# hand plane refurb - to pitted to fix?



## smboudreaux (May 16, 2011)

I recently jumped on the hand plane wagon. I purchased a few off ebay to refurbish and bring back to life. The above are pictures of a stanley #5, after about 2 hours of work on 80 grit paper. It's still quite a ways out. Would you guys consider this one to far gone?


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## skeys (Mar 20, 2014)

It looks like you're almost there to me. I don't think you need the entire sole to be perfect. I'd like it to be a bit smoother right in front of and behind the mouth, but other than that it looks like you're good.


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## bobasaurus (Sep 6, 2009)

I agree with Scott. Get the area around the mouth a little bit smoother and it will work fine. Getting the sole perfectly unblemished is not necessary, if anything the pits will reduce friction in use.


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## JayT (May 6, 2012)

+2 on the above.

How flat and smooth also depends on how you plan to use it. If you are going to use that one as a jack plane with a cambered iron for rough work, then how smooth isn't all that critical.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

What we have here is a Poor man's "C" model plane.

Moved it across the wood, any drag to it? Does the sole rock any? No? put it back together, sharpenen the iron up, and put that jack plane back to work. Rub a Parafin candle all over the sole, to the point that the "pits" are filled up. And then put it to work.


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## smboudreaux (May 16, 2011)

It doesn't rock at all and I haven't noticed any drag across the wood. The intended use will be as a jack plane. I was lucky enough to get a #4 smoothing plane in pretty good shape as far as I can tell. Thanks for the input fellas. I'll finish her out and put her to work


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## smboudreaux (May 16, 2011)

It doesn't rock at all and I haven't noticed any drag across the wood. The intended use will be as a jack plane. I was lucky enough to get a #4 smoothing plane in pretty good shape as far as I can tell. Thanks for the input fellas. I'll finish her out and put her to work


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## sikrap (Mar 15, 2009)

If it was a smoother or even a jointer, I'd say to keep going. Since you will be using it as a jack and that usually means coarse work, I'd say to sharpen the iron and see how well it works.


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## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

For rough jack plane work it's probably good enough for the reasons Bandit said. For the record I find a large very coarse file will flatten the bottom of a hand plane much faster than 80 grit paper, but it takes a little bit of file skills to keep/get it flat.


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## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

I think it adds flavor  A nice contrast! Straight lines and dimple holes.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

For jack plane it doesn't need to be perfect, it looks like it will work fine as it is now.


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

You should a #5 that I have. Worse than that. I use it for a scrub so I haven't touched the bottom.

I'll echo what they said.


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## BurlyBob (Mar 13, 2012)

Take what Tim said to heart. Get a good file and carefully secure it in a vise so the sole is just barely above the edges of the vise and start draw filing. I spent 6-8 hours on a Stanley #4 1/2 as the edges were much higher than the sole. Draw filing - Drawing the file from one end of the sole to the other, only in one direction. Don't try to scrub the sole in both directions, you'll wear the file out and accomplish little. I found that cleaning the file with a brush was helpful. Patience and time are the key. You can't rush a good thing. A hand plane, well tune and sharp is a very good thing. It takes time and attention to detail to get there.


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