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Hand Plane Revival

19K views 18 replies 11 participants last post by  Bertha 
#1 ·
Restoring a bench plane on a budget

I've seen a number of postings and blogs on LJ about restoring an old hand plane the very thorough way, taking an old plane that looks haggared from years of use and restoring it to new. While that is a great way to do it, if you have the time, money for all the required parts etc, and I wish i did, because that's a great way to get good results. This is not one of those posts.

This is a great method for those who have a small budget but are willing to put in some elbow grease. It is a simple and straightforward process that will give good and repeatable results. Total cost, including the plane is less than $40 and will result in a great user plane that will serve you for years to come. It may not be show-room perfect, but it'll look good and work great!

Plan a budget for the following:
Plane - You should be able to pick up a workable old Stanley Bailey for 10-20$
Lapping Plate - a 10Ă—12 piece of 3/8 plate glass can be had for $10
Sand Paper - You'll want atleast a sheet of 80, 100, 220, 400 grit paper $5-10
Spray Glue - to keep the paper down, 3M Super 77 Spray adhesive can be found for around $5

That should do it for the materials you'll need, other than whatever you use already to sharpen and hone blades. If you are lacking in that department, you can go a long way using the sand paper to get your blade pretty close. Best part is, once you have this stuff, you won't have to buy it again.

Step #1, The victim: Obtaining/picking a plane.

If you have an old plane, whether a hand-me-down or an old one that has been used and abused for years and needs sprucing up, that's great, otherwise, try and find a good old Stanley Bailey (or similar Record etc.) in the size that you need.

For the purpose of this example, I will be using a Post-war Stanley Bailey #4 - These are as common as dirt and will make a pretty good user with some work. I found this example in a barn sale for $5. Make sure to check for any visible cracks (Especially around the mouth)missing parts etc. The rest you can work with. To limit the amount of work that you need to do, you'll want to look for one with a reasonably flat sole. Use an engineer's square to check that the bottom is relatively flat down the length and not too concave or convex across the middle, and check the sides for squareness.. if they are REALLY out, chances are the plane may have been dropped and might be one to avoid.

Smoothing plane Plane Scrub plane Jack plane Block plane


Wood Musical instrument Door mat Rectangle Hardwood


Hand tool Wood Tool Fashion accessory Metal


Wood Door Metal Hardwood Composite material


The process involves stripping down and cleaning the plane, removing rust, lapping (Flattening) the sole and sides, tuning up the movement, and putting it back together to get to work. All in all, the process will take a few hours depending on how flat the sole of your plane is and is a pretty simple and easy process.

Next post will get into the cleaning/disassembling part of the process, more to come soon.
 

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#2 ·
Restoring a bench plane on a budget

I've seen a number of postings and blogs on LJ about restoring an old hand plane the very thorough way, taking an old plane that looks haggared from years of use and restoring it to new. While that is a great way to do it, if you have the time, money for all the required parts etc, and I wish i did, because that's a great way to get good results. This is not one of those posts.

This is a great method for those who have a small budget but are willing to put in some elbow grease. It is a simple and straightforward process that will give good and repeatable results. Total cost, including the plane is less than $40 and will result in a great user plane that will serve you for years to come. It may not be show-room perfect, but it'll look good and work great!

Plan a budget for the following:
Plane - You should be able to pick up a workable old Stanley Bailey for 10-20$
Lapping Plate - a 10Ă—12 piece of 3/8 plate glass can be had for $10
Sand Paper - You'll want atleast a sheet of 80, 100, 220, 400 grit paper $5-10
Spray Glue - to keep the paper down, 3M Super 77 Spray adhesive can be found for around $5

That should do it for the materials you'll need, other than whatever you use already to sharpen and hone blades. If you are lacking in that department, you can go a long way using the sand paper to get your blade pretty close. Best part is, once you have this stuff, you won't have to buy it again.

Step #1, The victim: Obtaining/picking a plane.

If you have an old plane, whether a hand-me-down or an old one that has been used and abused for years and needs sprucing up, that's great, otherwise, try and find a good old Stanley Bailey (or similar Record etc.) in the size that you need.

