Author Topic: Hand Planes  (Read 321448 times)

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Offline coolford

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Re: Hand Planes
« Reply #915 on: March 16, 2019, 06:02:45 PM »
Ah me, you disparage the Shelton's too much.  I took wood shop for three years in high school (metal shop one year) and we had Shelton planes and several guys turned out some fine furniture with them including me.  We had wood floors in shop and lots of Shelton's hit the floors many times.  Our shop wood rack contained oak, maple and popular and the Shelton's served well on all of them.  The Shelton double ended block plane is not a piece of tin, it is heavy cast steel just like the Stanley 130 and looks similar.

Offline Jim C.

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Re: Hand Planes
« Reply #916 on: March 17, 2019, 07:31:52 AM »
Hey coolford,

I’m in agreement with some of the others, and I’m typically a purist.  I guess that’s no surprise to anyone who’s been reading along.  It’s just the way I like to collect.  Still, if your “new to you” #5 is a “user” then why not just leave it alone?  The aluminum tote is all Stanley and an OEM replacement part.  It belongs to the plane’s history now and is a legitimate Stanley solution to a damaged rosewood tote.  What I’ll say next will also come as no surprise either.....I don’t like chasing parts!  A rosewood replacement tote shouldn’t be too hard  to find, but it won’t be free.  I’d leave the plane as is and start using it.

Jim C.
« Last Edit: March 17, 2019, 07:37:19 AM by Jim C. »
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Online lptools

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Re: Hand Planes
« Reply #917 on: March 18, 2019, 08:07:19 AM »
Hello, Coolford. From what I have read, those aluminum handles were popular in school woodshop settings. Regards, Lou
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Offline Jim C.

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Re: Hand Planes
« Reply #918 on: March 19, 2019, 01:57:51 PM »
A few days ago I posted a set of guidelines I try to follow when evaluating a plane for my collection.  In that post, I mentioned having an index card for every plane I own.  I know that some of you have extensive tool collections that focus on certain tools, while others have collections that cover several different types of tools.  If your collections are anything like mine, then it probably took you decades to acquire the tools and the commitment of some real financial resources too.  How do you keep track of your collection?  Very early on, not too long after I bought just a few vintage hand planes, I decided I had better start keeping track of what I have and what I spent.  I thought a written record would cover a lot different topics specifically dealing with actual inventory, possible loss/insurance, prices paid/value, and like it or not, eventual disposal.  Before I really get into this, my method of recording is not the only way to do things, or necessarily the best way either.  It's just something I've been doing for a long time and I'm comfortable with it.  I'm sure there could be computerized versions of what I'm going to present, or other ways of inventorying one's collection.  I choose 3" x 5" hand written index cards because they're easy, and at the time I started this inventory system I wasn't very computer/spreadsheet savvy (and I'm still not).  I also made the old beat up index card box a part of the collection itself.  It's right there with the bulk of my collection, plain as day.  One can pick it up, open it, and find the plane they're looking for.  Each has its own card and the cards are stacked in ascending order, front to back, by model number.  So, if one were to look in the index card box, the first card would be the Stanley #1 bench plane, followed by the #2, #2C, #3, #3C, etc. etc.....  For ease of understanding what information is provided on each card, at the front of the box is a "Key" card.  (See first photo below)  The key card basically lays out the information that's pertinent to each plane.  The information includes the plane's model number, manufacturer, years in production, type/era the particular plane was produced, its condition (See page 61, reply # 909 above), date of purchase, price paid, and notes that usually list who I got the plane from and where, as well as other tidbits about the plane and its history. 

I don't know about you, but more than once I've forgotten about planes in my collection.  For whatever reason, they've become obscure to me and I've forgotten them.  That might sound strange, but it's true.  I usually rediscover them when I'm online and find another one that's in great condition and don't remember I already have one.   When I find myself questioning my memory, I check my index card box just to make sure.  Now, that doesn't mean I won't still buy the online plane, but it might lead me to re-adjust my bid/offer.  I pray that none of us ever lose our collections to unforeseen, unfortunate, unscrupulous circumstances, but it happens.  Having a written inventory at least gives you some idea of what was lost and your previous investment in those tools.  Do you trust your memory after decades of collecting?  Finally, as much as none of us want to think about it, a time will come to say good bye.  Perhaps you'll have liquidated your collections by then.  If the job is left to your heirs, will they know what you have?  Although the price of vintage tools goes up and down, leaving some record of the tool's original cost to you, particularly if purchased as a collectible, might be generally helpful in identifying a tool as being a relatively expensive collectible versus a five dollar garage sale item.   

