Restoring an rustly old Stanley No 4 Smoother

**mpatman** · 30th December 2009, 08:14 AM

Hi everyone,

I have been lurking around here for a year now and have been building up my old tool collection. By and large the hand planes that I have purchased have been in reasonably good condition and just needed a quick clean and the blades sharpened etc.

I have just recieved a old Stanley No 4 in the mail this moring and I have started to dissasemble the parts...the 2 screws that hold the frog to the body were really really really tough to loosen but I got through that ok. Now I am having trouble with the tote. I have undone the screw at the top but the tote will not lift of the long threaded rod that holds it in place. I dont want to crack the tote as it is good condition.

Any suggestions on its removal, I can only raise it about 2mm before it wont budge, I am guessing the wood inside has swollen or something? I have just tried twisting it slightly and wriggling it but i can get it to raise more than the 2mm?

Can I or should I spray something like WD40 down the thread?

Thanks in advance,

Mark

**IanW** · 31st December 2009, 08:50 AM

Hi mpatman - welcome to the darkside.

WRT to your stuck handle, my advice would be to just keep at it, wriggling & twisting until it comes off. The bolt hole may be a bit off line, or there may be a dollop of rust on the bolt that is jamming it, but it should give way if you keep annoying it. They seem to be prone to sticking like that, but once you pursuade it to move 8-10mm, it will suddenly slide off easily, as a rule. Trickling a bit of lanolin or similar down the hole may help loosen & lubricate things. You can usually apply a reasonable amount of force without danger of breaking the wood.

Good luck,

**mpatman** · 31st December 2009, 09:26 AM

Thanks Ian, I managed to get the bugger off.
I will post some pics soon, I have cleaned and polished all the screws etc and am giving the olane body an electrolysis bath at the moment, then i will work on the irons etc.

**mpatman** · 2nd January 2010, 08:34 PM

Hi all,

Here is the plane afer I have restored her over the past 3/4 days. I am very happy with the result as it is my first attempt at this. Any comments or advice welcome.

I used elecrolysis to get rid of the rust, but then i had to respray the black paint. I used an Epoxy Enamel. I also got the Dremel out to clean the brass etc. I also sanded back the tote and knob and used Feast & Watson buffing Oil to finish.

Before:

After:

Cheers,

Mark

**mjmjm** · 2nd January 2010, 08:48 PM

Looks good

**Virgil** · 2nd January 2010, 09:14 PM

Top job.

I have a similar task ahead of me as I aquired my grandfather's one last Wednesday.

Cheerio,
Virg.

**Scribbly Gum** · 3rd January 2010, 08:46 AM

Lovely job Mark.
Now to get the blade sharp and the frog set and the cap-iron just back about 1/16 inch from the edge of the blade, and you are ready to make shavings.
Feels good to restore old tools doesn't it!
Happy trails
SG

**kiwioutdoors** · 3rd January 2010, 03:48 PM

Nice job. Good balance between looking aged and well maintained and usable and not over restored. You have managed to retain most of the patina. I over restrored mine and polyurethaned the handle. Next time I will wax as well.

**orraloon** · 5th January 2010, 11:55 AM

Hi Mark,
That looks like a good user. You have done a good job there.
It feels good using a tool that would be lost to the world if you had not saved it.
Regards
John

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Restoring an rustly old Stanley No 4 Smoother

Finished restoration- first attempt

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