Recommendations for type of replacement blade for 14", #5 Bailey Hand Plane

[Don Morris]

I've renovating my Father-in-laws hand planes which were handed down to me. I treasure them and have renovated most of them. I'm not a professional, but am a serious amateur. I've renovated several of his low angle block planes first as I found them the most useful. I need to update/improve my shooting board and I saw a "You Tube" of someone using a #5 as the hand plane he used with the shooting board. I thought that would be great to really improve Dad's 14", #5 Bailey which I had only lightly renovated and use it with my new shooting board. The blade, chip breaker and lever cap aren't in real bad condition, but if I'm going to do it right, I think I'd like to put a good replacement unit in there. I know Lee Valley has replacement units of A2 and O1 steel for Stanley/Record handplanes. What reading I have done leads me to think the A2 would probably be my best choice for a shooting board. You guys and gals are the experts...your thoughts?

[David Weaver]

It doesn't really make a whole lot of difference. If you get a sense that it's too much work to use a vintage blade on a shoot board, then it's probably a case that how you sharpen (and how difficult it is to do and how long it takes) needs some examining. Shooting should be reserved for relatively small pieces and joints. Anything else should probably be planed in the vise.

[David Dalzell]

There will always be differences of opinion on the merits of O1 v A2. Both will be excellent. A newer version of steel is PM-v11. In my opinion this is better than either O1 or A2. Takes a very sharp edge and the edge lasts a long time. Lee Valley sells planes and chisels with PM-v11, but I don't know if they make and sell PM-v11 replacement blades for Stanley planes. For O1 or A2 replacement blades you might also check out www.hocktools.com. I have a number of his A2 and O1 blades and have been very satisfied with them.

[david charlesworth]

Ron Hock.

David

[Harold Burrell]

Veritas PM-V11

http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/pag...182,43698&ap=1

[Jim Koepke]

Shooting end grain is rather rough on a plane's blade. Though I have not used a PM-V11 blade for this it seems to make sense.

You may want to make a 'hot dog' for your #5. Here is my post on that:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...ng-Board-Plane

Further down in the thread I changed the style of the handle.

Derek Cohen makes a nicer 'hot dog' on his site:

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMad...LV%20LAJ1.html

and

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMad...ck%20pics.html

Between those and your own touch added in you should be able to make your shooting plane a pleasure to use.

jtk

[Don Morris]

I love the hog dog handles. Looks like those would certainly make for a more ergonomic and thus effective process. In just making a few passes with the #5 as is, I can see where the hog dog handles would have given me more control and perhaps a better (at least easier) end result. Will investigate the availability of PM-v11 metal for Dad's #5. He deserves the best. My mother-in-law is 100 and I told her I'm doing extra work on one of Dad's hand planes and she was thrilled. Fortunately, one of my two sons keeps up on the hand plane progress and does some nice hand work when he has the time. Good to know, they'll not go unappreciated. Thanks to all for the input.

I just checked Lee Valley and they do carry PM-v11 replacement blades for #5 Stanley/Record hand planes. So that should work for my #5 Bailey. More expensive but available.