# Vintage Hand Tools



## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

*The Slippery Slope*

I have been on this website for about a year and a half now and posted many projects and forum topics, but I've yet to write a single blog post. So here it goes. 

Over the past year or so I've been incorporating more and more hand tools into my arsenal. Lumberjocks is likely at fault, at least in part! I'm by no means a purist or one that despises power tools, but I've found a certain enjoyment from the traditional methods. My own renaissance seems to coincide with a broader trend in woodworking that is returning to the technology of yesteryear. Let's admit it, there's a certain fulfillment one gets from surfacing a board with their hand planes. Granted, I still use my Dewalt planer if I have a lot of stock to plane, but it's certainly much louder and less fun (though quicker and less of a workout). I have yet to drink all of the Chris Schwarz Koolaid-I still see my table saw as central to my workshop and the router table isn't going anywhere-but when I daydream about tools, I'm thinking of Lie-Nielsen, not Powermatic. When I think about which tools will be passed down to future generations, it's the Stanley planes or chisels, and not the Delta oscillating spindle sander. ;-)

For me, restoring and using old tools is very fulfilling and almost as much fun as building things out of wood. I know a number of people on this site would agree with me-just see the "Handplanes of your Dreams" thread that's 5500 posts long. I've titled this post "The Slippery Slope" since this phrase is oft used with respect to purchasing/using hand tools. Once you get a nice shaving out of your newly cleaned-up Bailey plane or cut your first dovetail by hand, you've set yourself on a new trajectory from which it is difficult to stray. I figure this will be a good place for posts about my experiences with some of the hand tools I've cleaned up and have been using, starting with my Keen Kutter plane.


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

BrandonW said:


> *The Slippery Slope*
> 
> I have been on this website for about a year and a half now and posted many projects and forum topics, but I've yet to write a single blog post. So here it goes.
> 
> ...


well said. I look forward to reading more.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

BrandonW said:


> *The Slippery Slope*
> 
> I have been on this website for about a year and a half now and posted many projects and forum topics, but I've yet to write a single blog post. So here it goes.
> 
> ...


Brandon - Sounds like a plan!

Regarding hand tool use as a trend, my oldest son is a HS Senior and is taking Woodshop. He asked me to help him pick out his 'big project' and, long story short, we have worked on it together (at home, in my shop) through various stages. Well, when I showed him how to joint edges of long board for glueing (jointer plane, small squares, spring joints, etc) he asked when we'd get out the biscuit jointer. When we flattened the panels (cambered jack, jointer and smoother) he said they'd use the sander at school. And last night, as we were pulling beadboard off the rack for re-use as the back of his pewter cupboard school project, I cut them to rough length with a hand saw. This time he didn't say anything.

Needless to say it, perhaps, but I think he's getting a broader picture of the various options for woodworking and I love it.

Enjoy your journey, I'm looking forward to more installments!


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## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

BrandonW said:


> *The Slippery Slope*
> 
> I have been on this website for about a year and a half now and posted many projects and forum topics, but I've yet to write a single blog post. So here it goes.
> 
> ...


Well said Brandon, I look forward to future installments. I understand completely what you have said. When I now think about tools, it is hand tools. I would not have guessed that finding beat up old handtools and getting them cleaned and back in service would be so rewarding. However, like you, the DW 735 and the TS are not jealous, because they know they are not going anywhere anytime soon. The only thing is, there is only so much shop time available, and restore jobs do bite into saw dust/production time. Thanks for posting.


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## DaddyZ (Jan 28, 2010)

BrandonW said:


> *The Slippery Slope*
> 
> I have been on this website for about a year and a half now and posted many projects and forum topics, but I've yet to write a single blog post. So here it goes.
> 
> ...


Cheers !!! Now for some Pictures !!! Lets see your travels


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

BrandonW said:


> *The Slippery Slope*
> 
> I have been on this website for about a year and a half now and posted many projects and forum topics, but I've yet to write a single blog post. So here it goes.
> 
> ...


I couldn't agree more Brandon. We all appreciate what machinery can do, but the enjoyment and fullfillment afforded by using hand tools to accomplish a task is difficult to match with anything that has a plug.


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

BrandonW said:


> *The Slippery Slope*
> 
> I have been on this website for about a year and a half now and posted many projects and forum topics, but I've yet to write a single blog post. So here it goes.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the comments, guys! Smitty, I really appreciated the story. Daddyz, I'll get some pictures up soon, I promise.


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## mafe (Dec 10, 2009)

BrandonW said:


> *The Slippery Slope*
> 
> I have been on this website for about a year and a half now and posted many projects and forum topics, but I've yet to write a single blog post. So here it goes.
> 
> ...


