| Project by SST | posted 215 days ago | 583 views | 0 times favorited | 17 comments |  |
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Lately, I’ve added several new (old) wood planes to my not-yet-built tool box. A lot of older Stanleys can be had for reasonable prices via E-bay, but many have broken/repaired totes, so I decided to try my hand at making them for one of my planes, a Stanley # 4.
I got the idea to try while at a Rockler store where they had a bin of various wood cutoffs that were pretty cheap. (for anyone who might have seen any of my previous projects, you’ll remember that cheap seems to the place I come from…heck, I think I was born & raised there, actually)
I bought a couple of blocks of kingwood that I was told was in the rosewood family, cost about $4.00 for both pieces, and thought I’d try some plane handles.
I traced the general shape of the rear tote and band sawed it out, then used a drum sander bring it down to shape, followed by hand sanding. The drilling was done using the old Shopsmith and making a jig by running my drill through the Stanley handle to get the correct angle, then locking it in place. I then made a small jig/block to hold the new piece in that position. I backed the drill out, and put my piece in & locked it down and drilled.This would have been just great, except that the drill I used wandered some and exited about 3/8” off center.
At this point, after taking several long, deep breaths, I resisted the urge to throw the handle against the concrete wall and then jump up & down on it until it was a pile of splinters.
Instead, (the aging process must have actually mellowed me out a bit) since I had drilled a 1/4” hole, I glued a 1/4” dowel in the hole and bought a shorter, better drill, and I re-drilled it… and it worked.
The front tote was turned, using a split Stanley knob as a guideline. I used a coat of Varathane cabernet stain, but that looked too red, so I applied a second coat of walnut, and finished with linseed oil.
I wasn’t sure which way to run the grain for the rear tote, and since the Stanley totes seem the have it horizontal, and they all seem to break that way, I thought I’d try it the other way. I like the look better, and if it breaks, I guess I’ll just make another the other way. -SST
-- You get no points when you punt
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17 comments so far
mot
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4835 posts in 471 days
posted 215 days ago
That’s quite an attractive handle.
-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)
Karson
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12413 posts in 835 days
posted 215 days ago
Excellent job. a nice set of wooden handles to the used plane.
-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com
Dano
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215 posts in 466 days
posted 215 days ago
SST, is that a no 3? I have been working on one that was my Great Granddads which is a 3C. I have tried to refinish the totes but his initials are engraved on them and to make them look right I would have to sand them down to far so this gives me an idea to make new ones to use and keep the originals safely away. Nice work.
-- Dan in Central Oklahoma, Able to turn good wood into saw dust in the blink of an eye!
RobG
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72 posts in 257 days
posted 215 days ago
Nice job on the handles, now just add an aftermarket iron and you’ll bee making shavings that make paper look thick!!
-- Woodworking is Life. Anything before or after is just waiting.--S. McQueen sort of
koolychik
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2 posts in 236 days
posted 215 days ago
I like the looks of your handles. Were you able to use the original screws?
Douglas Bordner
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2427 posts in 498 days
posted 215 days ago
Super job, I just cheesed out and got the Crown replacement set for a #410 Sargent I’m rehabbing. I’ve been creatively stuck today, even though it’s only metal work that needs doing today. Thanks for the kick in the pants.
Time to get back on the horse.
-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.
TomFran
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2338 posts in 429 days
posted 215 days ago
Nice job, SST! Way to recover from a disappointing experience.
-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28
SST
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238 posts in 629 days
posted 215 days ago
I was able to use the original screws. The rear tote is a bit thicker than the Stanley I used for the model, and I think it lacks a little of the really nice graceful Stanley flow. That’s because I traced the shape a little on the generous side, not wanting to cut too much off my blank. Next time I’ll make it somewhat leaner.
I even thought about trying to make custom fit to my hand, but decided that a more generic style was ultimately a better choice. -SST
-- You get no points when you punt
rikkor
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7015 posts in 309 days
posted 215 days ago
Gorgeous handle!
-- Maplewood, MN
MsDebbieP
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11437 posts in 595 days
posted 215 days ago
beautiful handle
and you got a new drill out of it as well?
-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)
cajunpen
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5352 posts in 500 days
posted 215 days ago
Wow – that really makes that plane look new.
-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/
Tomcat1066
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556 posts in 230 days
posted 215 days ago
Great looking tote!
-- "Give me your poor tools, your tired steel, your huddled masses of rust." Yep, I ripped off the Statue of Liberty. That's how I roll!
Thos. Angle
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3243 posts in 397 days
posted 215 days ago
That is some pretty wood. Well done.
-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon
snowdog
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565 posts in 417 days
posted 215 days ago
That looks great, I need to start looking on ebay.
-- "so much to learn and so little time"..
Hawgnutz
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483 posts in 511 days
posted 214 days ago
Very skill full job and a BEAUTIFUL set of totes! You gotta love them “scrap” bins at Rockler and Woodcraft! We all make mistakes, but it takes a skilled craftsman to correct them so they don’t show, or seem part of the design. You pulled that off great!
I agree, I like the grain going up/down on the rear tote, too. Please keep us all informed how that change of grain direction works out.
God Bless,
Hawg
-- Saving barnwood from the scrapyards
Kerry
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95 posts in 225 days
posted 214 days ago
Nice job – always nice to see planes get a face lift.
Kerry
-- Alberta, Canada
gbear
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50 posts in 534 days
posted 209 days ago
Great handle and even greater save…true sign of a master woodworker!!!
-- gbear, Carmichael, CA