# Sargent #415C Refurb -- WAS:eBay Can Still Have Bargain Handplanes



## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

I stumbled across this Sargent #415C this past week and was able to pick it up for $20. The seller labeled this only as a "10in Wood Plane".

I got lucky and was the only one to notice and bid. Heckel's Value Guide puts it at $75-$150, and this thing is complete! Even the blade has NOT been beat on and clearly labeled #415, as is the cap and sole! Tote and knob are above average and sound.

*Anyone else found an eBay bargain lately?*




























COMPLETED CLEANUP AT OR NEAR BOTTOM POST


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## Handtooler (Jul 24, 2012)

*You've earned braging rights for the day!* Guess you search the right way and time? I'll await your cleaned shots to follow, as doesn't look as though you'll be doing much restoration. Is that a mirror showing the corragations? They appear flat.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Thanks! I have been spending the past hour with 70% Isopropyl alcohol, Q-tips and paper towels trying to get this thing clean. Looks like the japanning is going to be 98-99% complete. I am going to have to agree with you Russell, I won't be doing the traditional strip and re-japan restoration, though I will probably run the blade, chipper and cap through the electrolysis bath. In a way the non-restoration cleanup is more work, but worth it in the long run. BTW, the corrugations really are not too bad at all. The only thing that seems to be a bit buggered up are the two frog screws heads. I've got some better ones to swap out to.

I am thinking of using my "RustFree" on the plane base to help me get a head start on the clean, but want to protect the japanning. Then probably just wire wheel it.


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## palaswood (Aug 9, 2013)

I'm so jelly


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

Mike, any of the Sargent bench plane sizes you don't have yet? you must be getting close by now.

I agree, the deals are still there.


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## JayT (May 6, 2012)

In a way the non-restoration cleanup is more work, but worth it in the long run

+1. I love keeping the character and history, if possible. Unfortunately, I also seem to pick up a lot of basket cases where that isn't in the cards.


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## Tugboater78 (May 26, 2012)

Well my purchase history in eBay has disappeared but earlier this year I bought a2 plane lot, a 5.5 and a 5 Stanley. The 5.5 ended up being a t11 and the 5 is a type 17? I think, got.em shipped to me for $25 total. Thought that was a great deal myself. And my recent 203 bench bracket for 31 shipped seemed to be another.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

*"...Well my purchase history in eBay has disappeared but earlier this year…"*

Justin,
Yeah same thing here… *}:-\* Well the technical stuff is still there, but no images so I can't double check what I picked up for how much…

Yeah Don,
I still want a decent 410 and 411, smooth or corrugated. Then I would have all the #400s sizes, though not all of the corrugated varieties. Trying to collect the Type2s (have 5409c, 414, 418, 422, and 424 type2s currently). FWIW, I do NOT see a #407 or #407C Type2 coming my way unless I hit the lotto.. *;-)*


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## Stephenw (Nov 14, 2011)

I've purchased two Stanley #7 planes on eBay and none have arrived in one piece. The sellers packaged them poorly and they broke in shipping.

I finally got a Sargent plane to arrive in one piece, but I don't know if I got a deal or was burned.

It is a 22 inch long plane. It says "Made in USA" on the sole. The lever cap says "418" on the underside and "Sargent" on top. I do not see any other markings. The iron is a Stanley.




























I paid $43.


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## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

Congrats on the buy Mike. You have me paying more attiontion to Sargent planes. I've mainly been focused on Stanley bench planes.

Stephen, looks like a good deal for $43.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Stephen,
What you have is a Hercules model of Sargent handplanes, this basically runs post-war to/through their eventual closing in approximately 1964. I focus my Sargent planes collecting to pre-WWII so I am afraid I cannot help you on specific value though I do know there is a market for them.

FWIW, it is easy to get carried away with collecting any of these planes. Early this year I got a complete and total awakening to "collecting" in general and to handplanes collecting specifically. I met a local (now friend) that has/had over 2,000 hand planes in his collection, yes over 2,000 hand planes. For example, he has/had the ENTIRE Ohio Plane Company collection. ALL OF THEM! And that was just one part of his collection. As I recall he has roughly 115 #1 hand planes and something like >160 #2 hand planes, and it goes on and on. I was dumbfounded, and really still am. This guy is near 80 and has been collecting for nearly 50yr, and has traveled the World doing so.

All that being said, I set my limits EARLY and want to stay with just the #400s series Sargents and nothing more. Pick your poison, I can only afford a very SMALL slice of the pie. Enjoy…
Michael


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## Stephenw (Nov 14, 2011)

Thanks for the info Mike.

I purchased the plane to use. I will be cleaning it up and repainting it.


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## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

*Mike,* "I set my limits EARLY and want to stay with just ….." Really? From my observations such drivel will get you burned at the altar of the obsessed collector. I mean what would DonW say? I think you should write 1,000 times I will collect EVERYTHING. Jus' sayin'
Actually your advice is sound, holding myself in check is shear hell. Thank god for budgets and the spouses that watch them!


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

OK, 24hr later and I have completed an alcohol cleaning of the #415C base and buffed out the frog, cap, chipper and blade. However, the corrugation is original condition (pretty clean for +80years). The base, while ~99% original japanning, has lots of very small chips and paint spots. I will refinish the tote and knob and maybe take a wire brush to the corrugation and sides (maybe). I am very pleased with how this thing looks already.


