Old Sargent planes - restore / collectors value?

[lowell holmes]

It is kind of a good feeling using tools that were around before our folks were born.

Looking at your pictures, your blade to frog problem may be due to the chip breaker having too much curvature and bowing the blade. This an be easily checked with a short straight edge. Correcting it can be a bit tricky, but not impossible.

jtk

I would put a new chip breaker on it if I wanted one. I would keep the old one to restore the plane to condition it's in now if you decided to at some time.

[Jim Koepke]

I would put a new chip breaker on it if I wanted one. I would keep the old one to restore the plane to condition it's in now if you decided to at some time.

The problem with chip breakers is the manufacturers all made them slightly different. If the adjusting slot is too far or too close to the mating face it is almost impossible to get the blade to adjust properly.

jtk

[don wilwol]

http://www.timetestedtools.net/2016/...-a-hand-plane/

[Allan Speers]

This debate always cracks me up.

Consider this: Suppose you were looking through an old hardware store that had closed & was selling off inventory. Buried in the back room, you discover a small cache of absolutely NOS Stanley type 1 hand planes, and buy them all for a dream price.

So, you get them home, and decide to sell 1/2 of them off. Well, no one is going to believe they are in original condition. Not in THAT good a shape! So, do you start scratching off some of the japanning, and adding nicks to the screws? Of course not.

So, how is that different from stripping and re-japannig the same vintage Stanley, if you find it with 20% of the japanning gone & mild rust?

Just use real japanning, etc. Five years later, not a soul will be able to tell the difference.

[lowell holmes]

The problem with chip breakers is the manufacturers all made them slightly different. If the adjusting slot is too far or too close to the mating face it is almost impossible to get the blade to adjust properly.

jtk

That's the reason for keeping the old chip breaker if the replacement does not work.

I have purchased chip breaker/ irons from Lee Valley that work fine in my 604 and 605 planes. You might explore that approach. They are for Stanley planes. They are much superior to the stock irons and breakers.

[Jim Koepke]

http://www.timetestedtools.net/2016/...-a-hand-plane/

Thanks Don, that was an enjoyable and informative read. In my case he was "preaching to the choir."

jtk