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Thread: Another Estate Sale Plane Pick

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Edmond, Oklahoma
    Posts
    1,749
    Hi Al,

    Your plane looks drastically better. It also sounds like you are fighting someone else's Frankenplane efforts. +1 on what Jim said about the cause of your battles. I had an Ohio #4 that belonged to my grandfather, it had a Stanley iron, chip breaker, and lever cap, and would not work even moderately well as was. It also had only an old carriage bolt for a tote. I had to get the original parts before it would adjust correctly, and also a replacement tote and bolt. Even so, it has a tapered iron, and as such is kind of a pain to adjust. From what Table Saw Tom has written about the old Ohio planes, this is apparently a common complaint.

    With your Union, it should be easier to get parts for it than I had with the Ohio. If the plane was not my grandfathers, it would not have been worth the cost and effort. I clearly have more in the plane than it is worth, but because of the family history, I had made the decision to restore it even though it was going to cost more for the parts than the plane is worth. I don't think the old Ohio planes are worth much. Now that it is done, it is a serviceable plane, but the adjustments and sharpening the iron are not as handy as on a Stanley, but because of the history, it is a privilege for me to have and use the plane.

    On the other hand, once you get your plane finished, especially if you can find the original parts, you should end up with a pretty good and useful plane, from what I have heard.

    I found the parts for my old Ohio on Ebay, but even ended up buying an entire plane and robbing from it to get the correct parts. There aren't many of the old Ohio bench planes, and even fewer of the type I have.

    Your Union is a much more common plane. If you wait long enough you should be able to find the parts and should end up with a really good plane.

    Again, the efforts you have made to restore it look great. If the iron is pitted down on the business end, it can still be a reasonably good iron for fore plane use, as the iron for that use doesn't need to be as razor sharp at the smoothing or jointer plane irons.

    I think the Union planes take a Stanley pattern iron, so finding a better iron for it should not be a problem, again on Ebay, or from one of the plane parts suppliers. You can check the iron against a Stanley. Guys like Jim, above, or one of the other Neanders, may know about the type of irons it takes just from their experience. I don't, and only know about the planes I use, which are mostly Stanley planes.

    Regards,

    Stew
    Last edited by Stew Denton; 07-03-2015 at 12:48 PM.

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Victoria, BC
    Posts
    2,367
    If the bottom is flat (enough) an aftermarket blade and chipbreaker should help a great deal. You may need to work the bed a little, as well. The nice thing is you can use the blade and chipbreaker in other planes as well.
    Paul

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