For the purpose of this example, I will be using a Post-war Stanley Bailey #4 - These are as common as dirt and will make a pretty good user with some work. I found this example in a barn sale for $5. Make sure to check for any visible cracks (Especially around the mouth)missing parts etc. The rest you can work with. To limit the amount of work that you need to do, you'll want to look for one with a reasonably flat sole. Use an engineer's square to check that the bottom is relatively flat down the length and not too concave or convex across the middle, and check the sides for squareness.. if they are REALLY out, chances are the plane may have been dropped and might be one to avoid.

Smoothing plane Plane Scrub plane Jack plane Block plane


Wood Musical instrument Door mat Rectangle Hardwood


Hand tool Wood Tool Fashion accessory Metal


Wood Door Metal Hardwood Composite material


The process involves stripping down and cleaning the plane, removing rust, lapping (Flattening) the sole and sides, tuning up the movement, and putting it back together to get to work. All in all, the process will take a few hours depending on how flat the sole of your plane is and is a pretty simple and easy process.

Next post will get into the cleaning/disassembling part of the process, more to come soon.
It is a challenge.
I too on a tight budget.

I look forward in seeing what you come up with.
 

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#3 ·
Restoring a bench plane on a budget

I've seen a number of postings and blogs on LJ about restoring an old hand plane the very thorough way, taking an old plane that looks haggared from years of use and restoring it to new. While that is a great way to do it, if you have the time, money for all the required parts etc, and I wish i did, because that's a great way to get good results. This is not one of those posts.

This is a great method for those who have a small budget but are willing to put in some elbow grease. It is a simple and straightforward process that will give good and repeatable results. Total cost, including the plane is less than $40 and will result in a great user plane that will serve you for years to come. It may not be show-room perfect, but it'll look good and work great!

Plan a budget for the following:
Plane - You should be able to pick up a workable old Stanley Bailey for 10-20$
Lapping Plate - a 10Ă—12 piece of 3/8 plate glass can be had for $10
Sand Paper - You'll want atleast a sheet of 80, 100, 220, 400 grit paper $5-10
Spray Glue - to keep the paper down, 3M Super 77 Spray adhesive can be found for around $5

That should do it for the materials you'll need, other than whatever you use already to sharpen and hone blades. If you are lacking in that department, you can go a long way using the sand paper to get your blade pretty close. Best part is, once you have this stuff, you won't have to buy it again.

Step #1, The victim: Obtaining/picking a plane.

If you have an old plane, whether a hand-me-down or an old one that has been used and abused for years and needs sprucing up, that's great, otherwise, try and find a good old Stanley Bailey (or similar Record etc.) in the size that you need.

For the purpose of this example, I will be using a Post-war Stanley Bailey #4 - These are as common as dirt and will make a pretty good user with some work. I found this example in a barn sale for $5. Make sure to check for any visible cracks (Especially around the mouth)missing parts etc. The rest you can work with. To limit the amount of work that you need to do, you'll want to look for one with a reasonably flat sole. Use an engineer's square to check that the bottom is relatively flat down the length and not too concave or convex across the middle, and check the sides for squareness.. if they are REALLY out, chances are the plane may have been dropped and might be one to avoid.

Smoothing plane Plane Scrub plane Jack plane Block plane


Wood Musical instrument Door mat Rectangle Hardwood


Hand tool Wood Tool Fashion accessory Metal


Wood Door Metal Hardwood Composite material


The process involves stripping down and cleaning the plane, removing rust, lapping (Flattening) the sole and sides, tuning up the movement, and putting it back together to get to work. All in all, the process will take a few hours depending on how flat the sole of your plane is and is a pretty simple and easy process.

Next post will get into the cleaning/disassembling part of the process, more to come soon.
It can certainly be done, i think my first 2 were done on the cheap, but youre gonna earn it! I like the way youre tackling this one Willeh, ill be following along. You got a nice crusty one there too.
 

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#4 ·
Restoring a bench plane on a budget

I've seen a number of postings and blogs on LJ about restoring an old hand plane the very thorough way, taking an old plane that looks haggared from years of use and restoring it to new. While that is a great way to do it, if you have the time, money for all the required parts etc, and I wish i did, because that's a great way to get good results. This is not one of those posts.

