# I BOUGHT the Primus for $22.50.... Update with PICS



## Charlie5791 (Feb 21, 2012)

Local consignment shop. I knew as soon as I saw it what it was. Flipped the tag and it said $25. I almost pooped my pants. Picked it up and started looking at it and….. it was missing the whole mechanism that slides in from the end for adjusting the iron. The top adjuster was there, but not the other one. I looked through all of the pieces and parts and assorted junk in the guys booth, thinking maybe it just came apart and he didn't know where the parts belonged.

Nope…. nothin'.... so I passed on it. If I can find parts and they're not outrageous I can go back, but…. I was disappointed.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

E. C. Emmerich - USA
http://www.ecemmerich.com/

7317 Chesterfield Road
Crystal Lake, Illinois 60012
Phone: 1-800-724-7758
Fax: (815) 459-6258

e-mail: [email protected]

HTH

http://www.ecemmerich.com/images/ece_complete_book_of_woodworking_tools.pdf


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## Miataguy (Nov 28, 2014)

I have one of those I bought new and it is a fantastic smooth plane.


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## Charlie5791 (Feb 21, 2012)

I fired off an email asking about parts and cost. If the parts are going to cost more than 100-125 (ish) then it's probably not worth it as I've seen brand new ones at around $200 (189 to 215-ish)

The one I "found" would need the entire internal mechanism that goes in through the heel, and it *MIGHT* need iron, cap. lateral adjuster. Those are there and I've cleaned up much worse ones, but…. might have to keep that in mind.

So… we'll see.


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## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

I bet the parts you did find are worth more than $25. Though maybe not if in bad shape.


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## Charlie5791 (Feb 21, 2012)

Got a reply from ECE in Chicago. The parts are in stock to replace that entire internal mechanism. $47 including shipping.

If, for any reason, I can't get that iron, cap, and lateral adjuster cleaned up to my liking, I know that is all available as a unit as well. Heading over to that shop as soon as one of my dogs comes in from hunting whatever it is she's hunting around my wife's garden shed.


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## Charlie5791 (Feb 21, 2012)

OK… here's what I'm starting with…
I believe this is a 703P as I think the darker sole is the lignum vitae sole as opposed to the hornbeam sole. Someone correct me please if I'm wrong on that. Iron appears original and I'm not sure it's ever been sharpened. I'll know more after I clean this thing up. That's probably going to be a while as it's 19 degrees here and my shop is really cold! 

Anyways…. picked it up for $22.50. If the quote comes back from ECE (I sent them photos and measurements to confirm everything) at that same $47, then I'm into this for under $70 and a few hours cleaning, sharpening and possibly refinishing the exterior.


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## sikrap (Mar 15, 2009)

Very nice. I sold one of those a little while back for considerably more than $70. Congrats!!


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## jonymacmadcap (Dec 23, 2014)

Charlie…..nice snag…..let me be the first to say…...YOU SUCK!!!!!.....LOL…..you stole that.

You got to love it when deals like this just FALL from the sky.

i got a screaming deal on my new-to-me General contractor's saw. $125 for a 50-185m1…..basially a Powermatic ts-64. I am not at all sure the guy knew what he had. A saw like this should be listed at no less than $300-$400 bucks here in Denver. I too got a great deal.

Sweet Primus Charlie….enjoy!!!


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## lateralus819 (Mar 24, 2013)

I cant get over that ugly horn thing in the front, man…Im sure people love it though!

Good score!


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## Miataguy (Nov 28, 2014)

It does work really well. IIRC the blade is set at 50 degrees. Mine does a nice job on difficult grain….which is why it has a home in my shop.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

Yeaaaah, you certainly DO *SUCK * alright!

Congrats !


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## Charlie5791 (Feb 21, 2012)

If your blade is at 50 then you have a smoother 
Mine is at 45 and the body is 240mm (about 20mm longer than the smoother).

I have the iron, cap, and lateral adjuster soaking in evaporust right now. I'm going to order the missing parts today. I might ask about how much a new blade assembly is as that would give me all new hardware.

ok, well I just ordered the whole shootin' match. So I'll be getting a new iron, cap, and lateral adjuster (called a "regulator")

And I'll still be at less than half the cost of a new one AND I'll have a complete spare blade assembly. So I can either sharpen them both exactly the same and just use this as a jack plane or I can sharpen one like a smoother and swap them out as needed.

The guy (Dave Warren) that I spoke to in Chicago told me that once I use a wood plane I'll be hunting them down. He said the transitional plane like the Stanley 35 that I got for christmas was Stanley's idea for a way to manufacture planes faster. Later they found that crafting the wood bodies was taking up too much time so they eventually moved to all cast. So it was a manufacturing thing, not really a "what's best?" thing. He said the wood absorbs a lot of vibration so it will feel smoother in action. That's why he said I'll be hunting them down.


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## Charlie5791 (Feb 21, 2012)

Started cleaning up the body. I just used 000 steel wool and some DNA to scrub off the dirt and old finish. I'm not done, but I'm also not looking for pristine. This will, after all, be a tool. A "user" not a "poser". But because I used DNA in the scrub, I lightly oiled it with linseed oil so it wouldn't dry out. I'll let it sit a bit before deciding if I'm going to do any more cleaning. If I decide the cleaning is done, I'll do a couple applications of oil/turp. When that's dried I'll give it some dewaxed clear shellac and maybe follow that up later with some paste wax.

That oughta do it, I think. That finishing "schedule" was what was suggested by ECE for restoration and judging by the way it cleaned up, it looks like they use shellac at the factory. And man…. that lignum vitae sole is some HARD wood!


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## ColonelTravis (Mar 19, 2013)

I've never seen one of these in person - in the third photo is that a hole on the end?


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## Charlie5791 (Feb 21, 2012)

> I ve never seen one of these in person - in the third photo is that a hole on the end?
> 
> - ColonelTravis


Yup… sure is. There is supposed to be a tensioning mechanism in there. That's the "missing parts" I keep referring to. Once this is all back together, the nice thing about the way these are set up is that the blade is always in tension. So adjustments become very accurate as there's no backlash in the tensioning/positioning system. You can extend or retract the blade just by turning that big adjusting screw sticking out the top. The parts that are missing cost me $47 shipped.


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## Charlie5791 (Feb 21, 2012)

Cleaning progress…










yes, it's being propped up by my Stanley #35 that I got for Christmas. 
Can't wait to get these 2 making shavings.


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## kaerlighedsbamsen (Sep 16, 2013)

Ouww lovely plane you got there. Great find! 
Use wooden planes all the time and find it hard to go back to metal ones. The lignum vitae sole just glides effortlessly over the boards.


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## ColonelTravis (Mar 19, 2013)

Thanks, Charlie. That will be super nice when you get it working.


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## Miataguy (Nov 28, 2014)

Love the progress so far. These planes are under rated IMHO!


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## Charlie5791 (Feb 21, 2012)

Parts arrived!
She's back together. I can't believe how excited I am over another tool. 

My shop is about 25 degrees so this will stay in the house for a while. I still have more cleaning to do on the body and then a bit of finish. And then sharpen the iron. And then ….. make shavings.

The iron is going to be sharpened for the purpose this plane was built. It'll be a cambered iron as this is a jack plane and it's going to do the work it was designed to do. Probably won't update this thread any more until the weather warms up 

So this Primus will be a jack and the Stanley 35 I got for christmas will be a smoother. I have some sharpening to do hehehheeh


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

She's a beaut Charlie, congrats!


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