Brandon we are many on that road, as in life no fanatism, wonderful take a walk, no reson to walk when we need to go far away when there is a car in the driveway. 
The hand tools bring us calmness and bring us closer to the essence for non profit or high guality - the wood.
Bst thoughts,
Mads


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## lysdexic (Mar 21, 2011)

BrandonW said:


> *The Slippery Slope*
> 
> I have been on this website for about a year and a half now and posted many projects and forum topics, but I've yet to write a single blog post. So here it goes.
> 
> ...


Brandon - I am with ya

The thing that I find interesting is: When pondering the projects that I want to build, I manipulate the pieces and try to resolve the joinery. I solve the problems with hand tool techniques. I really don't think in the terms of machining the wood.


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

*The Keen Kutter K5 Plane*

The first bench plane that I purchased was a Buck Bros jack plane. I bought it at Home Depot on a whim. I typically like to research products before purchasing them, but I failed to do that with this plane. It looked nice enough, but I didn't really know what to look for at the time. Alas, my Buck Bros plane was a big disappointment because I didn't know how to tune it up and it left a rough, chunky finish on the wood. I wanted to know what was so special about those hand planes that everyone liked to rave about, but my Buck Bros failed to give me a satisfactory answer. This changed when, a few months later, my father-in-law offered to give me some old and rusted hand tools that belonged to his father: mostly saws, drills, and a few hand planes. Two of the planes turned out to be gems in the making: The Keen Kutter K5 plane and the Stanley 45 plane.

The K5 plane was made by Stanley and is built exactly like their Bedrock planes. It also has a corrugated sole. It was obviously a very high quality plane, but it needed a ton of work due to years of neglect. The whole plane was rusted and covered with dirt. The mouth was unevenly filed and enlarged. The tote was cracked in the middle and the horn busted off. The japanning was hit or miss. The iron was poorly sharpened. Unfortunately I neglected to take a photo of it in this state, but believe me it was bad. So how did I go about refurbishing it?


Soaked all the pieces (sans tote and knob) in a bucket of Evaporust. The Evaporust worked wonders on removing the rust.
Removed all the loose japanning and painted the sole black, using Rustoleum hammered finish spray paint. 
Made an extra effort at flattening the sole.
Turned a new knob and carved a tote out of Cebil (Patagonian Rosewood). The knob isn't the exact shape I was going for, but it's based on the older Stanley low knobs (this plane originally came with a low knob). I'm pretty happy with this choice of wood for the plane because it's a nice medium shade and has some beautiful wood grains and colors.
Installed a new Lie-Nielson iron and a Lie-Nielsen chipbreaker in order to fill in the enlarged mouth.
Filed the mouth so that it is even.

With the new LN cutter and chipbreaker, this plane performs like a dream and is comparable to premium hand planes produced today. It has easily become my favorite bench plane to work with and has a special place in the shop since it belonged to my wife's grandfather. It has also made my father-in-law very happy to see his father's tools given new life and being cared for.

Now on to the eye candy.


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

BrandonW said:


> *The Keen Kutter K5 Plane*
> 
> The first bench plane that I purchased was a Buck Bros jack plane. I bought it at Home Depot on a whim. I typically like to research products before purchasing them, but I failed to do that with this plane. It looked nice enough, but I didn't really know what to look for at the time. Alas, my Buck Bros plane was a big disappointment because I didn't know how to tune it up and it left a rough, chunky finish on the wood. I wanted to know what was so special about those hand planes that everyone liked to rave about, but my Buck Bros failed to give me a satisfactory answer. This changed when, a few months later, my father-in-law offered to give me some old and rusted hand tools that belonged to his father: mostly saws, drills, and a few hand planes. Two of the planes turned out to be gems in the making: The Keen Kutter K5 plane and the Stanley 45 plane.
> 
> ...


that is eye candy. Very nice!!


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## JoeLyddon (Apr 22, 2007)

BrandonW said:


> *The Keen Kutter K5 Plane*
> 
> The first bench plane that I purchased was a Buck Bros jack plane. I bought it at Home Depot on a whim. I typically like to research products before purchasing them, but I failed to do that with this plane. It looked nice enough, but I didn't really know what to look for at the time. Alas, my Buck Bros plane was a big disappointment because I didn't know how to tune it up and it left a rough, chunky finish on the wood. I wanted to know what was so special about those hand planes that everyone liked to rave about, but my Buck Bros failed to give me a satisfactory answer. This changed when, a few months later, my father-in-law offered to give me some old and rusted hand tools that belonged to his father: mostly saws, drills, and a few hand planes. Two of the planes turned out to be gems in the making: The Keen Kutter K5 plane and the Stanley 45 plane.
> 
> ...


