Is this actually a scrub plane?

[Cliff Polubinsky]

I've been wanting to add a scrub plane but not enough to pay what they're going for on ebay. Stopped by a flea market today and picked up an old plane that was marked as a #3 that I thought I could change into a scrub. It was only $10 so I figured it was worth a gamble. When I got home and was checking on Blood & Gore I realized that it wasn't a #3 and it looked just like the picture of a scrub. There are no markings on it at all. It measures just under 9" long by 2" wide. The blade has been ground straight across but that's easily taken care of. The sides are not japanned like the description on Blood & Gore mentions, but maybe someone had sanded them off. Did I just luck out and this is actually a scrub? And any suggestions where to find a new bolt and handle to get rid of the nut and washer set up it now has?




Thanks for any advice.

Cliff

[Brian Hale]

My guess is it's a scrub. Does it have a nice thick blade and no cap iron? Thats typically what I've seen in pictures of a scrub and it kinda looks like the one Lie-Nielson makes. That large mouth is another clue it's a scrub.

Brian

[Mark Stutz]

Cliff,
I agree with you about the price of scrub planes This one has the right configuration of lever cap, but looks a little wide to me. Maybe another maker besides Stanley? Hopefully more experienced galoots will chime in.

Mark

[skip coyne]

dosnt a scrub plane have a rounded sole and blade ?

is this flat or round ?

going from memory here

[Roy Wall]

I think you got a good deal for $10!! Looks like a Baily #40 knock off to me.......

Is the blade new.....? Rounded edges means its a Hock..... a little steeper 60* angle is usually an LN.......but this one's 45* bevel......?

The sole will be flat....but yes, the blade is normally radiused in a scrub plane.

[harry strasil]

Cliff, here are two of my scrub planes, A Rams horn woody I acquired last summer that needs some rehab and my Stanley.









Hope this helps you. jr.

[Dan Moening]

Cliff,

I picked up that same plane on Ebay for a bit more than you paid.

I'm told it is a "Goodall & Pratt" #3.

Mine is exactly as you describe yours to be...no japaning on the sides, and no evidence there ever was any.

I tried unsuccessfully to make it into a scrub {that was why I bought it}. I ground the iron with a wide camber, and opened the mouth a bit. In use the edge of the iron folded over in first use and I've not tried much beyond that since.

[Richard Niemiec]

I bought two of those same planes as a lot on ebay maybe 6 years ago thinking they were scrubs from the picture. They are decidedly not. I tried to convert one to a scrub, but it was terrible. I ended up taking a "surplus" #5 (that had some rust issues and cheek cracks) and filed out the mouth, reground the blade convex, and it makes a quite workable scrub, at least for my purposes. regards.rn

[Mike Wenzloff]

Like Dan, it is either a G&P or a Shelton.

Probably is possible to make a decent scrub--nearly any plane can be. I would grind a greater than 3" radius [typical for a #40]. That way the width of iron is less an issue.

I converted a #5 1/4 as the extra heft and length are useful to me. But there have been times I wish I had a shorter one or a radiused blade for my #3.

Take care, Mike

[Ed Hardin]

[
Cliff, I tried converting old planes to scrubs with indifferent success. I'm just not good enough I guess. Wait until Woodcraft has another 10% sale and get a LN scrub. I did and it was worth it. Boy was it worth it.



QUOTE=Cliff Polubinsky]I've been wanting to add a scrub plane but not enough to pay what they're going for on ebay. Stopped by a flea market today and picked up an old plane that was marked as a #3 that I thought I could change into a scrub. It was only $10 so I figured it was worth a gamble. When I got home and was checking on Blood & Gore I realized that it wasn't a #3 and it looked just like the picture of a scrub. There are no markings on it at all. It measures just under 9" long by 2" wide. The blade has been ground straight across but that's easily taken care of. The sides are not japanned like the description on Blood & Gore mentions, but maybe someone had sanded them off. Did I just luck out and this is actually a scrub? And any suggestions where to find a new bolt and handle to get rid of the nut and washer set up it now has?




Thanks for any advice.

Cliff[/QUOTE]

[harry strasil]

If you don't mind my interrupting again, I think you are looking at this problem wrong.

Let's look at it from a Blacksmiths point of view, if you don't mind.


1. The goal is to convert one type of plane to do the work of another type of plane.

2. The plane must do the work of a SCRUB plane. A Scrub plane is designed to remove a lot of material fast and dirty. Lets's look at the main features of a Scrub plane, It's narrow and has a very aggresive working blade with a quickly adjustable blade holder. The blade has a radical camber to its cutting edge to dig deep in the center over a narrow area to prevent tear out at the edges with a minimum of effort.

3. Let's look at the plane we want to modify. It's got the sturdy easily adjustable type of blade holder. It has a nice open mouth. What is wrong with it? Answer, its too wide, and the blade is too wide. Well, the width of the plane is not a problem, but the blade is. Is it possible to alter the blade? Yes it is.

4. The solution then is to alter the width of the blade. This is one possible way to do that. Measurement should read 1 1/4 inches instead of 1.5, and instead of the edges being ground in like is shown, a nice taper could be ground instead.


5. Its a thin blade so lets not grind too much relief on the back to strengthen the cutting edge.

Does this sound like a viable solution to the problem.

jr.