My first plane restoration

[bugbear]

Is there no name stamped in to the blade? Normally the proud word "Record" (at least) would be there. :?:

BugBear

 

[alan2001]

Ummm... I was keeping that side of the blade reversed for safekeeping. (hammer)

Thankfully I hadn't tried to use it since its last reassembly. D'OH!!!

Thanks for pointing that out...

 

[alan2001]

evening folks.

words cannot express just how much I am face-palming right now. :roll:

as it turns out, i've had the blade in this plane as well as my Stanley No.3 smoother in *upside down* all this time. i can't believe it! (hammer)

not that I have much of a defence, but the Record was like that when I bought it, honestly guvnors! :mrgreen:

for what it's worth, both planes are now working brilliantly, better than I ever thought possible. lots of pennies are now dropping slowly into place, haha.

 

[jimi43]

Alan my friend.....

-10 points for the iron fitting incidents....

+1000 points for the honesty and owning up in public...it takes a true man to do that! =D>

I think you will find there are a few here :? who may have done that too...in the distant past!

Jim

 

[Racers]

Hi,

I have a Record No5 of the same era that has a Rosewood knob, it looked orignal and undisturbed, the whole plane was very rusty all the chrome on the leaver cap was very badly pitted and had to be sanded off, the adjuster was rusted solid.
May be they where using up their stock of knobs.

Pete

 

[alan2001]

Alan my friend.....

-10 points for the iron fitting incidents....

+1000 points for the honesty and owning up in public...it takes a true man to do that! =D>

I think you will find there are a few here :? who may have done that too...in the distant past!

Jim

Haha, I'd much rather give you guys a snigger at my expense than attempt to make flimsy excuses to try and cover my mistakes.

I'm just over the moon at how easy planing is now - I'm making full length shavings for the first time in my life, which is a wonderful feeling.

Looking forward to replacing my crappy (but serviceable) Stanley SB-3 with a Record No. 3, as soon as possible.

It's now smoothing very nicely (especially with it's brand new blade; 50p from B&Q, correct way up!), but the adjustment mechanisms are a bit of a joke. I'm also hoping to acquire a nice block plane of some sort, but I'm resisting spending £35 on an Irwin/Record from B&Q. I'll add to this thread when I make any other plane purchases.

 

[jimi43]

AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!

My eyes...my eyes.....

I will never be the same again!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

A classic example of why accountants should never make planes!

Jim

 

[Vann]

I have a Record No5 of the same era that has a Rosewood knob, it looked orignal and undisturbed, the whole plane was very rusty all the chrome on the leaver cap was very badly pitted and had to be sanded off, the adjuster was rusted solid.
May be they where using up their stock of knobs.

Yes, I've picked up a couple of post-war Records with rosewood handles too. I can't imagine they're not original (like, who would take off reasonable rosewood handles and replace them with beech?). I just figured they had a big deep box of handles at the Record factory, with new batches of handles going in the top. Every now and then stocks would get low and the old stock rosewood handles at the bottom would be exposed. Well that's my theory...

Cheers, Vann.

 

[alan2001]

^ That's the theory I'm going with too. I've seen several other planes with dark knobs and lighter handles.

AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!

My eyes...my eyes.....

I will never be the same again!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

A classic example of why accountants should never make planes!

well, if you think that's bad, just imagine me using it with the blade upside down... blunt... making shavings from a nail-infested piece of cocobolo.

p.s. - naked. :mrgreen:

 

[GazPal]

Not a pleasant thought lol

Very nice job restoring your Record. :wink:

I've found the least invasive and speediest means of cleaning rear handles and front knobs is to use paint/varnish stripper (Also works extremely well when cleaning up castings) such as Nitromors. Then simply scrape off, rinse and finish the surface using 0000 wire wool before possibly staining and re-finishing using your preferred medium.

 

[bugbear]

I've found the least invasive and speediest means of cleaning rear handles and front knobs is to use paint/varnish stripper such as Nitromors.

On old Record/Stanley plane handles, the usual varnish tends to become extremely brittle and crazed (which is presumably why refinishing is desired...).

In this particular case, a cabinet scraper (even a blunt one!) will remove the brittle varnish in moments. Much quicker and less mess than stripper.

