what your doing too.

What I thinks most important though, is that you tell everyone that its tuned. Because I think that is something that puts many off buying old gear. So, I'd put that in the title , and not so much write stuff like ' not rare ' ....maybe .....' tuned stanley 60 1/2'

I think the best way to differentiate yourself from the hard sellers is just not to say words like 'rare' or 'collectable' .......don't think you really need to point that out.

Just heaps and heaps of honesty on whats important.......plenty of shavings.....Close ups of the blade edge maybe that shows its glistening edge ........lapped sole ....all that.

All that other honest stuff about no handling fees etc.

....just feel you could overdo this approach and have some people rolling their eyes if you know what I mean. NOT that you've done it.

... do it enough and you'll gain yourself a good rep. The honest bloke who sells good old gear ready for use......(at least for the first dozern or so passes through hardwood, then they'll be stuffed because the may not know how to re-sharpen it. )

... and then they can throw it away and buy another one off me!