# Restoring hand planes?



## Novawood1 (Apr 5, 2012)

Hi everyone,

I'm new here and recently got some vintage Stanley bailey hand planes #3,4 and 5. They need some work. The totes are damaged, any leads on where I can get some replacements. Also any resources on how to clean these up and maybe a tutorial on how to properly sharpen blades. Any help would be great.


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## KenBry (Sep 13, 2011)

Might I suggest you try to SEARCH the information you are looking for by using the Search function on the right? Those subjects are very well covered through out the site. I would type more and provide more info but I honestly am running out the door and wanted to help you as quickly as I could.


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

Welcome to LJ's Kirk. Would love to see pics of your old planes…..both before and after.

There might be some useful info in one of these websites:
Rexmill.com
Cianperez.com


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Get to know fellow LJ Don W:

http://lumberjocks.com/donwilwol/blog/24090

His blogs are an ultimate how to and motivation!


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

Welcome to LJ's. You'll find lots of help here. It tends to turn a few restores into a lifetime additction. Smitty pointed you to my blogs, but there are a lot more.


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## Novawood1 (Apr 5, 2012)

Hey guys thanks for the help. I'll get pictures up for you later today. The restore is going well so far. Im excited to get them sharpened and to see the final working result. Thanks for the help. I also picked up a #7 and keen kutter k4 with corrugated bottom this weekend at an auction. I guess I have more work to do. I'll get pictures of those up soon too.


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

Highland Woodworking has rebuild kits for Stanleys. Check 'em out.
No connection, just a customer.
Bill


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

Great score! I love the Keen Kutter K series. I have the K5 (it belonged to my wife's grandfather). The K4 (a Bedrock plane) is a great addition. The #7 is also a great jointer. Welcome to the club!


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## Novawood1 (Apr 5, 2012)

I wouldnt consider either in poor condition, just need a little bit of work, they both have broken totes that are glued back together. Any suggestions on how to clean up the tote and knobs?


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

I haven't found a better way to clean up the totes than by hand. If its varnish, scrape it first then sand it. I start with 60 and go up to 500 grit.

The knob I chuck in the drill press.









More info on my restore blog.

Edit: and you are right, they look in pretty good shape. They should clean up great.


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

lee valley also has templates for Stanley totes on their website.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

I've used those templates for a few totes I've made









No. 4 Tote, and a Number 5 tote









A look at them installed









and finished









And the bailey #8c









Templates will tell you where to drill, and what drill size, as well as the angles to cut. Works nice on Black Walnut…...


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## Dcase (Jul 7, 2010)

A tote that has been broke in two can usually be fixed to a point where it is hardly noticeable that it was ever broken. Just takes a little time.

When I get broken totes that were poorly fixed by a previous owner I will start by breaking the tote back into two pieces. Once you have your two pieces all you need to do is sand each end flat so that you have a nice flat surface to glue. Its not really important that the whole surface be flat, just as long as its flat around the outside edges. Then all you have to do is glue them back together. I just use masking tape to clamp the two parts and have never had one re-break on me but you can also figure out a way to clamp the totes. Here are some pics of a tote I fixed…

Here was the tote before. Someone had done a poor job of trying to fix it.









Here is a look at the tote after I re-broke it. 









After I sanded both ends flat.









The tote after its been glued and sanded down. You cant even tell it was ever broken. 









One last picture after finish was applied.









Note - Depending on how much material you remove when sanding the broken ends you may end shortening the tote to a point where the bolt is now to long to hold the tote tightly. If this happens all I do is cut the bolt down a little using a hack saw. Just be careful not to ruin the threads when cutting. I have only had to do this a few times, usually you don't have to remove enough material to warrant shortening the bolt.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Dan, that's a beautiful job.