That is absolutely *WONDERFUL!*

It's nice to see good old tools be revived like that and end up better than new.

Thank you for sharing!

Great job!


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## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

BrandonW said:


> *The Keen Kutter K5 Plane*
> 
> The first bench plane that I purchased was a Buck Bros jack plane. I bought it at Home Depot on a whim. I typically like to research products before purchasing them, but I failed to do that with this plane. It looked nice enough, but I didn't really know what to look for at the time. Alas, my Buck Bros plane was a big disappointment because I didn't know how to tune it up and it left a rough, chunky finish on the wood. I wanted to know what was so special about those hand planes that everyone liked to rave about, but my Buck Bros failed to give me a satisfactory answer. This changed when, a few months later, my father-in-law offered to give me some old and rusted hand tools that belonged to his father: mostly saws, drills, and a few hand planes. Two of the planes turned out to be gems in the making: The Keen Kutter K5 plane and the Stanley 45 plane.
> 
> ...


Looks awesome, what ever became of the Buck Bros plane? I really like the handle/knob, wood choice was very good.


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

BrandonW said:


> *The Keen Kutter K5 Plane*
> 
> The first bench plane that I purchased was a Buck Bros jack plane. I bought it at Home Depot on a whim. I typically like to research products before purchasing them, but I failed to do that with this plane. It looked nice enough, but I didn't really know what to look for at the time. Alas, my Buck Bros plane was a big disappointment because I didn't know how to tune it up and it left a rough, chunky finish on the wood. I wanted to know what was so special about those hand planes that everyone liked to rave about, but my Buck Bros failed to give me a satisfactory answer. This changed when, a few months later, my father-in-law offered to give me some old and rusted hand tools that belonged to his father: mostly saws, drills, and a few hand planes. Two of the planes turned out to be gems in the making: The Keen Kutter K5 plane and the Stanley 45 plane.
> 
> ...


Nice one Brandon.


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

BrandonW said:


> *The Keen Kutter K5 Plane*
> 
> The first bench plane that I purchased was a Buck Bros jack plane. I bought it at Home Depot on a whim. I typically like to research products before purchasing them, but I failed to do that with this plane. It looked nice enough, but I didn't really know what to look for at the time. Alas, my Buck Bros plane was a big disappointment because I didn't know how to tune it up and it left a rough, chunky finish on the wood. I wanted to know what was so special about those hand planes that everyone liked to rave about, but my Buck Bros failed to give me a satisfactory answer. This changed when, a few months later, my father-in-law offered to give me some old and rusted hand tools that belonged to his father: mostly saws, drills, and a few hand planes. Two of the planes turned out to be gems in the making: The Keen Kutter K5 plane and the Stanley 45 plane.
> 
> ...


Thanks guys. I still have the Buck Bros plane and it can actually make an okay shaving, now that I know what I'm doing. I'm sure if I invested a little more time on it it would perform even better, but I've already got two other Jack planes so I'm not planning on investing much more in it. Plus it's ugly.


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## mochoa (Oct 9, 2009)

BrandonW said:


> *The Keen Kutter K5 Plane*
> 
> The first bench plane that I purchased was a Buck Bros jack plane. I bought it at Home Depot on a whim. I typically like to research products before purchasing them, but I failed to do that with this plane. It looked nice enough, but I didn't really know what to look for at the time. Alas, my Buck Bros plane was a big disappointment because I didn't know how to tune it up and it left a rough, chunky finish on the wood. I wanted to know what was so special about those hand planes that everyone liked to rave about, but my Buck Bros failed to give me a satisfactory answer. This changed when, a few months later, my father-in-law offered to give me some old and rusted hand tools that belonged to his father: mostly saws, drills, and a few hand planes. Two of the planes turned out to be gems in the making: The Keen Kutter K5 plane and the Stanley 45 plane.
> 
> ...


Dude, my first plane was a Buck Brothers Jack, after spending a couple of hours trying to flatten the sole I returned it and went and got a Stanley block plane from Lowes. Not vintage, but works great.

That is a beautiful plane Brandon, nice shavings, enjoy.