This is a great method for those who have a small budget but are willing to put in some elbow grease. It is a simple and straightforward process that will give good and repeatable results. Total cost, including the plane is less than $40 and will result in a great user plane that will serve you for years to come. It may not be show-room perfect, but it'll look good and work great!

Plan a budget for the following:
Plane - You should be able to pick up a workable old Stanley Bailey for 10-20$
Lapping Plate - a 10Ă—12 piece of 3/8 plate glass can be had for $10
Sand Paper - You'll want atleast a sheet of 80, 100, 220, 400 grit paper $5-10
Spray Glue - to keep the paper down, 3M Super 77 Spray adhesive can be found for around $5

That should do it for the materials you'll need, other than whatever you use already to sharpen and hone blades. If you are lacking in that department, you can go a long way using the sand paper to get your blade pretty close. Best part is, once you have this stuff, you won't have to buy it again.

Step #1, The victim: Obtaining/picking a plane.

If you have an old plane, whether a hand-me-down or an old one that has been used and abused for years and needs sprucing up, that's great, otherwise, try and find a good old Stanley Bailey (or similar Record etc.) in the size that you need.

For the purpose of this example, I will be using a Post-war Stanley Bailey #4 - These are as common as dirt and will make a pretty good user with some work. I found this example in a barn sale for $5. Make sure to check for any visible cracks (Especially around the mouth)missing parts etc. The rest you can work with. To limit the amount of work that you need to do, you'll want to look for one with a reasonably flat sole. Use an engineer's square to check that the bottom is relatively flat down the length and not too concave or convex across the middle, and check the sides for squareness.. if they are REALLY out, chances are the plane may have been dropped and might be one to avoid.

Smoothing plane Plane Scrub plane Jack plane Block plane


Wood Musical instrument Door mat Rectangle Hardwood


Hand tool Wood Tool Fashion accessory Metal


Wood Door Metal Hardwood Composite material


The process involves stripping down and cleaning the plane, removing rust, lapping (Flattening) the sole and sides, tuning up the movement, and putting it back together to get to work. All in all, the process will take a few hours depending on how flat the sole of your plane is and is a pretty simple and easy process.

Next post will get into the cleaning/disassembling part of the process, more to come soon.
Read the blog of Paul Sellers

the episodes with # 4 in the title

The lapping must be done while complete with the nomal tension on the lever cap
(but of course wtith the blade retracted.)
 

Attachments

#5 ·
Restoring a bench plane on a budget

I've seen a number of postings and blogs on LJ about restoring an old hand plane the very thorough way, taking an old plane that looks haggared from years of use and restoring it to new. While that is a great way to do it, if you have the time, money for all the required parts etc, and I wish i did, because that's a great way to get good results. This is not one of those posts.

This is a great method for those who have a small budget but are willing to put in some elbow grease. It is a simple and straightforward process that will give good and repeatable results. Total cost, including the plane is less than $40 and will result in a great user plane that will serve you for years to come. It may not be show-room perfect, but it'll look good and work great!

Plan a budget for the following:
Plane - You should be able to pick up a workable old Stanley Bailey for 10-20$
Lapping Plate - a 10Ă—12 piece of 3/8 plate glass can be had for $10
Sand Paper - You'll want atleast a sheet of 80, 100, 220, 400 grit paper $5-10
Spray Glue - to keep the paper down, 3M Super 77 Spray adhesive can be found for around $5

That should do it for the materials you'll need, other than whatever you use already to sharpen and hone blades. If you are lacking in that department, you can go a long way using the sand paper to get your blade pretty close. Best part is, once you have this stuff, you won't have to buy it again.

Step #1, The victim: Obtaining/picking a plane.

If you have an old plane, whether a hand-me-down or an old one that has been used and abused for years and needs sprucing up, that's great, otherwise, try and find a good old Stanley Bailey (or similar Record etc.) in the size that you need.

For the purpose of this example, I will be using a Post-war Stanley Bailey #4 - These are as common as dirt and will make a pretty good user with some work. I found this example in a barn sale for $5. Make sure to check for any visible cracks (Especially around the mouth)missing parts etc. The rest you can work with. To limit the amount of work that you need to do, you'll want to look for one with a reasonably flat sole. Use an engineer's square to check that the bottom is relatively flat down the length and not too concave or convex across the middle, and check the sides for squareness.. if they are REALLY out, chances are the plane may have been dropped and might be one to avoid.

