Most Efficient Way to Strip down Plane Handles?

[MrDavidRoberts]

Recently I acquired large amount 15+ of stanley/record old planes , I want to restore them, keep the best and sell the rest.
I tried to sand 1 set of handles, it took me good 45minutes of a task I really didn't enjoyed at all just to strip the old finish and prepare them for new finish.

What would you say is the most effective way to do this? I suspect If I had a bobbin sander than It would be much easier,however I have no plans to get such device. -
-maybe Somehow scraping the finish off with something?
-Dunking it in the Chemical removers?

 

[MikeG.]

.......Somehow scraping the finish off with something?........

Did you try that?

Why not?

 

[AndyT]

Go on David, give it a try.
If the finish needs renewing, it'll scrape off easily. If it doesn't, it won't.

 

[Rorschach]

Scrape then sand. An aggressive scraper will make short work of any finish.

 

[ED65]

As mentioned yesterday in your thread on the stuck handle when I'm refinishing old handles I like to scrape the existing finish off. I've directly compared it with sanding and it is an order of magnitude more efficient. I keep a soft chisel specifically for this purpose, but you can do much the same with any burred scraper. A sharp knife could be used in a pinch but isn't as effective.

When the finish is aged and has started to flake already all the rest of it tends to be ready to come off and in that condition I've scraped both handles completely bare in under 10 minutes and occasionally closer to five, but like Andy says if the finish is in good shape it can strongly resist being scraped making it significant labour, especially if you want to be careful of scraping direction to minimise tearing of the wood surface. For finish in this condition stripping makes much more sense.

If you will be stripping and you weren't following it at the time it's worth referring back to Tasky's recent thread on Nitromors.

 

[John Brown]

Don't forget to breathe out before you breathe in.

 

[Orraloon]

Like the others have said scraping is the quick way to do the handle. The knob being round can be chucked on the lathe or drill to speed things up.
Regards
John

 

[MikeG.]

Our OP has failed to return to the thread. Is anyone surprised?

 

[thick_mike]

He’s like the SAS.

 

[ED65]

No luck picking up a plane yesterday to demonstrate with, but did get this Mk.1 144 with much of the original paint remaining on the handles:

And using the tool in the picture:

Instead of my chisel I used a scraper anyone can have, and prep in no time: 10 strokes over the fine side of a Norton combination stone with the blade held vertically will raise a decent burr on both sides.

 

[MikeG.]

You don't even need a burr for a job like that. You'd have done the job almost as well just with a new Stanley blade.

 

[ED65]

Yes a sharp edge works all right but if you're after the most efficient way to do it, as requested, I don't think anything compares to a burred scraper and I wanted to show how simple it could be.

 

[Rorschach]

With a Stanley blade or razor blade don't use a stone to create the burr, use a burnisher or shaft of a screwdriver to turn the edge, it will create a superb edge for scraping.