Another good used Stanley on Auction here...

I found another good used Stanley on auction here, I think it is a #4C........


The seller is just a junk seller, sells old plates and such, does not even describe this as a "Hand Plane" but as a "Scraper"

It is at $20 now, if it stays low, I think I'll add it to my collection

"Handyman" was Stanley's 'entry level' or homeowner grade plane. Most collectors shun them, but I've got a couple, and they can be tuned up to work just as well as any other #4.

That one looks like it's in almost new condition. I'd definitely go for it.

Thanks for the info Jim

Well, I got it

I put in a bid of about $35, (it started at $20) and walked away, I was pleasantly surprised to see that only one other person bid against me and gave up at $32, so it is mine, with shipping, it should come in under $40.

Maybe not the greatest deal, but I think it will make a great that I can get a lot of use from.

Cheers!

The plane arrived today.............

The plane, the box and even the multi-language pamphlet are all in amazing condition.


I took it all apart to see how it was, and it sure is a cheap plane, plastic knob and tote for crying out loud


I could see that the throat (if I'm using the correct term) was in need of some attention, so I lined it up, and then filed it a bit, adjusted it and filed it some more.......


..... that is MUCH better, but compared to an older Stanley #4 I have..........

..... you can see the "Handyman" is much less of a tool, you can feel it when you pick the two up as well, the older plane has much more heft to it.


The sole looks in OK condition, but it too needed tuning.

I put some #120 grit wet and dry sand paper on a piece of granite and a couple of minutes and I saw this....

... the front and the back of the sole is touching, need some elbow grease to get this one flat.


took about 20 minutes, and it is flat now.

The blade was in good shape, still had the original varnish on it. I'm thinking that whoever bought this plane, tried it out of the box once or twice and gave up on it. I sharpened up the blade, at the suggested 25 degrees, and then honed it well, can shave with it now


Ready to go........


......a chunk of Hard Maple and it works well, not as good as the old #4C, but respectable just the same, and for less than $40, here in Japan, good deal, I think.

I very much doubt it will ever work as well as the 4C I already have, so I'm thinking of grinding a slight radius on this plane to make it a "Scrub" plane, any thoughts on this?

Cheers!

First, remove the frog, and make sure it's bedded well on the sole casting. Many (most?) of these had paint on the mating surface, and cleaning it off and doing a bit of fitting will make a big improvement. A thicker blade will work better, but will cost at least as much as you've paid for the plane itself.

Second, now's your chance to get into the making of knobs and totes for all your planes. Just use some 5/4 hardwood of your choice, and have at it. You can make the handle profile to custom fit your hand, which in itself will improve the plane's performance.

If you're really gonna make it into a scrub, then a 6~8 inch radius on the blade will work well. Derek, btw, seems to prefer an 8" radius, and I sure can't argue with that!

Great pictures showing the differences in throats and frogs of each plane. What a difference in quality!

You are correct about the Frog Jim, I did not clean it, but I will!

The knob and tote really should be replaced at some point

Thanks!

Today, while trying to recover from my cold, I was finishing up on my sharpening, the last on my list for now is this #4 Stanley Handyman plane that I got cheap on auction. Plastic handles and poor quality control really did leave me thinking I'd wasted my money on this, but it had been mentioned that turning it into a scrub plane might be possible.

First thing I did was to take off the frog and just like Jim said, the body of the plane and the bottom of the frog were just painted rough casting, not a very good "Seat" for things. I was able to hand file the bottom of the frog down to smooth metal, but the inside of the body of the plane itself was a bit more of a challenge. I came up with this........


Using my "XY" vice on the drill press, with a stone in there to do the milling, I was able to make nice flat spots for the frog to sit on. (I forgot to take pics of the plane being milled, I DO have a cold and my mind is wandering)

The other thing that screamed "Scrub Plane" to me was the large mouth on this plane......

You can see how the regular #4's mouth is very closed compared to the Stanley Handyman version, so my scrub plane was born!

You can also see the reworked blade, I think the arc is about an 8" arc, I just attached the blade to a thin piece of plywood, with the edge of the blade sticking out past the plywood by a bit, then I put a screw into the plywood about 8" from the edge of the blade, into a temp platform I put on my grinder, the screw acts like a pivot point, just move the blade right and left, and you have a nice arc ground on your blade. I then cheated and used the power honing set up, took seconds, and I had a VERY sharp blade! (Again, no pics, I forgot)

Now I had to put it to work....

Rough cut board (this one is actually fairly smooth)

A piece of Japanese Red Oak from my rooftop stash.


The scrub plane take a lot bigger bite and produces chips, not shavings.

Finished with the scrub plane


Then the #5 Jack and finally the #4 smoother, the board is flat and smooth.

I'm quite pleased white how this turned out, for the amount of work I'll be doing using a scrub plane, I think this one will fill the need.

now I have to learn how to get my cabinet scraper in shape....

...and another one slips into the vortex...

Jim DeLaney said:

...and another one slips into the vortex...

Click to expand...

I've been there for a while Jim, I just have less opportunity to jump in as most of you guys do.

Cheers!

Like you said it was born to be a scrub plane. All it needed was a gender changing operation. Good job Dr. Stu!

Ah, Electric code enforcement officer here. That receptical (A) behind the drill press is not a grounding receptical and will have to be updated. Get this done right away or we will have to issue you a citation.

Nice job on the plane Stu. I may have an old one I can do that with too. (Not as nice as your Stanley though)

Aloha, Tony

Good job Stu! I wonder why that plane had such a wide mouth, did it look as if it had been filed away?

Toni, I think it came that poorly made right from the factory, it was just about brandnew in the box when I got it.

Cheers!