Tool chest progress

[Alf]

Remember this? Occasionally a few people ask me if I'm making any progress, so I thought I'd report (okay, and gloat a bit). Well I've put the darn thing on a wheeled device now, so at least I can kick it out of the way when I bash my shins on it... :roll: I also managed to get the #5 1/2 jack cleaned up - prompted by the arrival of a new Hock blade for it. 2 1/4" wide blade you see, rather than 2 3/8 which they changed to, so a special order job via Mike Hancock at Classic Handtools.

Before:

Yuck. Rear tote busted, about 50 years worth of compacted sawdust all over it, paint splatters. You name it.

After:

It doesn't exactly fit any "type", but it must date to about 1908 or 9, making it nearly 100 years old. Gives me a nice warm glow to get it back in working order again. Bad news is I could get to like those Hock blades... :shock:

Cheers, Alf

 

[Charley]

OMG Alf - that must of taken some elbow grease. I can't believe the transformation.

It must be a great feeling using a tool thats nearly 100 years old. It's just a shame someone let it get into the state it was in.

 

[Chris Knight]

Alf,
That looks wonderful - well done indeed! I do admire your patience and I share your glow (feelings of reverence?) when it comes to using something old like that.

I wonder why it's not easy to type? Says "Bailey", dunnit? Low front knob etc.
What am I missing?

 

[Alf]

I wonder why it's not easy to type? Says "Bailey", dunnit? Low front knob etc.

Well it's mainly type 9 (1902-07 - mis-remembered those dates earlier), except the lateral adjustment lever is type 8 or before, as are the cylindrical style brass nuts on the handles. I don't have an awful lot of faith in the type studies really; I think they just used whatever was in the hopper for that particular part until they ran out.

Charley, elbow grease? Erm, just a little. :roll: I reckon about 3 hours on all the metalwork, and a further hour or so on the handles, spread over many days*. On the whole I think it's understandable how it ended up like that; judging by the original blade worn down to the slot, it was used steadily for many years. Then woe betide, Stanley changed the iron size and the owner couldn't get a replacement. So into the bottom of the chest it went, and of course stuff got dropped on it, maybe it was relegated to a damp shed after a while, so it got a little rusty. I took a bit of a risk ordering the blade really, 'cos at the time I hadn't done a thing to it to see if it was still useable. :shock: I figured someone liked enough once to use that blade up, so it was probably a good'un. Luckily the hunch was right and it's a super plane to use. 8)

Thanks for the appreciation, chaps.

Cheers, Alf

* As an aside that's been on my mind recently, boiled linseed oil is often recommended as a finish for plane handles (the latest GWW article is a case in point IIRC), but if they're rosewood like these don't do it - they can sometimes go black and you'll lose the lovely colour. Fine for stained beech and all that, just not so hot for rosewood. Unless you want black of course, and then Murphy's law will make sure they won't go a shade darker... :roll:

 

[DaveL]

Alf,

Well done, that judging by the shavings is a nice user. In my book that's what its about :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

Beautiful job Alf. 100 year old plane eh? How does it cut with the Hock in? Much better than most modern ones I 'll bet . Did you find the sole flat and sides dead on 90 degrees?
I can only imagine the warm feeling from resurrecting and using such a lovely tool :wink:

 

[Bean]

Lovely Job Alf
Old hand tools have a special feeling when you use them.


Bean

 

[J.A.S]

Great job, Alf.

Tremendous feeling, isn't it? I know how satisfied I felt when, after many hours, I brought my grandfather's no.4 back to life.

Cheers,
Jeremy

 

[Alf]

Did you find the sole flat and sides dead on 90 degrees?

As I'm not having to review the blessed thing I haven't looked. :lol:

Cheers, Alf

 

[Bean]

Thats very lacking of you Alf :wink:


Bean

 

[Anonymous]

Did you find the sole flat and sides dead on 90 degrees?

As I'm not having to review the blessed thing I haven't looked. :lol:

Cheers, Alf

So they weren't then :wink: