More questions but I am learning!

[Kenneth George]

Ok so I have been buying several planes and such lately! Most of which have been in pretty good mechanical shape but have little to no japanning so I have been completely refurbishing them but some are in much better shape. An example is a #6 I picked up this weekend, it is a Type 8 and in very good condition with the exception of the Japanning tail section that looks like it is blistered and there is a bit of rust. My question is what to do about this? Is there something I can put on it to stop the rust and damage?

The second question has to do with a #112 I picked up. It is in great condition with just about all the japanning in tact. No broke knob or handle and is just nice looking. So, I am wondering if there is a resource for dating this one. It has the No 112 and a S cast into it. Other than that there are no markings. The brass adjustments are solid brass with no markings.

Thanks much for all the information;

Ken

[Dave Anderson NH]

A couple of answers for you Ken. How you deal with the blistered japanning is a matter of how much effort you want to put into the plane. Number 6s are very common so collectibility is not an issue. The easiest approach is to break off the blistering, wire brush or scrape/sand the rust away, and the simply apply a rust preventative and some paste wax. The opposite end of the spectrum is to clean the blistered areas down to bright shiny bare steel, and either rejapan with Pontypool jappaning or equivalent or use some rustoleum type spray paint. It's a matter of personal choice, not dogma.

The second question about dating the #112 is a bit easier. The standard internet resource for most things in the Stanley plane arena is "Patrick's Bood and Gore" by Pat Leach. You can find it at www.supertool.com