# Vintage Stanley Rule & Level Co. No. 26



## Blisswoodshop (Apr 27, 2011)

Happened to pick some thing very similar to this (mine doesn't seem to say Bailey on it) up from a flee market and just wondering what some of you might do w/ this if you had it. The wooden base is pretty beat up. Is it a good idea to change the base and put this baby to use or simply keep it as is as a vintage?


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Pic?


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## SnowyRiver (Nov 14, 2008)




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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Pic would help but the default answer would probably be tune it up and see what it can do. You can easily patch the mouth on a transitional, which might be required once you joint the sole flat. I like beeswax and turpentine on old transitionals. If you're new to them, the feeling of wood on wood is quite distinct from the metallic bench planes. I love them. Dan in hanplanes of your dreams is the master of transitionals. You could ask him. He's also the President of the Universe and the keeper of the Keen Kutter torch. He doesn't require any specific salutation, just giving you a heads-up


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

^lol. Or as NBeener would say, "pics or it didn't happen" lol.


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## Blisswoodshop (Apr 27, 2011)

I never thought I would take a picture and upload it, but here it is. So far, I sharpened the blade and removed the rust from blade and plane iron cap last night.


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## dkirtley (Mar 11, 2010)

These are generally called transitional planes. They are fine. Everyone should have a couple of them.

Most times they are pretty much dogmeat condition. You can make a new body, laminate a plate on the bottom or just square it up. As is, it will end up with a really wide mouth if you just run it through the jointer or sand it flat.

If they were good enough for H.O. Studley, who am I to differ?


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Be- that's not dogmeat, that's actually pretty good. If you want to make pretty, I'd reach for a scraper to get off the side crud then che k for square. it's (appears to be) a jointer, so square and true is more impotant than if it were a jack. I'd stick with it / give it a chance before comitting to a new base. The mouth actually looks pretty good.

Congrats on posting pics!!!


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

Listen to Smitty. Its good advice. I've got a bunch of before and afters of transitionals in my projects and blogs. Some worse than this to start. You can make it come out really nice and they work well.


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## dkirtley (Mar 11, 2010)

Transitional planes are actually nice users. If you give it a rehab, don't mess with trying to close up the mouth by moving the frog forward. It doesn't work as well with the blade unsupported that way. Better to inlay or re-sole the front where all that wear is. Making a new body is a reversible thing. All you have to do is take out the screws and the frame comes off.

Check and see that the wood has not become soft and punky. If it is still solid, give it a try see how it works. Personally, I wouldn't get too worried about saving the wood. Hunt around for something pretty to replace it with. Curly maple on them is really pretty. Even something exotic is nice since you don't need that much.


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