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Antique wooden planes questions - stoppy - 11-12-2019

Disclaimer -- I'm a woodturner attempting to learn flat stock woodworking.  My wife's father (he died before I met her) was an antique collector.  He had a large selection of wooden planes.  I'm also just getting back in my shop after a several year absence due to medical issues. (three heart attacks)
 
1. Are they worth restoring for use?  (Looking online I see their resale value is poor.)
2. If they are worth restoring where do I begin?


RE: Antique wooden planes questions - jppierson - 11-12-2019

The engineering answer to your first question is "It depends". On whether you intend on using them, selling them, or displaying as a dust collector. Try rehabbing one of the smoothing planes to get a feel for how much work it is, how enjoyable the process is to you, and how well you enjoy using the plane afterward. If it isn't fun, you aren't going to be motivated to provide the time and labor for re-sale. As you said there isn't a huge profit margin in wood planes, but there is a mighty amount of self-satisfaction in the restoration and use of a true antique. It has been my thought that these tools were built to work, were generally well care for in order to have survived, and would be best to continue their life working. Your mileage may vary.

Wood planes are pretty easy to bring up to working standard as long as the bottom (part that runs along the wood you are shaping) is in good condition. If it is a planer (smoother, try plane, jack plane etc) they are very easy to flatten. The one disadvantage is that as you flatten, the mouth opens. You can always laminate another piece of wood to the bottom and re-open the mouth as desired. Re-making a wedge is a bit more problematic, but basically you need the wedge to fit well in the gap between the blade and body of the plane, then shape the end appropriately to eject shavings (either to the side or up the blade like a bailey). Do remember though that the back of the wedge should not interfere with the ability to tap the blade for adjustments. Working the blades isn't much different than any other plane, most all are laminated and only have a small amount of tool steel at the working end, a back bevel might be your friend to avoid having to flatten the entire back of the blade. Cleaning the wood is easy also, try mineral spirits or TSP to remove the dirt. Light sand if desired, then oil with Boiled Linseed oil and finally some wax. If you are cleaning up a "museum piece" or dust collector, then less is more since patina reigns supreme in value, and its ability to actually make shavings seems to be secondary.


RE: Antique wooden planes questions - Smashedfinger - 11-12-2019

A few pics and types/number for the planes would help. I love transitional planes, especially the Gage/Stanley Gage, because they had a wood body with a metal throat.


RE: Antique wooden planes questions - RickW - 11-12-2019

(11-12-2019, 09:13 AM)stoppy Wrote: Disclaimer -- I'm a woodturner attempting to learn flat stock woodworking.  My wife's father (he died before I met her) was an antique collector.  He had a large selection of wooden planes.  I'm also just getting back in my shop after a several year absence due to medical issues. (three heart attacks)
 
1. Are they worth restoring for use?  (Looking online I see their resale value is poor.)
2. If they are worth restoring where do I begin?

Before you do anything, do some basic research to find out the type of plane and who made them. Wooden planes were made for many years, and you don't want to destroy an 18th century plane!
Please post some pictures, including any markings ( usually on the front of the plane).
There are some people here, including me, who can help you identify them.
Rick W


RE: Antique wooden planes questions - overland - 11-12-2019

I'm no expert, but I have some wooden planes, some old, some not so old, and a couple I made myself, and I love to use them. There's something about wood on wood that's especially satisfying. Having said that, I can only add this to the good advice already given: First, only buy wooden planes in very good condition. There are so many out there that it doesn't pay to restore one that's beat up or used to death (as many are). Second, it's not that hard to install an insert on the sole to close up the mouth, if you really want to do it. I use a thin piece of lignum vitae, or some other tropical hardwood. Third, what matters most, old or modern, is that the blade is sharp. A sharp wooden plane will beat a dull metal plane any day. But this is true, too: wooden planes are trickier to adjust, and hence a little more troublesome to use. But just a little.
  I also find it fun to restore old planes. You have to enjoy doing it.


RE: Antique wooden planes questions - mound - 11-12-2019

(11-12-2019, 09:13 AM)stoppy Wrote: Disclaimer -- I'm a woodturner attempting to learn flat stock woodworking.  My wife's father (he died before I met her) was an antique collector.  He had a large selection of wooden planes.  I'm also just getting back in my shop after a several year absence due to medical issues. (three heart attacks)
 
1. Are they worth restoring for use?  (Looking online I see their resale value is poor.)
2. If they are worth restoring where do I begin?

Pick a flat stock project you plan to start with. Gather your materials and tools. Decide which (if any) of the wooden planes might help with that specific project and try to rehab it to working order. Go from there!


RE: Antique wooden planes questions - adamcherubini - 11-12-2019

depending on what you have, the answer to question #1 is heck yes. Wooden planes have many advantages over metal planes. They can be absolutely worth restoring. That said there are planes that are too far gone to restore. It’s not always easy to know the good ones from the shot ones.

My answer to question #2 is buy a copy, new or used, of Michael Dunbar’s “Restoring, Tuning, and Using Classic Woodworking tools”. It’s not a perfect book, but it contains a ton of good information that will help you get started.


RE: Antique wooden planes questions - stoppy - 11-13-2019

Stepped up my Googlefoo yesterday and found some YouTube videos on restoring old wooden planes. 

I will get some pics and post them. It might be a few days as we’re getting ready to do a craft show this Saturday. Haven’t done one in many years, so we are probably over-preparing. Need to turn a few more ornaments. 

Thanks for all the tips and advice to this point.  I’ll be restoring for use not resale.


RE: Antique wooden planes questions - adamcherubini - 11-13-2019

You are way ahead of most guys because as a turner, you are probably an excellent sharpener, accustomed to sharpening straight, crowned and curved tools alike. In terms of restoring old tools for the purpose of using, sharpening is probably 90% of the job. There are some tricks to getting the wood parts right.

I still recommend Dunbar’s book. I think it’s a good to boot. Don’t think I’ve ever seen a good YouTube video on the subject, so please share any links you come across.


RE: Antique wooden planes questions - TGW - 11-14-2019

I'd say there is a very strong likelyhood that the planes are worth restoring for your own use provided that you identify them as "unfit for museum". I prefere to identify my tools before restoring them so I don't destroy a potential museum piece.
Wooden planes are perfectly adequate even today especially those types of planes that get less use. I have made a few wooden ones for my own use and restored many more. However I prefere cast iron bench and block planes as they don't warp from the wedge tension the way wooden planes tend to do and therefore they can sit on a shelf ready for use with no setup time.

However just like any other hand tool or woodworking machine wooden planes have a point of no return when a restoration is just not viable.
It is perfectly doable to resole a worn out plane with a new beech sole glued to the old plane body and planed/scraped/carved to the correct frofile with a nice tight mouth.
It is perfectly doable to make a new blade from a worn out file when the old blade is worn out or too rusty to ever take an edge again.
I have done both operations quite a few times....... but I prefere not to do both those operations to the same plane.
Just like you would prefere not to both rewind the motor and fabricate or cast an entirely new headstock for one lathe.