Mr. Yoder . . .

Another question for Mr. Yoder...

Martin from Granbury, TX


>First off, it was nice to meet you at 5 Barns.

I think you were gone before I got back from Mr. Phillip's. I bought an early Bedrock #6. What is your opinion on restoration? The Japanning is only 40% or less, and I need to clean to dirt off to really tell how bad it is. I was thinking about doing the same thing, stripping it to bare metal, then re-Japanning. Is this acceptable for an old tool? Or am I doing something ethically "wrong" by restoring it? The top of the tote is chipped, so I was going to either replace it, if I can find an old one in good condition, or fix it myself. I'd rather replace, as I am sure matching rosewood is hard to find. Any ideas where to find a old tote for a #6? I am not a collector, but a user, if that helps.

Thanks!

Martin Shupe

Re: Another question

Moses Yoder in White Pigeon, MI


>It is really embarassing to me to see a question on this forum addressed to me specifically. There are several people on the forum who actually are experts and know a lot about tools, unfortunately I am not one of them. There is a vast amount of general knowledge here, and it is best to entitle a question concerning the subject in question, which encourages more people to answer. Just thought I would clarfiy my opinion on the matter ;)

I do not have access to a bead blaster, so have never used one. I have stripped quite a bit of furniture, and found stripping a little plane fairly easy to do. But go ahead and try bead blasting, and then tell us how it worked; I would like to know. So far as restoring tools, I think each person has to use their own judgment. When I first got some old tools I used to think they should be made to look like new, but have since learned better. The 606 and other planes I have rejapanned had almost all the original finish gone or ruined, and I wanted the plane to look better than it did. These were planes that were pretty severely abused and looked it. On the other hand, some planes show a lot of wear but it is respectable wear from hard use but not abuse. These I try to leave alone as much as possible, simply trying to prevent them from rusting further. The 603 that I had at the picnic was a little different. It had rusted a bit more than the first look showed, and so I ended up polishing the sides and bottom until it was actually too shiny to look "right", but by now the sides have dulled down some from oxidation so it looks pretty good, but someone who knows tools can tell the lever cap was too rusty at one time and had the rust removed. A good place to get replacement totes is ebay, if you can afford it. Another good option for a user is to make their own totes and knobs, which adds to the appeal of the tool for me. I love fixing up old tools, and hope to be able to do more of it at some point in my life. Good luck with yours!

Dutchman

Bill Houghton, HOT Summer in Sebastopol, CA


>Depending on your standards of prettiness, you can plane or smooth the tote where it's chipped, glue on some appropriate other wood, then chisel/rasp/(gasp!)sand it to shape. Although everyone always says you have to pay special attention to gluing rosewood, I have glued several cracked totes with regular yellow glue, and they've held fine.

Bubinga, mahogany or one of the mahogany substitutes, or walnut should make a good patch - it'll be visibly different, but if you have live with that, it should work as well.

Depends, Steve...If you've read the ...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond, CA


>Latest Woodwork rag, you might have an understanding how restoring planes work in some people's minds.

Bead blasting is OK to me for this type of plane.

God's forgive me as I have blasted many a plane!

Bead balsting is one thing sand blasting is another!

Here's a 606 that I got rotten, BB'ed and re-japaned. I finished the side with 220 grit paper.

Have fun with it, dude pimp my plane...

Sorry it's the best pic I could come up... with now anayway.

Was making sure . . .

Steve Mackay


>the BB would'nt scar the sole and sides. I'm imagining sandpapering in these coraugated grooves in the bottom of the sole would be "sporty" ! I AM begining to see why some balk at this stuff ! By the time you get the tool the way you're pleased with it the $5 basket case plane is a $50 plane ! But sure are PURTY and more of a joy to use. Not to mention bragging rights !

Re: Was making sure . . .