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

BrandonW said:


> *The Keen Kutter K5 Plane*
> 
> The first bench plane that I purchased was a Buck Bros jack plane. I bought it at Home Depot on a whim. I typically like to research products before purchasing them, but I failed to do that with this plane. It looked nice enough, but I didn't really know what to look for at the time. Alas, my Buck Bros plane was a big disappointment because I didn't know how to tune it up and it left a rough, chunky finish on the wood. I wanted to know what was so special about those hand planes that everyone liked to rave about, but my Buck Bros failed to give me a satisfactory answer. This changed when, a few months later, my father-in-law offered to give me some old and rusted hand tools that belonged to his father: mostly saws, drills, and a few hand planes. Two of the planes turned out to be gems in the making: The Keen Kutter K5 plane and the Stanley 45 plane.
> 
> ...


Buck Brothers Jack…..sounds like a Tennessee sour mash


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## toymike (Nov 17, 2011)

BrandonW said:


> *The Keen Kutter K5 Plane*
> 
> The first bench plane that I purchased was a Buck Bros jack plane. I bought it at Home Depot on a whim. I typically like to research products before purchasing them, but I failed to do that with this plane. It looked nice enough, but I didn't really know what to look for at the time. Alas, my Buck Bros plane was a big disappointment because I didn't know how to tune it up and it left a rough, chunky finish on the wood. I wanted to know what was so special about those hand planes that everyone liked to rave about, but my Buck Bros failed to give me a satisfactory answer. This changed when, a few months later, my father-in-law offered to give me some old and rusted hand tools that belonged to his father: mostly saws, drills, and a few hand planes. Two of the planes turned out to be gems in the making: The Keen Kutter K5 plane and the Stanley 45 plane.
> 
> ...


Nice plane but I have a couple of questions, whats Evaporust, and where can I get it. I'm starting a restore on a baily no 4


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

BrandonW said:


> *The Keen Kutter K5 Plane*
> 
> The first bench plane that I purchased was a Buck Bros jack plane. I bought it at Home Depot on a whim. I typically like to research products before purchasing them, but I failed to do that with this plane. It looked nice enough, but I didn't really know what to look for at the time. Alas, my Buck Bros plane was a big disappointment because I didn't know how to tune it up and it left a rough, chunky finish on the wood. I wanted to know what was so special about those hand planes that everyone liked to rave about, but my Buck Bros failed to give me a satisfactory answer. This changed when, a few months later, my father-in-law offered to give me some old and rusted hand tools that belonged to his father: mostly saws, drills, and a few hand planes. Two of the planes turned out to be gems in the making: The Keen Kutter K5 plane and the Stanley 45 plane.
> 
> ...


Evaporust is a rust remover. Some tractor supply's carry it. Amazon has it along with several other internet resources.


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

BrandonW said:


> *The Keen Kutter K5 Plane*
> 
> The first bench plane that I purchased was a Buck Bros jack plane. I bought it at Home Depot on a whim. I typically like to research products before purchasing them, but I failed to do that with this plane. It looked nice enough, but I didn't really know what to look for at the time. Alas, my Buck Bros plane was a big disappointment because I didn't know how to tune it up and it left a rough, chunky finish on the wood. I wanted to know what was so special about those hand planes that everyone liked to rave about, but my Buck Bros failed to give me a satisfactory answer. This changed when, a few months later, my father-in-law offered to give me some old and rusted hand tools that belonged to his father: mostly saws, drills, and a few hand planes. Two of the planes turned out to be gems in the making: The Keen Kutter K5 plane and the Stanley 45 plane.
> 
> ...


Evaporust is ambrosia to the vintage tool deities. It seriously works wonders AND its non-toxic. I've used naval jelly, electrolysis, and other methods, but Evaporust is my favorite. And its reusable, so don't throw it away after one use. Wait till its as black as oil. In addition to the locations that Don mentioned, you can purchase it at Autozone and Harbor Freight. Try to find it in the gallon size.

Best wishes on your Bailey #4 restoration. Don't forget to take before pictures and post the restore here on Lumberjocks!


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

BrandonW said:


> *The Keen Kutter K5 Plane*
> 
> The first bench plane that I purchased was a Buck Bros jack plane. I bought it at Home Depot on a whim. I typically like to research products before purchasing them, but I failed to do that with this plane. It looked nice enough, but I didn't really know what to look for at the time. Alas, my Buck Bros plane was a big disappointment because I didn't know how to tune it up and it left a rough, chunky finish on the wood. I wanted to know what was so special about those hand planes that everyone liked to rave about, but my Buck Bros failed to give me a satisfactory answer. This changed when, a few months later, my father-in-law offered to give me some old and rusted hand tools that belonged to his father: mostly saws, drills, and a few hand planes. Two of the planes turned out to be gems in the making: The Keen Kutter K5 plane and the Stanley 45 plane.
> 
> ...


