Hi All,
I have too many planes, at least for the small space I have. Of those I have two fairly low end smoothing planes. One is a #3 Dunlap, and the other is a #4 Westline.
The #3 is the better of the two, but is nothing to write home about. On both planes, the bedding where the frog and bed meet is cast iron, and un-milled. At least the Dunlap, however, feels pretty solid, and the Westline has two broken spots in the tote.
I am thinking about converting one of them to kind of a scrub plane, in the method that has been discussed on this bulletin board in the past, and that Paul Sellers has a Youtube video on. I am strongly considering converting the #3 because it is the better of the two and also narrower.
If I try to sell one, neither the Dunlap nor Westfield will bring much, if anything, and for a scrub plane the Dunlap may be good enough and might even work well for that. If I tried to sell it, I would not take more than $10 for it, as I don't think it is worth more that that. Even getting $10 might be hard. The Westfield is the same story, or worse.
I am thinking about a 7 1/2" radius, as Sellers recommends.
One other option is a Stanley Bailey #4 type 16 (I think) that has a skeletonized frog. I'm not very fond of it, however, it is a good plane that I am thinking of adding it to my carpenters tool box. I take that box with me on carpentry work but don't a lot of that. It would also be a good loaner. (I like the bedrocks and Bailey types #10 to #15, or so, a lot better for my work at home.)
What do you think, an old Dunlap good enough for a scrub plane?
Stew