# Rebuilding a Stanley #135 Liberty...so Far, So Good...98% done!!



## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

I bought another Stanley Liberty Bell plane, I dunno, I just like 'em, and in a way they are a step up from mere transitionals. This one, upon closer inspection, was in pretty tough shape, bodywise. All the metal hardware was good, however, so here goes:










As you can see, somebody already tried to re-animate it with a hacked-out hunk of white oak.










Here's my walnut blank, about to be re-purposed from a shipping crate!




























Best way to create a new transitional body is to cut a new nose and tail, and join them together after making the precise cavity cuts for the cutter and hardware. LOTS easier than chopping it out with chisels!










With spacers to maintain the right gullet gap, clamp the sides together with the front and rear centers sandwiched in the middle.










I roughed out a new tote in hard maple. Jeez, that's tough work!! Heh!



















Shaped out a beaver tail, and adopted an overall look of an Aegis-class Navy destroyer, an homage to my father who was a Navy man during WWII.










Here it is, so far, as of today I only need to refinish the front original knob, color the iron hardware, put an edge on the cutter, and off she goes. Stay tuned… I hope you like this!


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## JustJoe (Oct 26, 2012)

And it's one more wooden plane saved from the fireplace. I'm not a big fan of transitionals but I like the liberty bells with the little finger adjustment lever there on the side.


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

*JustJoe: * Well… not exactly…Unlike the carnage shown in the Leach website, I save ALL iron hardware! Old, cracked, worn out bodies of restored transitionals I have re-done are patiently waiting their turn at the campsite firepit, I've got 5 of them now, waiting to be put on the pyre, respectfully, as I say a prayer for their 'soles' Hee hee… *NOT!*


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

excellent save


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

Thanks, Don!
I figured this had to be an early one, judging by the fact that one of its early owners really whaled on the top of the cutter, to the point that it's all swaged over. I'll make it flat again, but I guess the adjustment mechanism on these is pretty fussy, and too complicated for the average worker to mess with. At least it was intact!


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

Gotta say, that beaver-tail provides a great place to rest the side of your fist on, and it looks like it will be possible to press down on the plane with your body weight for terrific pressure against the lumber. Anxious now to fire it up and make shavings!

*What color should I paint the hardware?*


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

As Mick Jagger would say…."Paint it Black…"

What is going on the walnut as a finish? Going for a dark side of the FOREce??


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

I've always wanted to find a special color for some plane rehabs, but I always wind up painting them black.

I once seen a Marcou rehab that he painted green. It just didn't do it for me.

I really like the walnut/maple mix. That's going to be a sharp looker. Leave the metal black as to not distract from the wood.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

There is always RED









But then one would have to use WHITE oak, and BLUEd steel bolts…..


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

Today I'm off to the only remaining old-timey hardware store in town, in search of brass fasteners. I've got the original brass barrel-nut for the tote, and found a right sized brass screw for the forward tote fastener. I'm dreaming of genuine 'oval head' brass screws for the front knob (I'm going to turn one so it matches the new tote) and the three screws that hold down the mousetrap. Wish me luck on that!
*Bandit:* Red is cool, but that 'Titian Red' really knocks me out! Hmmm. a future iron plane project color….
Thanks to all for the great responses!


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Progress report??

Careful with the BLO, it tends to go dark on some woods…...


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

Thanks for thinking of me and the #135 project, Bandit!
I've decided to turn a new maple front knob to replace the original, based on what Don said. There's plenty of maple scraps left to test on. I've got Behlen's tung oil mixture, but indeed I intend to keep the maple light and darken the walnut.
Probably I'd consider clear shellac, these days all I have is amber on hand. Maybe a mineral oil wipe, too. I'm just not sure, but when the time comes to finish, I'll pull out some rippins saved from the build and see what happens.
Oh, and I did find brass screws, but they are flat-head instead of 'oval-head'. Worse yet, they are square drive, not slotted. They can always be changed later!
I'll get the lathe going.. probably tonite!


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## mochoa (Oct 9, 2009)

Looking sweet!


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

Thanks, Mauricio!
Progress will be slow for a while, but a bit here, a bit there, and she'll be good to go.


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

Latest pics:




































Ooops no pics of the front knob under construction, but I laminated a bit of walnut under the maple blank to create a bit of pedestal. The cutter is in tough shape, but some more grinding and honing will eventually get to the money shot. That's just one coat of Behlen's tung oil mix, by the way. *Thanks for all the kind comments, and for following along*!!


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

I think I had a longer version last year, until it went to Hawaii.









A Stanley #33, after a refurb. Bought it at a yard sale for a $1.









Added some new handles…


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

Fantastic, Bandit!! I did a re-store on one of those recently, and bumped the length to 34 1/2 inches… just becuz..
They're great planes, and I think the Transitionals in general are going to come into their own sooner or later.


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

Man that #135 looks Sweet!!


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