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Thread: Stanley Bailey No 26

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
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    Black Hills of South Dakota
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    11

    Stanley Bailey No 26

    Here's my most recent flea market find and my first foray into the world of wood-bodied planes. For $15 did I bring home something of value, even with the broken tote and scuffed-up sole?

    I gently cleaned the dust, crud and rust from the disassembled pieces and gave everything a light coat of Rennaissance Wax until I have the time to complete more study regarding further restoration. I've left the sole untouched as you can see from the photo that shows streaks of blue green paint, probably made when a previous owner used this relic to plane a sticky door. I've learned how to sharpen plane irons and feel confident about rust removal, but caring for the sole of a wooden plane is a new world for me. I welcome recommendations, and thanks for looking.


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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Wayne, Pa.
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    498
    I have always bought to use but some buy to collect and keep as pristine as possible. Why do you buy old tools?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine
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    Try to not open a new thread so will ask here.
    Just got a Stanley Bailey #28 plane. It looks nice but have one strange detail - brass sole.
    I've checked this plane photos over Internet but all #28 plane have wooden sole. My plane have a sole made from a solid brass plate bolted to a wooden sole.
    What is this?
    Rare kind of Stanley plane or probably improvements made by previous user?

    Regards,
    George.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
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    twomiles from the "peak of Ohio
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    12,120
    Georg: that would be a user refurb of a worn out sole.

    David: check out the post about my Stanley#31 Just a few inches longer the the others, @ 24" long. On mine, I had a worn sole on just one side. Had plane it flat and square. Worked on the mouth opening and the bed where to iron sits. Top of the tote was missing. I had a tote that I modified by sanding it to a new shape. Re-drilled the hole for the tote bolt. @ $15 at a yard sale, didn't have the extra cash to buy the $10 Stanley #127...

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Philadelphia, PA
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    3,697
    That's a nice plane for $15. Overall looks to be in quite nice condition. The marks in the sole will sand or plane off with 1-2 minutes of work. Wooden soles are very easy to deal with. About the only thing you need to worry about is not overdoing it when you flatten them...obviously wood comes off a lot faster than metal.
    Woodworking is terrific for keeping in shape, but it's also a deadly serious killing system...

  6. #6
    Looks in great shape, super decal probably worth the price.

    If you decide you want to find another handle, they're everywhere if you're patient. I'd use it as is without doing anything to the sole, it's a jack plane. Transitionals are a dime a dozen, but I have never gotten one with a good clean decal like that on the front.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine
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    Steven : Thank you! But this transitional plane with brass sole weights more than Stanley #7 with corrugated sole.

    Regards from Ukraine,
    Georg.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Black Hills of South Dakota
    Posts
    11
    Why collect old tools? I don't have a good or very specific answer. I've tried to fill out my range of home handyman tools with good or better quality stuff from decades ago. I use what I have and try my best to be a good steward of the old iron, mindful that a true master might have been the owner/user of my tools before they came into my possession. With limited storage space, I've also got to be careful, lest "just one more plane" makes me a candidate for one of those creepy hoarder shows on reality tv.

    Thanks to everyone who has responded to my thread.
    Last edited by David Super; 08-05-2013 at 9:43 PM.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Wayne, Pa.
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    498
    Quote Originally Posted by David Super View Post
    Why collect old tools? I don't have a good or very specific answer. I've tried to fill out my range of home handyman tools with good or better quality stuff from decades ago. I use what I have and try my best to be a good steward of the old iron, mindful that a true master might have been the owner/user of my tools before they came into my possession. With limited storage space, I've also got to be careful, lest "just one more plane" makes me a candidate for one of those creepy hoarder shows on reality tv.

    Thanks to everyone who has responded to my thread.
    I had asked because some collect simply to put behind glass and never use and for some of those folk changing the appearance is sinful. To me the sin is not usingthe tool. I would put a piece of 150# sandpaper on a piece of glass and move the plane back and forth. I would then do the same with 180# after the sole is clean. I would then put a good durable varnish on it followed by a little bit of wax. I would make sure I did not leave any sharp edges after the sanding.

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