Greg Sloop, Portland Oregon


>[blockquote]

By the time you get the tool the way you're pleased with it the $5 basket case plane is a $50 plane ! But sure are PURTY and more of a joy to use. Not to mention bragging rights !

[/blockquote]

BINGO!

It all comes down to what you like to do, and what your time is worth. For me, rehab-ing a plane is frankly the last think I want to do. It doesn't help that I'm mostly clueless about how to do it right too.

And bragging rights? I'd rather brag about what I've made. No offense, I hope, just my two bits.

For all these reasons, I chose to "spend" the "big bucks" and buy LN. I have since decided the LV stuff is better for me, and really, it's not big bucks when you add hassle, time and learning curve into the mix. Frankly, it's a lot CHEAPER for me than fixing up a stanley.

But, I like reading about all the work people go to to fix 'em up, so let us know how it goes! (Even if it baffles me...)

Cheers,

Greg

'Tis funny is it not?

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native Now in FL. :~(


>It all comes down to what you like to do, and what your time is worth. For me, rehab-ing a plane is frankly the last think I want to do. It doesn't help that I'm mostly clueless about how to do it right too.

I for one enjoy reclaiming a rusty tool from the grips of Death. I can spend at least 5 hours on one plane. Matter of fact I just acquired a nice, but rusty $20 type 11 corrigated sole, geogous unbroken tote #5 at the flea market yesterday that I am dying to get at.

To me, my off work Time is Free.

I have never BB'd one tho as I don't have that kind of equipment. As a curiousity question Scott, what medium do you use and what other equipment do you use?

I coat the cleaned tool in Wax once I'm done because I think re-jappaning them takes away a bit from it's "Lifes Story"

'Tis funny, what one person wouldn't do for a million bucks, somebody else would do for free. I live right here in FL. and you COULDN'T PAY ME to go to Mouse-world, and yet there are folks that travel hundreds and hundreds of miles and spend big $$$ to come and spend a few days there. Funny eh?

Todd O.

Well Todd,

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond, CA


>It uses glass beads in and enclosed chamber, like a sand blasting one. It's powered by a comperssor. It's a kinder genteler type of medium than sand.

Re: Well Scott,

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native Now in FL. :~(


>Yeah, that's what I was trying to say, but the words escaped me. What size compressor do you use? I've been thinking about getting one and wouldn't want to get one that too small. The blasting cabinet can be made of plywood and plexiglass I'm sure.

Busy night tonight, do a major weld shop clean up in preperation for out 30 day vacation. woul;dn't be so bad except the humidity level has got to be a kazillion % :~(

Todd O.

Time vs. money *LINK*

Bill Houghton, HOT Summer in Sebastopol, CA


>we either make decisions or life makes them for us about whether we have money to save time. Lacking that, making time to save money is the only choice to get decent tools. As a longtime rust-hunting bottom-feeder, I've recognized that I'll probably never have the money to buy much new, so I've gotten used to spending time instead.

The trap that I had to watch out for is spending time inefficiently, something I've learned slowly but am learning. This is one reason that I don't spend time on making the tools pretty - workable is the most important goal for me in rehabbing a $5 tool. I also follow a practice of "good enough" on the tools, a judgment that takes time to develop; I have yet to read through RJ Whelan's 19 steps or similar articles without thinking, "I'd never have that kind of time - too many projects!" It also, though, includes judging whether a tool is worth purchasing to rehab, both how much work is involved and whether the tool itself is worth my time; but I confess that if a plane or other tool at that scale costs $2 or a chisel costs 50 cents, it tends to fall into my shopping bag almost regardless of the work needed to make it right.

I do take some pleasure in the rehabbing process, so it's not just a chore. But everyone's mileage varies.


RJ Whelan's 19 steps to plane tune up

Todd be carefull here....

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond, CA


>This is serious stuff. Glass beads are extremely dangerous and a carcinogen when breathed in too your lungs. The cabinet is steel with the gun inside. It has gloves built into it, so it's completely sealed.