# Wards Master #5 Hand Plane



## KevinH (Dec 23, 2007)

On a recent trip, I found this 14" hand plane at an antique mall. It was quite rusty, but seemed to have all the parts so I brought it home. I'm not a collector, at least not yet. I hoped that rehabbing it would make an interesting project and might result in a functional plane.

After taking it apart, I soaked the rusty parts in Evaporust. The body was pretty rusty, so it got a lot of extra soaking. The bottom is badly pitted, so it's not going to be a museum piece.

I'm new to hand planes, so I have a lot to learn. Several features caught my eye. The body looks like riveted stamped steel rather than cast iron. I didn't even see the rivets until I started cleaning it up.

The cap is labeled "Wards Master" and the underside of the cap is marked with "7". I understand that Stanley and other manufacturers made tools sold with Wards' name attached.

The side-to-side adjustment lever says"Stanley". So does the blade, but the blade could be a replacement.

The top of the toe is stamped with characters, some of which I can't make out, but they clearly include "S5" as can be seen in one of the photos.

The knob and tote appear to be rosewood. The tote has a couple of missing chips, but the edges are worn pretty smooth, so it appears this plane was used a good bit.

Does anyone have any insight about this plane? Does it depart much from other Wards planes? Age?

Also, the black paint that protects the top side of the body and the frog is nearly gone. I've applied a light coating of 3-in-1 oil to prevent rust temporarily What paint is appropriate for this?

Thanks


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

Looks like someone maybe just replaced the lever cap on a stanley s5. They made stamped steel versions to survive drops onto concrete shop floors. You can reAd about them here, just scroll down to s5 or s4.
http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan1.htm

For the Black paint, i like Duplicolor Ford Engine paint. You can go with semigloss or gloss depending how shiny you want it. Like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Dupli-Color-DE1635-Ceramic-Semi-Gloss-Engine/dp/B000GKEXVQ


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## drsurfrat (Aug 17, 2020)

+1 SMP You may want to sell it on eBay and get a regular jack plane. They seem to be going for $50-100. They aren't all that common (and not really that nice to use). Oh, The lever cap is not like other No5's according to Leach, it is malleable iron.
So,
Buy another No.5 for the lever cap and clean it up
Then buy another to use the parts left over
Then buy another cause it's just a little bit different and interesting 
Then buy another
And another

Then you can delete "I'm not a collector, at least not yet."


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

I've never seen a riveted sole before, except for a Stanley Liberty Bell #104 or #105 plane. Real oddballs. Did the 'Gage' planes have a riveted sole too? Never seen one up close.


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## Johnny7 (Jun 1, 2015)

PK - no rivets on the cast iron gage planes


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

> PK - no rivets on the cast iron gage planes
> 
> - Johnny7


Thanks, Johnny7! The Gage planes are rare as hen's teeth around here. Something else puts me off about KevinH's plane. Though the riveted uppers really resemble the Liberty Bell planes, the soles on them had a very blunt leading and trailing edge. Not rounded at all. If not for that, I would say with confidence that KevinH's plane is definitely a Liberty Bell. Still, it looks likely to me that the plane is a mish-mosh of parts, IMO.


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

Detail of my Liberty metallic planes, showing rivets:




































I'd find a #104 or #105 lever cap, and make that #105 plane right again. Also looks like someone substituted a frog with a retaining screw for the lever cap, the Libertys used a cross bar as a fulcrum.


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## KevinH (Dec 23, 2007)

This is all very interesting, indeed. SMP, the description in the link you gave seem to describe my plane to a "T", but then PK, your comment about Liberty Bell planed also gave me pause.

Drsurfrat, it sounds like I've stumbled across a gateway drug to hand plane addiction.

Here are a few more photos.


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## KevinH (Dec 23, 2007)

One more


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

Looks like somebody went to a lot of trouble to grind off the leading and trailing ends to make the plane resemble the arc of the more conventional Stanleys. And then create the dips in the cheeks like the S-5's. And then put in a conventional Stanley frog.
My opinion centers around the riveted inner shoe, which, to my knowledge, does not exist anywhere else on any plane but for the Libbies. Somebody is bound to come by with better info, that answers all the OP's questions.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

> Looks like somebody went to a lot of trouble to grind off the leading and trailing ends to make the plane resemble the arc of the more conventional Stanleys. And then create the dips in the cheeks like the S-5 s. And then put in a conventional Stanley frog.
> My opinion centers around the riveted inner shoe, which, to my knowledge, does not exist anywhere else on any plane but for the Libbies. Somebody is bound to come by with better info, that answers all the OP s questions.
> 
> - poopiekat


Just looks like a normal s5 SW, pre 1930s, to me, same as this:
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-stanley-s5-steel-plane-sweet-heart


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

Oookay… I was influenced by Johnny7's statement, that there are no rivets on Gage planes.
SMP, you're undoubtedly right. I should get a couple of those S-5s. Uncle!



> *PK - no rivets on the cast iron gage planes
> 
> - Johnny7*


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