About 3 weeks ago, I posted pictures of several vintage tools I bought at a garage sale.
I am beginning to get them cleaned and in working order. I started with a Millers Falls #10. It had the most rust of all the planes I bought. You will see a lot of pitting on this. I had wanted to get it looking like new, but sometimes that is just not practical. I am afraid there would have been no metal left. I did however, get it cutting well which is really all that mattered to me anyway. I decided to leave the paint as is. Sometimes I see fantastic restorations and have to hold myself back, since I do use my hand tools. It is OK for vintage tools to look like “vintage tools”. The tote and knob are original, but refinished with Red Mahogany dye stain and lacquer.
Enjoy the tour!
-- She thought I hung the moon--now she just thinks I did it wrong
6 comments so far
CharlieM1958
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14866 posts in 2391 days
#1 posted 627 days ago
Kent, that looks great!
I agree with you on not painting this one…. the japanning looks plenty good enough. And you are right about the pitting. You never really know how much of that there is until you start cleaning. Sometimes you just have to live with it.
-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"
CharlieM1958
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14866 posts in 2391 days
#2 posted 627 days ago
I forgot to mention… On the Craftsman I just restored, the frog was painted red like this one, and the paint was in perfect shape. Unfortunately, when I soaked it in Simple Green to loosen up the grime, the paint started to come off. Oh well… live and learn.
-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"
Don W
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9974 posts in 740 days
#3 posted 627 days ago
Nice job Kent. I just found another Millers Falls #10. You can’t see it but it was in this pile.
I put it in the evapo-rust yesterday, so I hope I can work on it after work today.
I have another #10 and a Stanley #4 1/2, so not sure where this one will end up.
Was yours this bad before starting?
-- There is nothing like the sound of a well tuned hand plane. - http://timetestedtools.wordpress.com (timetestedtools at hotmail dot c0m)
Beginningwoodworker
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13225 posts in 1845 days
#4 posted 627 days ago
Beautiful plane, Kent.
-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker
ratchet
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1192 posts in 1959 days
#5 posted 626 days ago
Very nice user. Well done.
mafe
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8057 posts in 1262 days
#6 posted 626 days ago
It’s a beauty Ken.
Congrat on that one.
Best thoughts,
Mads
-- Mad F, the fanatical rhykenologist and vintage architect. Democraticwoodworking.
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