W.S. 5 1/2 Restoration

[Scouse]

I picked this WS 5 1/2 up on ebay a couple of months ago. I'd been looking for a 5 1/2 for a while, but they seemed to have become trendy and the prices put me off, so grabbing this one cheap was a bonus. It was in a sorry state, not quite a basket case, but very rusty...

First, getting it into bits

Just loads of dirt and rust, so into an electric bath she goes. I know there are as many rust removal techniques as there are ways to sharpen a blade, but electrolysis works best for me, a small initial outlay and near zero running costs. It is a bit of a faff to set up though, so not worth it unless you have a few bits to do.

Anyway, the body, blade and cap iron where electrolysised (???) and the lever cap liberally beaten with a Brasso soaked rag and this emerged from the gloom...

The lever cap went from this

To this

and the plane to this

It is a sympathetic restoration, no need to strip and repaint or mess with the wood, but it feels good to put it back to work.

A V&B 4 1/2 and a narrow Stanley 5 1/2 are undergoing the same treatment, I'll post the results later this week, but I think the V&B will need paint of some description.

El.

 

[jimi43]

Hey Scouse...now there's a beauty indeed! =D>

Well worth restoring these old WS planes...and I simply love the solid brass lever caps...they set them above the rest...a kind of hark back to the days of infills.

Personally...I think you should try a T10 QS iron if you don't have an aversion to all things oriental. Yes of course the Clifton would be lovely but I am absolutely made up with my little infill now it has the QS iron....a kind of "old meets new" melody.

You may very well have to open the mouth a bit...maybe not...depends on the existing WS mouth versus a Record or Stanley. I know on my Bailey types that this would be necessary but only by a fraction.

Give it a go...it's only a score after all and if you don't like it...I'll take it off your hands! :mrgreen:

Excellent sympathetic restoration...you should be proud mate.

Jim

 

[bugbear]

Did you remove the paint from the frog mount points?

BugBear

 

[jimi43]

Did you remove the paint from the frog mount points?

BugBear

AH! Yes...good point BB....using the old valve lapping paste technique...

I think we should be told Scouse my friend! :mrgreen:

Jim

 

[Scouse]

Thanks chaps.

Did you remove the paint from the frog mount points?

BugBear

I think we should be told Scouse my friend! :mrgreen:

Jim

It's like having two dads checking I've done my homework!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Jim, I confess I haven't lapped the frog in though, what's the technique; just slide it back and forth on the mounts? It looks like it polishes up very well.

El.

 

[jimi43]

Yes...exactly.

Start with coarse valve lapping paste or carbide in oil will do...move on to the fine and then the rouge if you want to go that far.

You got A+ by the way! :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Jim

 

[bugbear]

Yes...exactly.

Start with coarse valve lapping paste or carbide in oil will do...move on to the fine and then the rouge if you want to go that far.

You got A+ by the way! :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Jim

I'm (pleasantly) surprised that works, given the very small amount of movement that is possible. I wouldn't fancy lapping/grinding out any significant issues that way - find a friend with a spot miller, and give him beer!

BugBear

 

[Vann]

Sadly the iron is badly pitted, I'll keep it for originality, but I'll have to source a replacement, probably from Clifton with a cap iron.

I've got two WS planes and both have quite large mouths. I doubt you'll need to file yours if it's similar.

Can I suggest that once you've fitted a thick Clifton iron you probably won't need a thick cap-iron - just stick with the original.

And stick with a Cliffie iron, not that Quasy stuff (hammer)

Cheers, Vann.

Oh, and nice looking job BTW..

 

[Racers]

Hi, BB

There is enough back to back and side to side to lap the faces, I tend to file the frog first and scrape the high spots on the plane with the end of a file, a quick rub with the filed frog will show where to scrape.

Pete

 

[David C]

Scraping the worst errors before resorting to grit, is the way I like to do it too.

Sometimes the initial errors are huge. (well at least 0.2 mm).

I always wonder how it was possible for the manufacturers to do this simple piece of machining so badly ?
best wishes,
David

 

[Racers]

I suppose in the 70's you could only get half a plane done between power cuts and strikes :shock:


The good old days :wink:

Pete

 

[David C]

I suppose in the 70's you could only get half a plane done between power cuts and strikes :shock:


The good old days :wink:

Pete

Excellent !

To be fair there was virtually no market for cabinetmaking tools, so they responded with the price control strategy which had a disastrous effect on quality.

We really do live in a golden age of tool making which I suspect is maintained by relatively wealthy amateurs?

David

 

[dh7892]

At the risk of trivialising an interesting thread, can I please just draw everyone's attention to the phrase "lapping the frog" which I think needs some more column inches!

Dave

 

[jimi43]

At the risk of trivialising an interesting thread, can I please just draw everyone's attention to the phrase "lapping the frog" which I think needs some more column inches!

Dave

I think life is all too serious Dave so don't apologise! Good one!

Agree on the hot spots and file first...also the Records tend to have better milled interfaces I find...maybe it's just the ones I chose as candidates...being the older ones.

The key to easy lapping of the frog 8) is to use the very coarse grit first and when you feel the grit becoming ineffective...put some more on. The idea is not to make both surfaces flat....rather to make them both mirror images of each other so that the contact is maximised...as with valves and seats in an engine. A simple to and fro movement is all that is required, with the sole clamped firmly down:

I only moved on to rouge for a laugh really...to make the photos look good! I guess you could also get all hi tech and use various grades of diamond paste...but I got the pot of valve lap for a few pennies at a bootfair...I loved the funky retro two-ended tin....and as it was to hand...it worked!

All these tuning elements add tiny benefits to the performance of the tool but added together they all result in a distinct improvement that can actually be felt in the action and the results produced on the wood.

Cheers

Jimi

 

[Vann]

There's a chappie in Canada has had a batch of WS waterslide transfers made (made in the UK apparently), and is selling surplus transfers to try to recoup some of his initial outlay.

Mine arrived last Thursday.

At $1.50 CAN each (minimum 5 transfers) i thought they're good value.

http://www.handplaneforums.com/viewtopi ... &start=120

I hope this helps someone complete their restoration.

Cheers, Vann.

 

[Scouse]

Hi Vann,

Thanks for the heads up on the transfers, I will put an order in for a set of those I think.

I have spoken to Roger (who I think is selling the transfers) before, a good while back; I seem to remember he asked for some pictures and info of the 5 1/2 and a couple of other WS planes I had for his new website.

A nice interesting bloke, he has produced an initial type study and history of WS planes (no easy task given the complete and almost overnight disappearance of the company) to compliment his Woden plane study, both worth a visit over a cup of tea.

http://www.wstoolsbirmingham.com/

http://wodentools.com/

 

[Scouse]

It does this now (edge jointing black walnut)...



I confess it's not a Clifton blade, I grabbed a QS from Matthew just to see how it worked. I might get a Clifton for it; it's my main jack plane now and the QS isn't a perfect fit.

 

[Vann]

I confess it's not a Clifton blade...

We can't all be perfect :wink:

Nice job you made of that. I must confess I've done nothing with mine, except acquire two more WS No.4 planes (one for parts).

Cheers, Vann.

 

[bugbear]

It does this now (edge jointing black walnut)...



I confess it's not a Clifton blade, I grabbed a QS from Matthew just to see how it worked. I might get a Clifton for it; it's my main jack plane now and the QS isn't a perfect fit.

Looks to be working well - nice one!

BugBear

 

[Scouse]

Looks to be working well - nice one!

BugBear

Ta. Needs a bit of a dusting...

El.