Hand Planes #2: Another plane rehab

Stanley 78 this time around. No patent dates and no marking other than the brand and model. Probably not very old. I saw this on e-bay a while back. All the parts, not much rust, and a buy-it-now price set below fair market value. So I snagged it up.

Upon receipt I gave it an inspection. Everything ship shape. Dull blade with a slight back bevel and no longer square may indicate a casual user as the previous owner. About 20 minutes on the granite slab with 120 and 220 grit paper cleaned and flattened the sole and sides. I left the slight hollow seen below. It would require a lot of sanding and I doubt it would improve performance by removing it.

After sharpening the blade, cleaning up the cap, and waxing it up with some parafin it was time to see what I had really bought into…

Verdict: works great, ready for years of service

-- Doug, woodworking in Alabama