New Addition - Block Plane

[MMUK]

I picked up my lathe from Rob on Wednesday and as a gift he gave me a Stanley block plane that needed a bit of work. I haven't got a clue what number it is but the blade is about 1 3/4" wide if anyone can advise a probable model number?

Anyway, it's not been used for some time and was showing signs of being stored in less than ideal conditions (sorry Rob, no offence meant). I forgot to take a pic of it "as found" (sorry to the rest of you). There was an amount of surface rust and the sole was fairly badly pitted.

So, I started by partly stripping the plane and running it over some 180 grit wet/dry paper to assess the situation.

After about ten minutes it looked like this.

Half an hour and six sheets of 180 grit later and it was getting better.

Another two hours, another three sheets of 180, two of 400 and three of 1200 and it's nearly perfect.

There are a few tiny pits and a couple of very fine scratches but it's good enough for me. The blade needed about five minutes on the 180 to remove surface rust and then about ten minutes on the 400 for the bevel then a quick two minute polish on the 1200. Now it's bloody sharp! I didn't realise it had sliced my finger until my phone was covered in blood :roll: I really shouldn't test sharpness by running a blade down my finger :lol:

All ready for work.

 

[carlb40]

Very nice. Don't let Jacob read all the work you put into it. You should have sent it back as faulty :lol: :lol:

Could be this one?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/stanley-no-22 ... 417b3025a9

 

[MMUK]

No, Rob Platt gave it to me as a present when I picked up my lathe from him mid-week

I don't think it's a #220, the front knob looks different.

 

[MMUK]

Oh, and I swear my right bicep is now twice the size of my left :lol:

 

[wellywood]

Lovely restoration job. I think of all planes, the block is my favourite. It's just so damn handy.

 

[KevM]

Last time I did a similar restoration I used valve grinding paste on a sheet of glass, it worked a treat. When I try to use wet & dry I always put a hole in the sheet within 30 seconds of starting. The double ended pots are something like 80 and 200 grit, but they get finer as you grind.

 

[MMUK]

I may try that with one of the many planes still to fettle. Cheers, KevM

 

[Harbo]

Valve grinding paste on a sheet of acrylic works well too - the paste beds into the acrylic which seems to help the process?

Rod

 

[RogerP]

I give them a few seconds on the belt sander

 

[Rob Platt]

Silverline £10 new on e bay HTH

 

[MMUK]

Silverline £10 new on e bay HTH

Is it? :shock:

That does surprise me, the quality is proper 1970's Stanley. I'm impressed!

 

[Water-Mark]

I can't see a silverline like that on ebay, any chance of a link?.

I have seen 220 and 203's with drilled and tapped front knobs though.
I think all 220"s had 220 cast in them though i've never had a good close look at a 203.

 

[MMUK]

That's not the original set screw in the front handle, it was a brass philips head one. The head was a bit manky so I swapped it out for stainless. The only stainless I had though was hex head so that got hammered in. On the plus side, I don't need any tools to remove it