Don't you wonder about the users in the past that did such a crappy job gluing up broken totes, as in, what kind of work was acceptable with their tools they had if that's what they settled for w/ a repair job? I'm not one to talk, because my attempt at tote repair didn't end well at all (the bent tote screw had alot to do with it, as did my lack of patience letting the glue 'cure' long enough). But I also didn't stick the thing back onto the tool and call it 'done.'

Things that make you say, Hmmmm….

Of course, I've seen field-grade fixes for power tools that also wouldn't pass the sniff test. So maybe it isn't so weird after all.


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## mochoa (Oct 9, 2009)

Dan I have a tote that needs that exact same repair, I'll be trying your technique soon.


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## Novawood1 (Apr 5, 2012)

While I'm initially restoring these planes for use. At some point I will come across planes I don't need or already have. I know there is a market for planes out there. What is the difference between selling an old plane and a fully restored plane do collectors, etc desire the restored planes or does that full restoration with removing of rust, sanding and painting detract value? Any insight on this would be great.

I will have pictures of the keen kutter k4 and the Stanley # 7 and block plane up later today.


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## Novawood1 (Apr 5, 2012)

Thanks don w for the info. Dan, did you just use wood glue on that? It looks really nice. I will be tryin that when the time comes. What kind of finish are you guys using just a clear polyurethane or somethig else?


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## Dcase (Jul 7, 2010)

Kurk- To answer your first question, based on what I have seen fully restored planes do not sell for a whole lot more then planes that have not been restored. I don't believe restoring the tools hurts their value at all but in most cases it does not make them worth that much more. Most common bench planes don't really have a lot of collector value.

As for the glue I use, I just use regular wood glue. I have fixed at least a dozen totes with regular Titebond glue and I have yet to have any of them re break on me. The key is that you get both ends nice and flat so that you have a nice strong surface to glue. Its the same as gluing up two boards, if there are gaps the joint will be weaker.

I have used a number of different finishes on the totes. I cant say one is really better then the other. I like to use natural finishes rather then a polyurethane but I am sure poly would work well. The tote I posted a picture of a few post back was finished with Zinsser Bullseye Clear Shellac.


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## Dcase (Jul 7, 2010)

Smitty, I think the reason we see so many poor tote repairs is because most of these planes were owned and used by carpenters, contractors and hobby wood workers. This is the same reason you never get an old plane with a nice straight bevel on it or a flat back. Most of these guys didn't really know how to sharpen them. If a contractor was out on a site using a plane and the tote broke then he would have just slapped some glue on it and went back to work.

I once got an old plane in which the tote has broke and someone used nails to fix it. I don't even know how they did it but they somehow hammered nails in at an angle and nailed the thing back together. To make matters worse they covered the heads of the nails with some kind of wood filler. It was the worst tote repair I had ever seen. In fact I even have a picture of it. The big blackish spot you see on the back of the tote is the wood filler/putty that was used to cover the head of one of the nails.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Look at that, the tote even has some of the decal left on it! (I'd recognize those colors anywhere…)

All sounds like rational thought to me - get it back together and move on. Likely then, likely now. Thanks, Dan.


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## mochoa (Oct 9, 2009)

I'm working from home today and these pics are realy motivating me to go out into the shop and glue a tote together. Cant do it though…. got to work… its so hard….


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## Novawood1 (Apr 5, 2012)

Thanks for the info Dan. Yeah Im with you Mauricio.


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

Mauricio, I understand your dilemma. I've got it even worse, I'm working from home, in between projects, so I'm suppose to be doing training. Uggghhh.


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## sikrap (Mar 15, 2009)

Restoring a plane can ruin the resell value to a collector, but increase the value as a user. Much depends on your definition of "restoration". If all you're doing is cleaning the grime off and honing the bevel, it won't hurt much, but serious collectors tend to want planes that are "barn fresh". I've only been rehabbing/selling planes for a few years, but I've lost a lot of money because I went ahead and took the rust off, cleaned the brass, etc. One more thing, when you're ready to learn about sharpening, get ready for a very wide/diverse bunch of responses. Goof Luck!!


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