I've really been enjoying building my collection of hand tools organically as I find them on the vintage market. I've had some scores here and there. Usually, they just require knocking the rust off, oiling, etc. This one is different.
I found this on Gumtree. It's the same story you always hear. Guy's grandfather had died in 1975 and the plane, a type 13 (or 14) No 7 from the twenties, had been sitting in the shed since. FORTY YEARS this thing had been collecting rust. I'm 29, so that is a bit hard to imagine for me I guess.
Anyway, it was in rough shape. Lots of rust, some pitting, the japanning was corroded in parts, and the handle had been replaced with some kind of plywood which had delaminated years ago following an obvious replacement of the original, rosewood handle.
Needless to say, it needed a lot of work. But it met the three critical requirements which are 1. All the metal parts were there 2. The adjustment mechanism wasn't damaged and 3. there was no damage around the mouth.
Before:
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To knock the rust off of the large surfaces I used a nylon brush bit mounted in my lathe. I was a bit skeptical about this for a few reasons, but it worked fantastically, especially on the corrugated sole. This saved a lot of time and 240-grit sandpaper.
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I then made a new tote and knob. The knob was an easy turn-job. The tote, however, was my first genuine attempt at shaping a handle by hand. My hand-stitched rasps are still a couple of purchases away, so I went against my best judgement and bought a $20 set of rasps from Mitre 10. Incredibly crap-nanimous, but they worked I guess. I got the shape right on the first try, but it actually took me four handle blanks to get it to fit right. In the end, it was my process that was flawed. Lesson learned. I used New Guinea Rosewood (Pterocarpus indicus). A good choice I think.
I also taped up the metal parts and sprayed it with some matte black automotive engine enamel. I was really happy with how it turned out.
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But does it cut wood...? I sharpened the blade, lapped it a bit, and set to work. It's great! I really dig the corrugated sole. I've read it's a gimmick but I genuinely believe that it reduces friction and makes a noticeable diffenence. Maybe it's placebo.
Anyway, the last time this plane cut shavings, John Lennon was making records, the USSR was a thing, and you could still get away with wearing plaid bell-bottoms, so we've definitely come a long way...
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More to come soon. I think my next big restoration will be a similar series of changes to my No 3.
Cheers,
Luke