Here is some help with the restore if you need it.


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## toymike (Nov 17, 2011)

BrandonW said:


> *The Keen Kutter K5 Plane*
> 
> The first bench plane that I purchased was a Buck Bros jack plane. I bought it at Home Depot on a whim. I typically like to research products before purchasing them, but I failed to do that with this plane. It looked nice enough, but I didn't really know what to look for at the time. Alas, my Buck Bros plane was a big disappointment because I didn't know how to tune it up and it left a rough, chunky finish on the wood. I wanted to know what was so special about those hand planes that everyone liked to rave about, but my Buck Bros failed to give me a satisfactory answer. This changed when, a few months later, my father-in-law offered to give me some old and rusted hand tools that belonged to his father: mostly saws, drills, and a few hand planes. Two of the planes turned out to be gems in the making: The Keen Kutter K5 plane and the Stanley 45 plane.
> 
> ...


Thanks for all the info I appreicate it, I tried navel jelly on it and that didnt do much rust removal, I post some pics soon, thanks again


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## Lifesaver2000 (Nov 17, 2009)

BrandonW said:


> *The Keen Kutter K5 Plane*
> 
> The first bench plane that I purchased was a Buck Bros jack plane. I bought it at Home Depot on a whim. I typically like to research products before purchasing them, but I failed to do that with this plane. It looked nice enough, but I didn't really know what to look for at the time. Alas, my Buck Bros plane was a big disappointment because I didn't know how to tune it up and it left a rough, chunky finish on the wood. I wanted to know what was so special about those hand planes that everyone liked to rave about, but my Buck Bros failed to give me a satisfactory answer. This changed when, a few months later, my father-in-law offered to give me some old and rusted hand tools that belonged to his father: mostly saws, drills, and a few hand planes. Two of the planes turned out to be gems in the making: The Keen Kutter K5 plane and the Stanley 45 plane.
> 
> ...


Another source of Evaporust is O'Reilly Auto Parts. Toymike, I see in your profile where you are located, and the O'Reilly site shows five stores in or near your city. Price is about $23 per gallon.


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## JoeLyddon (Apr 22, 2007)

BrandonW said:


> *The Keen Kutter K5 Plane*
> 
> The first bench plane that I purchased was a Buck Bros jack plane. I bought it at Home Depot on a whim. I typically like to research products before purchasing them, but I failed to do that with this plane. It looked nice enough, but I didn't really know what to look for at the time. Alas, my Buck Bros plane was a big disappointment because I didn't know how to tune it up and it left a rough, chunky finish on the wood. I wanted to know what was so special about those hand planes that everyone liked to rave about, but my Buck Bros failed to give me a satisfactory answer. This changed when, a few months later, my father-in-law offered to give me some old and rusted hand tools that belonged to his father: mostly saws, drills, and a few hand planes. Two of the planes turned out to be gems in the making: The Keen Kutter K5 plane and the Stanley 45 plane.
> 
> ...


*
Evapo-Rust
*


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

BrandonW said:


> *The Keen Kutter K5 Plane*
> 
> The first bench plane that I purchased was a Buck Bros jack plane. I bought it at Home Depot on a whim. I typically like to research products before purchasing them, but I failed to do that with this plane. It looked nice enough, but I didn't really know what to look for at the time. Alas, my Buck Bros plane was a big disappointment because I didn't know how to tune it up and it left a rough, chunky finish on the wood. I wanted to know what was so special about those hand planes that everyone liked to rave about, but my Buck Bros failed to give me a satisfactory answer. This changed when, a few months later, my father-in-law offered to give me some old and rusted hand tools that belonged to his father: mostly saws, drills, and a few hand planes. Two of the planes turned out to be gems in the making: The Keen Kutter K5 plane and the Stanley 45 plane.
> 
> ...


Missed commenting on this installment. I do like the K5 - funny how some jack planes just work better than others for no particular reason. I have a single low knob Stanley in my arsenal and it's my go-to jack. Probably the blade's camber, if I'd have to guess, but it just goes and goes when I reach for it. Sounds like your Keen Kutter is the same for you. Congrats, nice work.


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

BrandonW said:


> *The Keen Kutter K5 Plane*
> 
> The first bench plane that I purchased was a Buck Bros jack plane. I bought it at Home Depot on a whim. I typically like to research products before purchasing them, but I failed to do that with this plane. It looked nice enough, but I didn't really know what to look for at the time. Alas, my Buck Bros plane was a big disappointment because I didn't know how to tune it up and it left a rough, chunky finish on the wood. I wanted to know what was so special about those hand planes that everyone liked to rave about, but my Buck Bros failed to give me a satisfactory answer. This changed when, a few months later, my father-in-law offered to give me some old and rusted hand tools that belonged to his father: mostly saws, drills, and a few hand planes. Two of the planes turned out to be gems in the making: The Keen Kutter K5 plane and the Stanley 45 plane.
> 
> ...


