Restoring an old plane - wire brush the metalwork?

[LancsRick]

I'm having some fun restoring some planes, but one think I'm not certain on is the bare metalwork, i.e. the outer sides of the bed itself. To be clear, it's all perfectly flat, so getting it flat isn't an issue here.

The surface has the usual coating of dull grey aged metal, with some marks where surface rust has now been removed. I'm uncertain whether to wire brush the whole thing back to "shiny" and then wax up, or whether I'm taking things too far - I assume planes have always had a "bright" finish and therefore this is indeed corrosion/dirt.

Wire wool hasn't touched it, neither has an encounter with some metal polish, so being realistic I think it'd be a proper wire brush encounter. Then lots of wiping down with WD40 to get rid of all the particles! Finally some wax.

I know I'm not the first to restore planes like this, so any favourite tips from people?

Thanks.

 

[D_W]

Other than for cosmetics, I'd leave it dark.

If you want cosmetics, I'd use coarse sandpaper (like 80 grit) and a small block and sand it to bright metal, just do it as evenly as possible. Presumably you're not doing this on the sole - if you want the sole to be clean, then you'd lap it.

 

[AndyT]

I think your approach should depend on how old, rare, or historic the tool is.

Even if at present you say " it's my plane and I want it shiny" you may find that your taste changes if you collect more old tools. If you remove all that dark surface patina, you won't be able to put it back.

So how about some pictures of the plane in question? Is it a nice old one or a modern Silverline that's gone a bit rusty?

 

[LancsRick]

It's an old Stanley no5. Nice condition overall, I've been enjoying bringing it and a few other planes back to life.

 

[Bm101]

I'd leave it personally Rick. I've taken a fairly modern, little ropey, coupla quid on ebay no 6 down to bare bones because it was such a rust bucket that I couldn't leave it. It was like one of them caves with mad rock formations. I used that non loading paper because it lasts well, but wet and dry etc will do just fine. (so will sandpaper) and a flat surface. It's personal preference at the end of the day isn't it? If you are going to wire brush make sure its brass not steel. Some use green pads and wire wool, some just blow magical injun sacred smoke across it and chant in tongues as far as I can make out. It's mad.
One little trick is to get a bit of dowel shove it in your drill, cut a slit in the end and stuff your polishing medium into that. I've used random orbital sanders the lot. It all works mate.
Personally I like that old grey finish. It's a reminder of all the people before me who owned it. Most of em probably not giving two hoots as long as it cut well.
Someone, quite possibly Jacob, (no offense meant, eminently sensible viewpoint) will be along shortly to say just cover it in BLO. And they will be right as well. What's for certain is that once gone it's gone forever. Or until another 80 years has passed. It's all personal taste but as you do a few, maybe your tastes will change? Who's to know?
Cheers
Chris

 

[ED65]

The surface has the usual coating of dull grey aged metal, with some marks where surface rust has now been removed. I'm uncertain whether to wire brush the whole thing back to "shiny" and then wax up, or whether I'm taking things too far

There is no 'taking things too far', it's completely up to the individual how far to take a restoration/refurb. You can do a full cosmetic overhaul and make the plane look as close to new as possible, or clean up just enough to put the plane to use (including zero work on the sole), and it's entirely your choice whether you go to one extreme or the other or somewhere in between.

I assume planes have always had a "bright" finish and therefore this is indeed corrosion/dirt.

Yes, despite what some think 'patina' is a form of rust. It is a stable form of rust, but rust nonetheless.

If you're happy with how the plane looks when dark/patinated then don't have any qualms about leaving well enough alone. I posted this example before:

The plane on the right shouldn't be expected to work one jot better than the one on the left. But if you prefer your planes to look that way then go for it.

 

[ED65]

...a proper wire brush encounter.

Here's one way to look at it: if you'll be sanding it anyway then the abrasive can be what gets the rust off.

The reason to wire brush generally is instead of sanding, so little point in doing it to a surface that will be sanded. This isn't a binary situation though since sometimes you wire brush and then discover the need to sand but if you plan to sand anyway then just sand it.

In addition, wire brushes vary a lot and not all can be trusted to do what you want and no more. I'm personally reluctant to wire brush cast iron since I've seen it pit and scratch softer steel, so it's more than capable of damaging the surface of cast iron.

 

[Trafalgar]

'Patina' is indeed rust as you'll see as soon as it is abraded a little. Clean it off with whatever suits you, a wirebrush attachment to your grinder would be a great way to start. You can refine whatever surface it leaves with some fine sandpaper or just leave it as is from the wire brush. If a wire brush leaves pits, they were already there but just full of something -- usually rust and accumulated grunge. All the brush did was clean them out. In the case of pits I'd come back over the surfaces with phosphoric acid to neutralize any rust that might still remain and arrest further pitting. Rinse with white spirit then wirebrush it again, very lightly. Then spray the whole plane with WD-40, just saturate it, wipe it off then wax and buff with a high solvent wax like Briwax.