Smoothing plane Plane Scrub plane Jack plane Block plane


Wood Musical instrument Door mat Rectangle Hardwood


Hand tool Wood Tool Fashion accessory Metal


Wood Door Metal Hardwood Composite material


The process involves stripping down and cleaning the plane, removing rust, lapping (Flattening) the sole and sides, tuning up the movement, and putting it back together to get to work. All in all, the process will take a few hours depending on how flat the sole of your plane is and is a pretty simple and easy process.

Next post will get into the cleaning/disassembling part of the process, more to come soon.
Got a battery charger? I save a bunch of money on chemicals using electrolysis to get the bulk of the gunk off. Like you, I've never seen the need to spend a ton of money on a refurb. Looking forward to this!
 

Attachments

#6 ·
Restoring a bench plane on a budget

I've seen a number of postings and blogs on LJ about restoring an old hand plane the very thorough way, taking an old plane that looks haggared from years of use and restoring it to new. While that is a great way to do it, if you have the time, money for all the required parts etc, and I wish i did, because that's a great way to get good results. This is not one of those posts.

This is a great method for those who have a small budget but are willing to put in some elbow grease. It is a simple and straightforward process that will give good and repeatable results. Total cost, including the plane is less than $40 and will result in a great user plane that will serve you for years to come. It may not be show-room perfect, but it'll look good and work great!

Plan a budget for the following:
Plane - You should be able to pick up a workable old Stanley Bailey for 10-20$
Lapping Plate - a 10Ă—12 piece of 3/8 plate glass can be had for $10
Sand Paper - You'll want atleast a sheet of 80, 100, 220, 400 grit paper $5-10
Spray Glue - to keep the paper down, 3M Super 77 Spray adhesive can be found for around $5

That should do it for the materials you'll need, other than whatever you use already to sharpen and hone blades. If you are lacking in that department, you can go a long way using the sand paper to get your blade pretty close. Best part is, once you have this stuff, you won't have to buy it again.

Step #1, The victim: Obtaining/picking a plane.

If you have an old plane, whether a hand-me-down or an old one that has been used and abused for years and needs sprucing up, that's great, otherwise, try and find a good old Stanley Bailey (or similar Record etc.) in the size that you need.

For the purpose of this example, I will be using a Post-war Stanley Bailey #4 - These are as common as dirt and will make a pretty good user with some work. I found this example in a barn sale for $5. Make sure to check for any visible cracks (Especially around the mouth)missing parts etc. The rest you can work with. To limit the amount of work that you need to do, you'll want to look for one with a reasonably flat sole. Use an engineer's square to check that the bottom is relatively flat down the length and not too concave or convex across the middle, and check the sides for squareness.. if they are REALLY out, chances are the plane may have been dropped and might be one to avoid.

Smoothing plane Plane Scrub plane Jack plane Block plane


Wood Musical instrument Door mat Rectangle Hardwood


Hand tool Wood Tool Fashion accessory Metal


Wood Door Metal Hardwood Composite material


The process involves stripping down and cleaning the plane, removing rust, lapping (Flattening) the sole and sides, tuning up the movement, and putting it back together to get to work. All in all, the process will take a few hours depending on how flat the sole of your plane is and is a pretty simple and easy process.

Next post will get into the cleaning/disassembling part of the process, more to come soon.
Sylvain: That I agree and have always done. The sole does somewhat distort when the plane is under full tension. I set it up like i'm about to use it before i lapp the sole.
 

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#7 ·
The clean up process

The first step to reviving an old hand plane is to try to get it looking like something that you wouldnt mind having in your tool box.

I start by disassembling the entire tool and laying out the parts to assess the condition and work involved.

Wood Gas Auto part Font Metal


I then take a firm brush and remove all of the dust and dirt, followed by a wire brush/steel wool to remove any of the loose, rough rust and dirt particles. Once i've got it down to the raw rusty parts, I use Permatex Naval Jelly (Phosphoric Acid) (Obtainable at your local hardwar store for less than $5, and you will only use 1/8th of a bottle to do one plane). Using a brush, Paint the jelly over the metal surfaces of all parts (wipe it off of any painted parts before too long), and leave it to soak for 5-20 minutes, depending on how bad the rust was (For this plane, it took 2 coats of 20 minutes and will probably need a bit more on a few parts).
Remember to use rubber gloves and safety goggles while handing the Naval Jelly.