Yup, definitely my go to jack plane--however, the Wards Master is a close second. ;-)


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

BrandonW said:


> *The Keen Kutter K5 Plane*
> 
> The first bench plane that I purchased was a Buck Bros jack plane. I bought it at Home Depot on a whim. I typically like to research products before purchasing them, but I failed to do that with this plane. It looked nice enough, but I didn't really know what to look for at the time. Alas, my Buck Bros plane was a big disappointment because I didn't know how to tune it up and it left a rough, chunky finish on the wood. I wanted to know what was so special about those hand planes that everyone liked to rave about, but my Buck Bros failed to give me a satisfactory answer. This changed when, a few months later, my father-in-law offered to give me some old and rusted hand tools that belonged to his father: mostly saws, drills, and a few hand planes. Two of the planes turned out to be gems in the making: The Keen Kutter K5 plane and the Stanley 45 plane.
> 
> ...


my go to Jack is typically a Jack Daniels.


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

BrandonW said:


> *The Keen Kutter K5 Plane*
> 
> The first bench plane that I purchased was a Buck Bros jack plane. I bought it at Home Depot on a whim. I typically like to research products before purchasing them, but I failed to do that with this plane. It looked nice enough, but I didn't really know what to look for at the time. Alas, my Buck Bros plane was a big disappointment because I didn't know how to tune it up and it left a rough, chunky finish on the wood. I wanted to know what was so special about those hand planes that everyone liked to rave about, but my Buck Bros failed to give me a satisfactory answer. This changed when, a few months later, my father-in-law offered to give me some old and rusted hand tools that belonged to his father: mostly saws, drills, and a few hand planes. Two of the planes turned out to be gems in the making: The Keen Kutter K5 plane and the Stanley 45 plane.
> 
> ...


Touché, Don!


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

*Tenon Saw Rehab*

Here's an old tenon saw that I purchased from Ebay some time ago. I hadn't done anything with it for awhile so I decided it was time to stop ignoring it. The maker according to stamp on the spine is Abraham Ashton & Sons, Sheffield. I didn't know much about the company, but it looked like a good candidate for a rehab. Here's some info on the sawmaker.

One of the things that stood out to me was the tapered saw plate (so I thought).









The handle, applewood, I believe, had a lot of character; the lamb's tongue is usually a good sign in a vintage saw like this. The flat bottom on the handle, which I've seen elsewhere, didn't speak to me, but I knew something could be done about that.









Here's close up of the stamp on the spine.









And here's the back side of the handle. Notice what terrible shape the split-nuts were in. All three were present, but this photo was taken after I had removed one of the nuts. It was the only one that came off in a traditional manner. The other two were stuck and had to be drilled out.









I knew I needed to get a new set of split-nuts and bolts for the saw, and thanks to TobyC's suggestion I found a good source at Blackburn Tools (Isaac Smith). I ordered three bronze replacement sets of nuts and bolts along with this sweet split-nut spanner. I'm very pleased with my purchased-- quality stuff!









So after much sanding on the saw plate, the brass spine, and the handle itself, I had what appeared to be a pretty decent saw. It's not quite an Andy (Brit) quality restore job, but I'm pretty happy with it. One surprise was that the saw plate wasn't all the way imbedded in the spine. A little brute force puts it right back in place (I've seen it done on videos this way). So it wasn't a tapered saw plate after all, but no big deal.









I reshaped the bottom of the handle a bit to give it some more character. I used spray lacquer on the handle and followed it up with some paste wax. 









Here's the stamp on the spine; you'll notice that the stamp wasn't perfect, but I could still easily make-out the words.









And here's the back of the saw along with those split nuts.









How could I not include a before-and-after photo?


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## JuanGatico (May 31, 2012)

BrandonW said:


> *Tenon Saw Rehab*
> 
> Here's an old tenon saw that I purchased from Ebay some time ago. I hadn't done anything with it for awhile so I decided it was time to stop ignoring it. The maker according to stamp on the spine is Abraham Ashton & Sons, Sheffield. I didn't know much about the company, but it looked like a good candidate for a rehab. Here's some info on the sawmaker.
> 
> ...


Congratulations, excellent!


