Okay just wanted to hear if I screwed up. I have a couple (3) of stanly bench planes that I got off EBay that I was starting to redo. After getting halfway through lapping the sole flat on the #3 I decided there had to be an easier way. The #5 and #7 bottoms looked worse than the #3. Being that the #5 was the worse I took it to my local machine shop. For $15 they are going to take 0.003" off the bottom and it will be within 0.001 of dead flat with a nice finish. I figure that with a little hand lapping I can get it ever so smooth.

Has anybody ever gone this route before. also, should have I spent extra to have them bring the side to a absolute dead perfect ninety degrees to the base? Or is just lapping the side enough?

Like I said the #5 was pretty bad so if it is just a learning experience, so be it. I plan on having the japanning redone so I will hand lap the bottom over float glass after the baking process. Also the same plane is in need of a replacement lever cap, any good places other than Ebay that I should look. I would like one of the original type 11 with no words.

Thanks all you have been great in helping me get these things restored. Now if I can just get somebody to show me how to tune them in to make full curls.

Jimmy