A Sad Case of Neglect and Abuse

**Scribbly Gum** · 27th November 2010, 06:56 PM

I spent some time this afternoon bringing a Stanley 5-1/2 back from the grave.
It was so bad, that if you found it lying in the road you would likely step over it and keep walking.
Even now that it has had some TLC, it still looks terrible and will not be worth anything in the marketplace.
Its original handle was broken and taped, and the whole plane was covered in rust. Even without de-rusting it was apparent that there was some very bad pitting to the body and the blade.
After dis-assembly it became clear that the frog was excellent - as was the mouth, and the business end of the blade had gotten off very lightly and was resurrect-able.
After a lot of work it still looks leperous, but it does take some amazing shavings.
The best feature of this plane is the frog. It is absolutely the best fit of any frog of this vintage that I have come across, without any sideways slop at all. It is similar in fit to a really good Bedrock. The only other redeeming feature is the gorgeous front rosewood knob.
Cop an optic on those shavings - superb.
One thing for sure - this is one toolbox tool that no-one will be tempted to steal.
Cheers
SG

PS: In the last picture of the single shaving, the two holes are from nail holes in the stock that I was planing.
They have been preserved without tearing the shaving at those points.
Just thought I'd point that out.
Smugly yours
SG

**jimbur** · 27th November 2010, 07:35 PM

Looks like the prototype of the corrugated soled plane. Shows you can be a bit over-zealous with flattening.
Cheers,
Jim

**kiwioutdoors** · 28th November 2010, 10:22 AM

Just 3million or so strokes on the lapping plate and you willl have a flat sole

**luckduck32167** · 28th November 2010, 10:32 AM

hi gum, i came to this thread after i read ur post in my thread and u sound like a nice guy. im surprised a plane that bad can produce shavings like that, it really is all in the blade.

**Vann** · 28th November 2010, 12:32 PM

Wow, that is impressive corrosion at the tail end of that plane

.

Well done getting it back into working order

. Those earlier Stanleys certainly were better quality than their post WW2 products. Without going to the Stanley dating site, I'd say that one dates to late 1920s or early 1930s, as it looks like an early Record (and they were direct copies of 1930 Stanleys).

Cheers, and well done that man, Vann.

**stuffy** · 28th November 2010, 01:25 PM

Looks like a type 15, needs some orange paint! The last of the best years.
I reckon it's that style frog that makes the difference.
The good thing about that one is it's a good user that'll probably get used more because of it's condition.
I'd be quite happy with that.

Steve

**orraloon** · 28th November 2010, 01:39 PM

Looks aint everything and that proves the point.

**seanz** · 28th November 2010, 02:03 PM

I can see a whole new Galoot category...."Rat" tools.

The frog looks very similar to the one I have on my USA #8....they are good, aren't they.

Bonus points for using the word leperous in a post.

**jimbur** · 28th November 2010, 02:09 PM

Definitely a plane you could take on site and still come home with it.
Cheers,
Jim

**rsser** · 28th November 2010, 04:18 PM

SG, you're clearly now the Lazarus-raiser of hand tools.

Nice recovery job.

**Scribbly Gum** · 28th November 2010, 04:51 PM

Thanks for the kind words fellas.
Yes I think that this a model from the early 1930's, one of the SweetHart types - probably a type 15 as Steve suggested.
One of the best that Stanley made outside the Bedrock line.
The depth adjuster is not from this plane but from a war model about ten years later - I couldn't bring myself to add the bling of a brass depth adjuster to this plane - it didn't seem to deserve it somehow.
The pitting on the edges was so bad that I had to grind a chamfer along each edge to stop the plane from scratching the wood. It took quite a while on the linisher to get it as smooth as it is.
It is surprising that something so ugly can still shave well.
It certainly won't be winning any beauty contests that's for sure.
A real tragedy that it was let go so badly.

Cheers from Tele Point
SG

**mic-d** · 28th November 2010, 05:13 PM

looks like a lunar landscape

Cheers
Michael

**Scribbly Gum** · 28th November 2010, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by mic-d

looks like a lunar landscape

Cheers
Michael

Yep - the Sea of Tranquility

**rsser** · 28th November 2010, 05:40 PM

I spent some time this afternoon

Nice result if you got to the S of T ;-}

**Mike Busby** · 28th November 2010, 10:49 PM

That looks like it will soon become a favourite in your tools and for a fairly good reason. It has had a hard life and been treated very badly but in the hands of someone who obviously cares it can still produce the goods.

Even without knowing the history of the plane it will still make it firmly into the family heirloom category if I owned it. But then i'm a sucker for lost dogs, crying children and righting wrongs - even when they happen to tools. Well done.

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