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

BrandonW said:


> *Tenon Saw Rehab*
> 
> Here's an old tenon saw that I purchased from Ebay some time ago. I hadn't done anything with it for awhile so I decided it was time to stop ignoring it. The maker according to stamp on the spine is Abraham Ashton & Sons, Sheffield. I didn't know much about the company, but it looked like a good candidate for a rehab. Here's some info on the sawmaker.
> 
> ...


Very nice job. Are you sharpening it?


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## Airframer (Jan 19, 2013)

BrandonW said:


> *Tenon Saw Rehab*
> 
> Here's an old tenon saw that I purchased from Ebay some time ago. I hadn't done anything with it for awhile so I decided it was time to stop ignoring it. The maker according to stamp on the spine is Abraham Ashton & Sons, Sheffield. I didn't know much about the company, but it looked like a good candidate for a rehab. Here's some info on the sawmaker.
> 
> ...


Very cool! I need to find me some apple wood.


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## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

BrandonW said:


> *Tenon Saw Rehab*
> 
> Here's an old tenon saw that I purchased from Ebay some time ago. I hadn't done anything with it for awhile so I decided it was time to stop ignoring it. The maker according to stamp on the spine is Abraham Ashton & Sons, Sheffield. I didn't know much about the company, but it looked like a good candidate for a rehab. Here's some info on the sawmaker.
> 
> ...


Sweet rehab Brandon. The re-shaping of the handle looks great. Tell us about the sharpening plan…


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

BrandonW said:


> *Tenon Saw Rehab*
> 
> Here's an old tenon saw that I purchased from Ebay some time ago. I hadn't done anything with it for awhile so I decided it was time to stop ignoring it. The maker according to stamp on the spine is Abraham Ashton & Sons, Sheffield. I didn't know much about the company, but it looked like a good candidate for a rehab. Here's some info on the sawmaker.
> 
> ...


This saw was surprisingly sharp already. I gave it a few test cuts and was please with it, but I do plan on sharpening it down the road. I plan on using it as a cross-cut saw to complement my new LN rip tenon saw. I'll probably do more practicing on a lesser saw first, though.


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## OnlyJustME (Nov 22, 2011)

BrandonW said:


> *Tenon Saw Rehab*
> 
> Here's an old tenon saw that I purchased from Ebay some time ago. I hadn't done anything with it for awhile so I decided it was time to stop ignoring it. The maker according to stamp on the spine is Abraham Ashton & Sons, Sheffield. I didn't know much about the company, but it looked like a good candidate for a rehab. Here's some info on the sawmaker.
> 
> ...


Nice work. Now just need to sharpen?


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## CL810 (Mar 21, 2010)

BrandonW said:


> *Tenon Saw Rehab*
> 
> Here's an old tenon saw that I purchased from Ebay some time ago. I hadn't done anything with it for awhile so I decided it was time to stop ignoring it. The maker according to stamp on the spine is Abraham Ashton & Sons, Sheffield. I didn't know much about the company, but it looked like a good candidate for a rehab. Here's some info on the sawmaker.
> 
> ...


Saw looks great Brandon. Great improvement to the handle. I also like your choice of finish for the handle. Lacquer really makes it pop.


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

BrandonW said:


> *Tenon Saw Rehab*
> 
> Here's an old tenon saw that I purchased from Ebay some time ago. I hadn't done anything with it for awhile so I decided it was time to stop ignoring it. The maker according to stamp on the spine is Abraham Ashton & Sons, Sheffield. I didn't know much about the company, but it looked like a good candidate for a rehab. Here's some info on the sawmaker.
> 
> ...


Thanks CL810 and OJM. I think it will be an excellent user.


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## mochoa (Oct 9, 2009)

BrandonW said:


> *Tenon Saw Rehab*
> 
> Here's an old tenon saw that I purchased from Ebay some time ago. I hadn't done anything with it for awhile so I decided it was time to stop ignoring it. The maker according to stamp on the spine is Abraham Ashton & Sons, Sheffield. I didn't know much about the company, but it looked like a good candidate for a rehab. Here's some info on the sawmaker.
> 
> ...


Did you get that from Ebay UK? Because brass backed saws in the states are usually around LN prices.

Also, I need to get me some spray can lacquer, that stuff really looks nice. Nice reshaping of the handle also. The saw looks amazing! I want one.

Does Crown make a cheap version of this saw I can trick out with a new handle?