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## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

It came out very nice Mike. I prefer them in original condition.


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

I love a plane when the japanning isn't perfect, but close, some patina on the metal and the wood is made perfect. It looks great so far Mike. Probably all I would do is make the knob and tote real pretty.


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## racerglen (Oct 15, 2010)

Might I suggest..H. Mike should be "Sargent" Mike ? ;-)
That's a real beauty Mike !


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Made more progress on the knob and tote. Actually sprayed the knob with some Deft Clear AFTER taking the bottom image. Now has a better shine than the image alludes to. Next up I'll be working on the sides and corrugation rust while preserving the japanning. Slow but Shirley, er uh "surely"... *;-)*


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

perfect Mike!!


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

I finished my cleanup of this #415C and feel so lucky that I found a piece of gold on the cheap. Used Boeshield RUSTFREE and steel wool to clean up the sides and bottom of this plane. Worked very well, and yep I wore gloves. It did NOT seem to affect the asphaltum japanning at all (something to remember for future restorations).

FWIW, I still can't get over just how near perfect the front and rear of the japanning is… OK, yeah I'm gloating a bit here… **









Spider cracks in the knob appear to be tight for now. Knob looked so good even with the cracks, so I left them. Now that I have a razzle dazzle lathe I can always re-do them if needed… *;-)* I guess that is the real fun is collecting these old planes, you can always breathe new life into them.


















Below… Since I used Boeshield RustFree to clean this handplane, it creates a stable iron phosphate coating, a chemically changed surface that is rust resistant because the iron is chemically bound to the phosphate and NOT readily available to bind with Oxygen and begin rusting. I suspect that this is actually better than doing a complete strip and re-japanning as I have done in the past. BTW< I JPW'd it anyway… *;-)*


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Oh crap, forgot the obligatory 'here are the shavings' crap, so here you go…


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

Once again, well done Mike.


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## Randy_ATX (Sep 18, 2011)

That is a piece of art! I would probably keep it on my nightstand until the little lady gave me the look.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

You know the best part of this is that I used my dirt cheap HF belt sander/sharpener to sharpen the HP blade and did it in less than 5min, including using the buffing wheel. Geez, in the old days it took me an hour or more using the sandpaper scary sharp method. I even got a bit of radius on the blade this time, but need to fine tune a base for doing HP blades to make it more consistent. This was a freehand sharpening. I think I am getting spoiled!... Thanks Cap'n Eddie!


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## kdc68 (Mar 2, 2012)

*HMike*....you did a hell of a job refurbishing your plane…


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

Other than the 407, which I'm trying to hold out for a type 2 or older, I believe the 418 was the last size to have a set, but I'll need to do an inventory. I typically look for type 3 or older, but this one spoke to me, and I figured a type 5 would look good. For $22 and $12 shipping, its on its way.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Yeah, my two #407s are a VMB Type 3, and a pre-war Type4 according to the lever caps. Not sure I'll ever end up with a Type 2 in this $ize… 8^(

I am still looking for a decent #410 and #411 to complete a set of #400s. Other than that I think I have at least two of each size.


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

I missed it by 6 minute!!!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-STANLEY-7-IN-WOOD-PLANE-/301078227620?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4619a92aa4&nma=true&si=%252BVW4TGAnEoGWAJH3YYf7HXl27%252Bw%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

OUCH! Now THAT would be a bad day… :-(


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## lateralus819 (Mar 24, 2013)

I feel bad for the guy who sold it. I don't know if i could take it for that price knowing what it's worth.


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## UpstateNYdude (Dec 20, 2012)

Is that a no. 3 type 8?


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

It was a #2.


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## UpstateNYdude (Dec 20, 2012)

Damn, I'm sorry you missed that, I missed out on a type 3 no. 7 at auction the other day no crack on the vertical rib either, I was sad and pissed that I didn't bid higher, but it was lumped in with a bunch of machinist tools that I had no use for and apparently this guy wanted. I tried to talk with him after but he said and I quote "I like hand chisels they're good for scraping down painted wood" and I wanted to smack him.


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## lateralus819 (Mar 24, 2013)

Lol "hand chisels"


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## Vincent (Mar 10, 2009)

Very good restoration. I purchased a Sargent #42 VBM Scraper Plane and it arrived yesterday. She is a beauty. Have a #198 Rabbet plane inbound and it should be here this week. Found a good website for Sargent Planes http://www.sargent-planes.com/ . If anyone knows other websites, I would love to hear about them.


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## alohafromberkeley (Oct 26, 2011)

Vincent, try Horizontal Mike's site(Horizontal Heavens.com/woodworking tools) Also Don W's blog and website (TimeTestedTools)-lots of pics and updated regularly . Both are quite knowledgeable on early Sargents Planes.I really wish there were sites as comprehensive as Leaches' Blood and Gore is for Stanleys. There's a huge info lack about Sargent, Millers Falls, Union, Keen Kutter & Record planes…..Wes


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

alohafromberkeley,
Dag nam'it! You're goin' ta make fill in all the stuff I'm been lazy about!

OK… Got it. Need to update my website RE woodworking… ;-)


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## alohafromberkeley (Oct 26, 2011)

Mike, I'm fascinated by your stellar pics. I have taken quite a bit of time admiring your star gazing photos….I don't think you're lazy…just preoccupied! Probably makes you a renaissance man- The stars, the shop and the Harley. LOL. Thanks for all your info…..Wes


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