A bit of Nostalgia ... for me

[Michael L. Martin]

A couple of planes from my Grandfather's tool collection, a number 4c and a 7c. both Type 11's. I just recently became the steward of these planes and so began the task of cleaning and bringing them back up to working condition. The years of use (and some abuse I'm sure) have left them in poor condition with broken (repaired) totes and knobs, etc. As I began the project, my first thoughts were to replace the totes and knobs, replace the incorrect irons, and do whatever would make them "right." But then I thought about what I was trying to accomplish here and decided to leave all parts as is, with one exception. I replaced a broken frog on the #4c. Here are the results of my project, and I am pleased. Both of the planes came into my Grandfathers life in 1915. He was a young man in his early twenties at the time. Yes.... they are a couple of ordinary Stanley planes. But if only the planes could relate the stories they've heard, the tasks they've completed, and the roads they've traveled. That's what matters to me. Not bad lookers either for 101 years of history.

[Lonnie Gallaher]

Well done - Perfect

[Frederick Skelly]

Great story Mike. I'd have done the same as you did.
If only tools could talk, huh?

Thanks for sharing this with us.
Fred

[Mike Henderson]

Nice tools and nice restoration. Congratulations.

Mike

[lowell holmes]

[QUOTE=Frederick Skelly;2608727]Great story Mike. I'd have done the same as you did.
If only tools could talk, huh?

I'm have gone out into my shop in the middle of the night for some reason. I really do think I heard them talking one night. It was a fall night with a full moon, kinda enchanted. or maybe it was wistful thinking on my part. I have a couple tools that were my father's. It might have been them.

I never use one of his tools without think of him and I'm older than sin.

[Stew Denton]

Mike,

Neat story and very nice looking planes. I relate a lot to the value to us of family history, and really want to pass down to my family tools that belonged to my grandfather, my dad, and also my own tools.

Good job!

Stew

[Glen Canaday]

I can only wish that when I'm gone someone with have enough respect for me and what I've done to take care of what I used to do them like you've done with your grandfather's tools. Good job!

And the cherry on top is that technically you only need a jack plane to complete that 3-plane lineup! Type 11 #5s pretty much grow on trees so finding one to match your grandfather's planes should be super simple and inexpensive.

[Jerry Olexa]

Nice job, good decision and a heartfelt story.....Good for you..

[Stew Denton]

Michael,

You may call them "ordinary" Stanley planes, but Christopher Schwarz believes that the type 11s are the best Stanley Baileys ever made. I think you have great planes and you restored them very nicely, as far as the pictures show. Again, you did a beautiful job of restoring them, as per the limitations that you placed on what you would replace.

I hope you can use and enjoy them until such a time you turn them over to a relative who will be the next Steward of the collection.

My advise would be for you to write up a short history of the tools your grandfather and father had, that you are passing on to the next generation. My son in law asked me to do that. It is important to him, and he hopes it will be important to his kids and my grandkids.

I hope some of both sets of my grandkids will grow up to do at least some woodworking, and grow up to appreciate the small number of woodworking tools that will have been used by 5 generations of our family by the time they own them. I hope the same for your grandkids.

Again, as above, you did a beautiful job on these. Thanks for sharing the story and pictures.

Stew

[Stewie Simpson]

Excellent refurbishment Michael. Well done. The modern equivalents aren't worth the money their asking for.

Stewie;

[Paul Saffold]

Nice job Michael. I have a 4 & 8, type 11 C that were my grandfathers, too. I agree they are nice planes.

[Tony Zaffuto]

[QUOTE=lowell holmes;2608747]

Great story Mike. I'd have done the same as you did.
If only tools could talk, huh?

I'm have gone out into my shop in the middle of the night for some reason. I really do think I heard them talking one night. It was a fall night with a full moon, kinda enchanted. or maybe it was wistful thinking on my part. I have a couple tools that were my father's. It might have been them.

I never use one of his tools without think of him and I'm older than sin.

Same here Lowell. My father was a house builder and he regarded tools as tools: in other words, tools would be altered to do whatever job was at hand to keep food on the table.

[Derek Cohen]

[QUOTE=Tony Zaffuto;2608918]

Same here Lowell. My father was a house builder and he regarded tools as tools: in other words, tools would be altered to do whatever job was at hand to keep food on the table.

I have an UK-made Stanley #3 that belonged to my late FIL. 20 years ago it started me down the path of handtools. Up till then I was a power tooler.

I restored the plane to its original state several years ago, but I cannot say it performed especially well, even when I learned to set the chipbreaker on it. Eventually I decided that to do justice to the plane, and to honour it in the best way - to use it - I needed to complete some serious tuning (lapped the sole, filed the frog until square and making good contact, and added a PM-V11 blade and chipbreaker). I did a minor amount of beautification as well.

Now the plane performs as well as any on interlocked grain, and is a regular user. I know Bob would approve.



Regards from Perth

Derek

[Mike Holbrook]

Nice planes!

Derek, I am wondering if you modified the mouth of the #3 to get the Veritas blade to work in it? I have had an issue getting the Veritas blade to work in my 5 1/4.

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Mike

No modification needed to the mouth of the #3. Keep in mind that this is a UK-made Stanley, and the mouth was not the smallest to begin with.

Have you pulled the frog back a little?

Regards from Perth

Derek