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

BrandonW said:


> *Tenon Saw Rehab*
> 
> Here's an old tenon saw that I purchased from Ebay some time ago. I hadn't done anything with it for awhile so I decided it was time to stop ignoring it. The maker according to stamp on the spine is Abraham Ashton & Sons, Sheffield. I didn't know much about the company, but it looked like a good candidate for a rehab. Here's some info on the sawmaker.
> 
> ...


Clean work Brandon, congrats on a great rehab!


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## lysdexic (Mar 21, 2011)

BrandonW said:


> *Tenon Saw Rehab*
> 
> Here's an old tenon saw that I purchased from Ebay some time ago. I hadn't done anything with it for awhile so I decided it was time to stop ignoring it. The maker according to stamp on the spine is Abraham Ashton & Sons, Sheffield. I didn't know much about the company, but it looked like a good candidate for a rehab. Here's some info on the sawmaker.
> 
> ...


I also like the handle mod. Much better.

How did you refinish the handle? Did you clean it, sand it or both?


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

BrandonW said:


> *Tenon Saw Rehab*
> 
> Here's an old tenon saw that I purchased from Ebay some time ago. I hadn't done anything with it for awhile so I decided it was time to stop ignoring it. The maker according to stamp on the spine is Abraham Ashton & Sons, Sheffield. I didn't know much about the company, but it looked like a good candidate for a rehab. Here's some info on the sawmaker.
> 
> ...


Mauricio, I honestly don't remember if it was a US or UK seller-- it's probably been over a year since I've had it and haven't done anything with it. One thing is for sure, I'm a cheapskate and wouldn't have paid more than $30 for it. As you can see in the photos, it had some issues and it wasn't a popular sawmaker, so that probably kept the price down.

Scott, I completely sanded the handle down to bear wood-- I didn't apply any bleach or cleaners to it, though. Then I coated it with BLO and wax, but that was a little too dull, so I sanded a lot of that off and refinished it with that spray lacquer and wax.


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

BrandonW said:


> *Tenon Saw Rehab*
> 
> Here's an old tenon saw that I purchased from Ebay some time ago. I hadn't done anything with it for awhile so I decided it was time to stop ignoring it. The maker according to stamp on the spine is Abraham Ashton & Sons, Sheffield. I didn't know much about the company, but it looked like a good candidate for a rehab. Here's some info on the sawmaker.
> 
> ...


Brandon - Nice job on that rehab. You've done it proud. I have an Ashton & Sons 5 PPI rip saw that is waiting to be restored. I have to get some replacement split nuts though because I broke three of them trying to get them off. Funny, but the three that broke were not original to the saw anyway and were smaller than the holes. They didn't budge at all, almost like someone had glued the nut on the thread. By the way, handles with the flat bottoms are referred to as London Pattern handles. They are quite sought after by some people, but personally I don't like them either.

Enjoy that saw!!!


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

BrandonW said:


> *Tenon Saw Rehab*
> 
> Here's an old tenon saw that I purchased from Ebay some time ago. I hadn't done anything with it for awhile so I decided it was time to stop ignoring it. The maker according to stamp on the spine is Abraham Ashton & Sons, Sheffield. I didn't know much about the company, but it looked like a good candidate for a rehab. Here's some info on the sawmaker.
> 
> ...


Thanks Andy! I know I've seen that handle design before, but didn't know what it was called.


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## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

BrandonW said:


> *Tenon Saw Rehab*
> 
> Here's an old tenon saw that I purchased from Ebay some time ago. I hadn't done anything with it for awhile so I decided it was time to stop ignoring it. The maker according to stamp on the spine is Abraham Ashton & Sons, Sheffield. I didn't know much about the company, but it looked like a good candidate for a rehab. Here's some info on the sawmaker.
> 
> ...


Very nice job Brandon.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

BrandonW said:


> *Tenon Saw Rehab*
> 
> Here's an old tenon saw that I purchased from Ebay some time ago. I hadn't done anything with it for awhile so I decided it was time to stop ignoring it. The maker according to stamp on the spine is Abraham Ashton & Sons, Sheffield. I didn't know much about the company, but it looked like a good candidate for a rehab. Here's some info on the sawmaker.
> 
> ...


Great job on that saw.


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

BrandonW said:


> *Tenon Saw Rehab*
> 
> Here's an old tenon saw that I purchased from Ebay some time ago. I hadn't done anything with it for awhile so I decided it was time to stop ignoring it. The maker according to stamp on the spine is Abraham Ashton & Sons, Sheffield. I didn't know much about the company, but it looked like a good candidate for a rehab. Here's some info on the sawmaker.
> 
> ...


Amazing restoration, Brandon! Nice job on that tote.

And thanks for the links to better split nuts, too! What a sweet spanner.


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