Brown Wood Art Paint Font


After time has passed, rinse off all of the naval jelly with clear cold water and towel dry all parts. Once that has been done, you can give it all another scrub with steel wool, or even better, if you have a dremel, polish everything with a brass brush wheel. Take plenty of time to clean the sliding surfaces on the frog and inside of the sole down to bare metal.

The results are pretty good with not too much time and effort, and you don't lose the original Japanning:

Revolver Gas Wood Gun barrel Trigger


Once you've done that, re-assemble the plane for the next step: flattening the sole.

Smoothing plane Plane Scrub plane Jack plane Block plane


Already starting to look pretty good for a total of 45 minutes of work so far isnt it?

Next step will be the flattening of the sole, frog and work on the blade.
 

Attachments

#8 ·
The clean up process

The first step to reviving an old hand plane is to try to get it looking like something that you wouldnt mind having in your tool box.

I start by disassembling the entire tool and laying out the parts to assess the condition and work involved.

Wood Gas Auto part Font Metal


I then take a firm brush and remove all of the dust and dirt, followed by a wire brush/steel wool to remove any of the loose, rough rust and dirt particles. Once i've got it down to the raw rusty parts, I use Permatex Naval Jelly (Phosphoric Acid) (Obtainable at your local hardwar store for less than $5, and you will only use 1/8th of a bottle to do one plane). Using a brush, Paint the jelly over the metal surfaces of all parts (wipe it off of any painted parts before too long), and leave it to soak for 5-20 minutes, depending on how bad the rust was (For this plane, it took 2 coats of 20 minutes and will probably need a bit more on a few parts).
Remember to use rubber gloves and safety goggles while handing the Naval Jelly.

Brown Wood Art Paint Font


After time has passed, rinse off all of the naval jelly with clear cold water and towel dry all parts. Once that has been done, you can give it all another scrub with steel wool, or even better, if you have a dremel, polish everything with a brass brush wheel. Take plenty of time to clean the sliding surfaces on the frog and inside of the sole down to bare metal.

The results are pretty good with not too much time and effort, and you don't lose the original Japanning:

Revolver Gas Wood Gun barrel Trigger


Once you've done that, re-assemble the plane for the next step: flattening the sole.

Smoothing plane Plane Scrub plane Jack plane Block plane


Already starting to look pretty good for a total of 45 minutes of work so far isnt it?

Next step will be the flattening of the sole, frog and work on the blade.
Movin right along there! That naval jelly sure stinks like heck though dont it.
 

Attachments

#15 ·
Flattening the sole and sides

Above all else, to me, this stage is the most important part of reviving an old hand plane. A flat and polished sole makes it run like new again and perform significantly better. Based on my experience, I would bet that the manufacturing tolerances on old Stanley planes were not too strict, as many of the planes i've restored were way out of flat, even if they didn't seem to be heavily used.

A flat polished sole will allow the plane to glide smoothly, will decrease tear-out and greatly improves the look of the plane.

To start off, i use a 12"x12" x3/8" piece of plate glass. Spray on a light mist of adhesive and lay on a sheet of 60 grit paper. Depending on how bad your plane is, you may not need to go as coarse.
Door mat Wood Countertop Flooring Floor


I push the plane providing even pressure on the knob and tote at a 45 degree angle to maximize surface area on the paper. Occasionally I will swich hands and push it the other direction. I will usually do about 150-200 passes over the paper at first to remove any left over rust and tarnish to see what I have to work with.
Use your shop vac every 50 or so passes to remove build up on the paper. It accumulates and clogs the paper quite fast but will suck up easily.
Couch Wood Rectangle Tin can Bottle

In the above picture you can see the diagonal scratches created by the sand paper, and the horizontal scratches that were pre-existing that I am working to remove (Especially near the mouth)

Once I have removed most of the scratches and gouges and have a somewhat even sanding pattern on the sole, I take a square and a marker and mark out lines on the about an inch apart, and one on either side of the mouth:
Wood Rectangle Hardwood Table Flooring