If damage worries you then get a brush made of brass with a shank that will fit your drill. One of these would cost me $7 from Grainger, here in the US.

 

[LancsRick]

Thanks all. I actually won't be sanding by default as I use a chemical bath for removing rust. I think I'll leave it be, it's not unsightly and with wax on it there aren't any marks bring left on the wood, so I'm happy. One day I might sand it, when the jobs list is finally empty....

Thanks all.

 

[Trafalgar]

Get rid of all the rust. It never stops eating metal.

 

[DoctorWibble]

Patina is actually good protection against more aggressive forms of rust.
Unless you live in a swamp

 

[D_W]

One warning about removing patina: what's there is relatively stable. Cleaned cast iron is not - it will rust aggressively, sometimes even when you think you've stored your plane in a dry area.

If I wanted my new plane to be bright and wasn't going to use it every single day (it will still rust at some point, even with that - finger print, dot of sweat, whatever), then I'd put a very light coating of blonde shellac on the cheeks.

Or just keep the patina and check next year to see if you still think bright metal looks better than patina. We're in a time when a brightly refinished plane is worth as much or more as an old patina laden plane, but that may not be the case forever.

 

[ED65]

If a wire brush leaves pits, they were already there but just full of something -- usually rust and accumulated grunge. All the brush did was clean them out.

Just so there's no doubt, the pitting I was referring to is definitely caused by the wire brush, not revealed by it. The character of the pits in each case is quite distinct and nobody would mistake one for the other.

[rust] never stops eating metal.

Not entirely true.

The reality of tool restorations is that the majority of de-rusting jobs don't get every last trace of red rust, they can't because of practical limitations. And yet those tools don't then go on to decay further starting from those areas, e.g. spreading out from the threaded holes in a plane body.

 

[Trafalgar]

Whatever. Clean the stink out of them until they scream. I hate rust.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

The plane on the right shouldn't be expected to work one jot better than the one on the left.

The one on the left looks much nicer to me. Perhaps I've been lookimg at old tools for too long, but that polished, blinged-up look I find ghastly.

 

[D_W]

The plane on the right shouldn't be expected to work one jot better than the one on the left.

The one on the left looks much nicer to me. Perhaps I've been lookimg at old tools for too long, but that polished, blinged-up look I find ghastly.

I think this is one of those things where you see the right one as nicer when you first start woodworking, because it looks newer. The longer you look at old tools, the less authentic it looks, and at some point it just starts to be hard to look at.

 

[AndyT]

The plane on the right shouldn't be expected to work one jot better than the one on the left.

The one on the left looks much nicer to me. Perhaps I've been lookimg at old tools for too long, but that polished, blinged-up look I find ghastly.

I think this is one of those things where you see the right one as nicer when you first start woodworking, because it looks newer. The longer you look at old tools, the less authentic it looks, and at some point it just starts to be hard to look at.

I agree with Ed, Tony and Dave.
That's why I suggested holding back from wire brushing or sanding.

Turning the one on the left into the one on the right only takes an hour or two but the other way round takes years of use.

 

[memzey]

The plane on the right shouldn't be expected to work one jot better than the one on the left.

The one on the left looks much nicer to me. Perhaps I've been lookimg at old tools for too long, but that polished, blinged-up look I find ghastly.

I think this is one of those things where you see the right one as nicer when you first start woodworking, because it looks newer. The longer you look at old tools, the less authentic it looks, and at some point it just starts to be hard to look at.

+1.

 

[essexalan]

I got hold a couple of #7's at the weekend for not a lot, a US SB and a Record both appear to be pre WW11. Paint is lifting so I will clean all the loose stuff back, degrease and apply some anti-rust treatment. If they still look rough then I will probably consider repainting them which will mean stripping the lot. Certainly not polishing everything except possibly the lever caps which are a mess with all the plating falling off. But first I will try them on some wood and see how they cut.

 

[Trafalgar]

A cleaned plane won't stay that bright forever but that slight overall darkening isn't rust if it's been in your care, however when they come to you very dark what you are seeing almost always has a significant rust component, 'stable' rust or not :roll: . If your hands and fingertips look dirty after handling a plane, it needs cleaning. It clearly does if it's leaving trails on workpieces, shooting boards, etc. Perhaps old wooden planes would lend more shop ambiance, if one is going for a certain look.