A gloat

[Corset]

In a rare moment of auction madness i bought a long sought after plane (for me at least). I have been looking for one for a number of years.
I was looking at auctions and noted a stanley 51 plane for sale. Looking closely i saw a chute board of the 52 variety in box...
Taking a gamble online i decided to bid despite not seeing the goods. Risky.
As the bidding clocked over £200.00 i began to sweat but i secured it for a smidge over £300.00. Had i bought a wreck i thought as i googled over cracked casing, warped metal etc..



Anyway the plane and board arrived today. The plane appears to be in working condition (minor minor metal damage by the mouth) with a sound frog, good handle and no repair to the casting. The irons not orginal but who cares.
The board is all there bar the hold down and although the guide strip needs adjustment (possibluy knocked) its a bit snug, it all seems good. I will of course need to clean it.
I am so excited...... i have been after one for years...
I dont know whether i have paid a fair price but it seems ok. I cant find any to compare it to.
I cant wait to clean it mount it on a back board and use it!!
Have i bought well??
owen

 

[Corneel]

300 for the plane AND the shooting board? That's not a gloat, that's a crime!

 

[Fitzroy]

I had no idea what you were talking about so googled it and ended up back here!
stanley-shooting-board-on-ebay-t56081.html

Seems you did well as the post above points at ebay with the pair for £850 and that being a reasonable price!

 

[Corset]

technically £250 with buyers premium.

 

[undergroundhunter]

Pictures or it didn't happen.

matt

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Well, the LN 51 is £385, so a plane and board for considerably less IS a definite result, even if does need a clean!

 

[deema]

I will happily clean and store it for you!

 

[Corset]

Here are the photos, i would appreciate any tips before i begin my restore. clearly i wont be grinding it to shiny abut any tips on what to look for.

 

[Graham Orm]

Wow, never seen one before. Good catch looking at this one.

 

[JonnyW]

God the seller of that beauty must be crying his eyes out. There are still good deals to be had on eBay it appears.

Well done to you - what a steal.

Jonny

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

i would appreciate any tips before i begin my restore. clearly i wont be grinding it to shiny abut any tips on what to look for.

I wrote up a full restoration of a #51/52 here: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolRestor ... 05152.html

This includes re-japanning.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[lurker]

Corset,

A bit closer to you than Derek is Bill Carter
I know he has one cos I have played with it.

 

[bugbear]

God the seller of that beauty must be crying his eyes out. There are still good deals to be had on eBay it appears.

Well done to you - what a steal.

Jonny

I don't think it was eBay, but you're right on "steal".

BugBear

 

[Corset]

Derek, i have read your refurb and it was very good, however my frog is good so i have a couple of other issues.
The pin which sets the angle is missing a screw. Should the pin be spring loaded as it appears to have a flat when your remove it?
I have sharpened the blade and seated the blade, resulting in a full length end grain shaving of 1 inch cherry so i am very happy. however the blade is going blunt very quckly... I am a user so should i stump up for a new blade at £30.00 plus or should i just contribute the cost to a vertas shotting plane and keep this in the collection. Seems a shame to keep it in storage but i dont want top break an almost perfect expensive plane...
Choices, choices.
lurker, i am t the next d stanley auction so might ask Bill he seems a nice man.

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

The pin which sets the angle is missing a screw.

Corset, can you supply a picture. I am not sure which part you are referring to.

I have sharpened the blade and seated the blade, resulting in a full length end grain shaving of 1 inch cherry so i am very happy. however the blade is going blunt very quckly... I am a user so should i stump up for a new blade at £30.00 plus or should i just contribute the cost to a vertas shotting plane and keep this in the collection. Seems a shame to keep it in storage but i dont want top break an almost perfect expensive plane...

The blade that I found to be most successful was a Japanese Smoothcut (laminated) blade along with a Clifton capiron. Thicker blades would not fit as the mouth is non-adjustable.

I no longer use the Stanley #51 in the #52. It is fragile owing to the poorly designed frog. A number of years ago I bought the Lie Nielsen #51. The combination of this with the #52 was superb ... until some years later I came into the Veritas Shooting Plane (testing the pre-production plane for Lee Valley). Every now-and-then I switch the planes around. I prefer the looks and like the extra mass of the LN, but the blade does not hold an edge long. This is not a poor iron - it is simply due to the higher bed and higher cutting angle. The Veritas just keeps on slicing, and the edge holds for several times as long as the LN. If you are planning on the Veritas, get it! The combination of #52 and Veritas is amazing.

Review of the LN #51 (compared to Stanley #51): http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReview ... Plane.html

Review of the Veritas (compared to the LN #51): http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReview ... Plane.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Corset]

I am skiing off the slope...... stop me...