I then continue making passes over the paper, checking the sole every 20 or so passes to see how the marker is wearing off. As you can see, It is wearing off slower on the back of the plane at the top of the picture. That shows that that is a low spot. I will need to keep going until that is all rubbed off, then repeat the process:
Wood Rectangle Bumper Floor Hardwood


I find that I often have to repeat the mark-up 2-3 times until alll of the lines fade evenly. Once the lines are fading evenly and you have eliminated all of the deep scratches in the sole, you are likely close to flat. Check the sole both length and width with precision straight edge if you have one (Or use the back side of your glass plate if you don't).

Once you have flattened the sole, you can go ahead and do the sides in the same manner. When doing the sides, be sure to have even pressure and check frequently with a good engineer's square to make sure that you are squaring up the side, not making it worse!!

By the time you are done with the 60 grit, your sole and sides should be flat, free of deep scratches and gouges and ready for polishing:
Wood Hardwood Composite material Auto part Rectangle


Peel off the paper (you may need to use some solvent to get it up) and scrape off your glass with a razor blade being careful to remove any lumps/bumps while avoiding scratching the glass.

The next part of the process (to follow in the next post) involves polishing out the scratches created by the sand paper, working towards a mirror finish that will look better than most planes do out of the box
 

Attachments

#16 ·
Flattening the sole and sides

Above all else, to me, this stage is the most important part of reviving an old hand plane. A flat and polished sole makes it run like new again and perform significantly better. Based on my experience, I would bet that the manufacturing tolerances on old Stanley planes were not too strict, as many of the planes i've restored were way out of flat, even if they didn't seem to be heavily used.

A flat polished sole will allow the plane to glide smoothly, will decrease tear-out and greatly improves the look of the plane.

To start off, i use a 12"x12" x3/8" piece of plate glass. Spray on a light mist of adhesive and lay on a sheet of 60 grit paper. Depending on how bad your plane is, you may not need to go as coarse.
Door mat Wood Countertop Flooring Floor


I push the plane providing even pressure on the knob and tote at a 45 degree angle to maximize surface area on the paper. Occasionally I will swich hands and push it the other direction. I will usually do about 150-200 passes over the paper at first to remove any left over rust and tarnish to see what I have to work with.
Use your shop vac every 50 or so passes to remove build up on the paper. It accumulates and clogs the paper quite fast but will suck up easily.
Couch Wood Rectangle Tin can Bottle

In the above picture you can see the diagonal scratches created by the sand paper, and the horizontal scratches that were pre-existing that I am working to remove (Especially near the mouth)

Once I have removed most of the scratches and gouges and have a somewhat even sanding pattern on the sole, I take a square and a marker and mark out lines on the about an inch apart, and one on either side of the mouth:
Wood Rectangle Hardwood Table Flooring


I then continue making passes over the paper, checking the sole every 20 or so passes to see how the marker is wearing off. As you can see, It is wearing off slower on the back of the plane at the top of the picture. That shows that that is a low spot. I will need to keep going until that is all rubbed off, then repeat the process:
Wood Rectangle Bumper Floor Hardwood


I find that I often have to repeat the mark-up 2-3 times until alll of the lines fade evenly. Once the lines are fading evenly and you have eliminated all of the deep scratches in the sole, you are likely close to flat. Check the sole both length and width with precision straight edge if you have one (Or use the back side of your glass plate if you don't).

Once you have flattened the sole, you can go ahead and do the sides in the same manner. When doing the sides, be sure to have even pressure and check frequently with a good engineer's square to make sure that you are squaring up the side, not making it worse!!

By the time you are done with the 60 grit, your sole and sides should be flat, free of deep scratches and gouges and ready for polishing:
Wood Hardwood Composite material Auto part Rectangle


Peel off the paper (you may need to use some solvent to get it up) and scrape off your glass with a razor blade being careful to remove any lumps/bumps while avoiding scratching the glass.

The next part of the process (to follow in the next post) involves polishing out the scratches created by the sand paper, working towards a mirror finish that will look better than most planes do out of the box
Great blog… This information is going to come in handy! Thanks.
 

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