I was pleased to be given some old tools recently, including a rebate plane which was pretty badly beaten up. I thought it might be useful to show as an example of how old planes are really easy to put back in working order. I learnt this stuff mostly from this forum, so it's nothing original, but some newer members might find it useful.
I like old planes to be in usable condition. Sharp, and clean. Not covered in decades of dust from sitting in a shed.
This is the rebate plane as it came to me:
Spattered with paint, dirty and rusty.
Unlikely to cut anything:
If the wedge is seized tight, grip it in the vice and give the heel of the plane a tap with a mallet.
The technique is just to get the dirt off. I generally use turpentine for this, but this time I just used plenty of boiled linseed oil. Rub it on with a coarse rag, a bit of green kitchen scouring pad or an old toothbrush. The dirt comes loose and can be wiped off with rag or kitchen towel. The old paint softens enough to pick it off with a sharp stick or the square edge of a flat screwdriver. The oil soaks into the wood and gives it a decent colour, and a surface that feels right in the hands.
Carry on until it looks good enough!
The long thin stem of the blade is often bent - easily straightened with a hammer and block of wood. Scrape the rust off with coarse sandpaper or a wire brush. Sharpen to taste.
This was before:
The wedge was a bit the worse for wear but still functional.
And here's the result - still battered, but usable:
It's worth adding that a lot of old wooden planes are very dry and unappealing - like this other one which came my way:
but the same sort of generous application of linseed oil transforms it into this:
So I hope you will all look favourably on what many would pass up as not worth having.
I like old planes to be in usable condition. Sharp, and clean. Not covered in decades of dust from sitting in a shed.
This is the rebate plane as it came to me:
Spattered with paint, dirty and rusty.
Unlikely to cut anything:
If the wedge is seized tight, grip it in the vice and give the heel of the plane a tap with a mallet.
The technique is just to get the dirt off. I generally use turpentine for this, but this time I just used plenty of boiled linseed oil. Rub it on with a coarse rag, a bit of green kitchen scouring pad or an old toothbrush. The dirt comes loose and can be wiped off with rag or kitchen towel. The old paint softens enough to pick it off with a sharp stick or the square edge of a flat screwdriver. The oil soaks into the wood and gives it a decent colour, and a surface that feels right in the hands.
Carry on until it looks good enough!
The long thin stem of the blade is often bent - easily straightened with a hammer and block of wood. Scrape the rust off with coarse sandpaper or a wire brush. Sharpen to taste.
This was before:
The wedge was a bit the worse for wear but still functional.
And here's the result - still battered, but usable:
It's worth adding that a lot of old wooden planes are very dry and unappealing - like this other one which came my way:
but the same sort of generous application of linseed oil transforms it into this:
So I hope you will all look favourably on what many would pass up as not worth having.