BugBear

 

[Mike Wingate]

I just make a new set from Bubinga.
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244 ... 000671.jpg

 

[Mike Wingate]

Work in progress and a couple on the 4 and 4 1/2, both with Smoothcut Japanese laminated blades and QS chipbreakers.
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244 ... 010827.jpg

Some file handles in the process of being polished. Walnut with copper piping ferrules.
Two Iwasaki rasps .
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244 ... 010828.jpg

 

[GazPal]

I've found the least invasive and speediest means of cleaning rear handles and front knobs is to use paint/varnish stripper such as Nitromors.

On old Record/Stanley plane handles, the usual varnish tends to become extremely brittle and crazed (which is presumably why refinishing is desired...).

In this particular case, a cabinet scraper (even a blunt one!) will remove the brittle varnish in moments. Much quicker and less mess than stripper.

BugBear

Yes, a cabinet scraper quickly removes loose and brittle elements of finish, but not all of the finish is loose and this is where an element of risking potential damage enters the equation. Where stripper may be considered messy, much depends on how it's applied/removed (Mess and residue is actually minimal), but the risk of potential damage to the timber is minimised (Virtually non-existant) and you don't have shards of shrapnel (Hard flakes of finish) flying past your eyes and ears as you work. Using a scraper also involves the unnecessary need for elbow grease and the additional step of having to re-sharpen the blade afterwards, unless using a disposable Stanley/craft knife blade.

Blunt scrapers tend to ride across old finish instead of serving their intended purpose. :|

I much prefer using Nitromors and find - in comparison to the scraper technique - I'm less likely to alter an original handle/knob's profile. I've re-finished in excess of 250 handle sets and no animals were harmed during my plane restoration activities.

 

[GazPal]

Work in progress and a couple on the 4 and 4 1/2, both with Smoothcut Japanese laminated blades and QS chipbreakers.
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244 ... 010827.jpg

Some file handles in the process of being polished. Walnut with copper piping ferrules.
Two Iwasaki rasps .
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244 ... 010828.jpg

Lovely work Mike

 

[Mike Wingate]

250 sets, that is something!!

 

[Mike Wingate]

250 sets, that is something!!

 

[jimi43]

Hey Mike!

Beautiful Holtzapffel handle shapes there my friend....and walnut is such a difficult wood to really turn nicely...the handles on the plane ain't too shabby either!! Bravo! =D>

On the subject of Nitromors...I find the waterbased B&Q stuff is damn brilliant! Much less messy than Nitromors and would burn the skin off a rhino I bet!

Finally...I found something in B&Q worth buying! And it does what it says on the tin...well...the plastic bottle...but you get the idea! :mrgreen:

Jim

 

[Mike Wingate]

Thanks Jim. Guitars and woodturning are the only areas of "artistry" that I do. The handles are turned between centres. 3/4" roughing HSS gouge and 1" oval skew Hss chisel, Brown Nylon abrasive pad and burnished with it's own shavings. Craftlac sanding sealer, 2 coats of Craftlac Melamine brushed on and Briwax to finish. Very quick to turn, long time to polish. Those Iwashita rasps are really something. Great for guitar bodies and necks. Loads of control, removes what you want but such a smooth finish. Rutlands sell them.

 

[jimi43]

Thanks Jim. Guitars and woodturning are the only areas of "artistry" that I do. The handles are turned between centres. 3/4" roughing HSS gouge and 1" oval skew Hss chisel, Brown Nylon abrasive pad and burnished with it's own shavings. Craftlac sanding sealer, 2 coats of Craftlac Melamine brushed on and Briwax to finish. Very quick to turn, long time to polish. Those Iwashita rasps are really something. Great for guitar bodies and necks. Loads of control, removes what you want but such a smooth finish. Rutlands sell them.

Hi Mike

The wood for my Martin clone is sitting "seasoning" in a back bedroom until I retire and then I can concentrate on my last guitar ever...this one is just for me. In the meantime I am trying out different toolmaking projects and learning to turn more complex things...

I use 3M Micromesh packs from FleaBay (about £8 a pack of 6"x4") with mesh from 1500M to 12000M and I find this better than pro abrasive pads. I did use ordinary papers for pre-cut but since I discovered the benefits of Abranet...I use this now 120 to 400G before using the Micromesh. If I want extra shine I use:

...which came from my electric guitar making days...ideal for nitro finishes and burnishes really well on wood. You can see where I haven't turned the knob over to do the final little bit! The resultant finish needs no other coating at all...but for protection I use Tru-Oil...which I have mentioned many times before...which can be matt...silk or high gloss.

I found out today how to do elipse handles ala Holtzapffel....Douglas showed me! Offset centres! Must try that next.

Jim