Below I've added a few pictures of actual cards from my index card box detailing some of the planes we've previously discussed in the thread.  The first photo is the "key" card.  It will hopefully provide some guidance as to what information is detailed on each card.  It's fairly self-explanatory.  The second card depicted pertains to one of my favorite planes to use, the Stanley # 605 1/2.  Remember that one?  I've talked about it a few times throughout the thread.  The third and fourth pictures pertain to the Stanley #94.  There's nothing unique about the plane itself, but notice the interesting story, told to me by the seller, in the notes section that continues onto the back of the card.  I've heard some good ones over the years.  More than once you've heard me say that I'm always interested in a plane's history if I can get it from the seller/donor.  I almost always ask.  Sometimes I get nothing and sometimes I get a good story or two about former owners/users, a donor's family member, etc.   Sometimes the stories are easy to verify (as detailed on the last card) and sometimes you just gotta go with it.  ("So this plane belonged to a cabinet maker who made things for the Queen?  The Queen of England?  Wow!!  That's really something......") Well it might be factual.  The last card pertains to the Stanley #40.  If you recall back in the thread, I got that plane from a neighbor.  Notice the price paid was zero.  I use that particular plane at the beginning of almost every project I start, and the price was right.  When I pick it up, I think of my former neighbor.  Anyway....

Although my inventory system is very low tech, which I like, it works.  At some point I'll probably (with help) create a computerized spreadsheet with the same information.  It's never a bad idea to have a backup.  A final thought..... no system will be any good if the owner of the collection doesn't keep his/her records up to date.  When I acquire a plane, after taking it apart, cleaning it, etc., I immediately make another card detailing the plane and add it to my box.  If you haven't already done it, I hope this post will spark some thought about inventorying/cataloging your collection.

Jim C.           
« Last Edit: March 19, 2019, 08:01:46 PM by Jim C. »
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Offline Papaw

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Re: Hand Planes
« Reply #919 on: March 19, 2019, 02:27:24 PM »
Sometimes "Old School" is the best. Those cards can't be lost in a server crash, or computer failure. Of course a fire or flood could take them. Photos of the cards would be something you could save on an external hard drive. Then you and some help could make a spreadsheet from that.
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Online Yadda

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Re: Hand Planes
« Reply #920 on: March 19, 2019, 05:22:26 PM »
I agree, scan the cards and add them as .pdf file in your spreadsheet.  I would definitely enjoy reading through you filebox.
You might say I have a tool collecting problem....

Offline Jim C.

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Re: Hand Planes
« Reply #921 on: March 19, 2019, 07:56:30 PM »
I agree, scan the cards and add them as .pdf file in your spreadsheet.  I would definitely enjoy reading through you filebox.

Hey Yadda,

Thanks for stopping by the thread.  What you described..... scanning, spreadsheets, pdf files..... I have a better chance of successfully building my own rocket and going to Mars.  I’m not a computer guy.  As for going though my index card box, well, a lot of it is just the basic stuff, like when I got a plane, how much I paid for it, etc.  But then there’s more than a few planes that have a story, some of which I’ve written about, and some I’ll get to eventually.

Jim C.

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Offline skipskip

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Re: Hand Planes
« Reply #922 on: March 19, 2019, 10:53:27 PM »
I'm trying to imagine me keeping track of  tools.

I do list the larger things in the business books as I buy and sell them, but I dont really collect those, just enjoy them for a bit and move them on.

but most of the things I keep are in the books as lots labelled  "Box o' tools"

I do however, sort each  days purchases into their appropriate drawer/cabinet, so I suppose I have them recorded

 by location  (all the planes are in the plane rack, all the Hinsdale tools are in the Hinsdale drawers)

there is always that dilemma; do I put the breast drill in the Miller's Falls pile or in the hand drill box?

A place for everything and everything on the floor

Offline p_toad

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Re: Hand Planes
« Reply #923 on: March 19, 2019, 11:33:58 PM »
I like your system and used to do something like that BC (before children) when swmbo and i used to actually have a life, travel, and collect stuff we liked (and mostly before i started, erm, accumulating tools).   Since we haven't "collected" for a long time, i never resumed making cards for my tools, but i still have all the old cards (around here, uh.....somewhere).   :undecided:

Offline Jim C.

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Re: Hand Planes
« Reply #924 on: March 20, 2019, 11:15:10 AM »
I'm trying to imagine me keeping track of  tools.


Hi skipskip,

While OCD has never been officially diagnosed, I do tend to lead a very orderly existence.  This isn’t something new.  It goes back a long way......Matchbox cars that I got as a child in the 1960s still in their original boxes, Tonka trucks that NEVER went outside let alone the sandbox, lego bricks sorted by color, etc.  Fast forward......index cards for hand planes.  Heck, did you check out the index for this thread?  OCD?  Nah.  Well, maybe just a little.

Jim C. :grin:
« Last Edit: March 21, 2019, 10:00:36 AM by Jim C. »
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Offline donald_wa

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Re: Hand Planes
« Reply #925 on: March 20, 2019, 11:26:48 PM »
there's no such thing as a little OCD. Either you have it or you don't. Not that its a bad thing . Some of my best friends have it.  I greatly admire your organization.
« Last Edit: March 20, 2019, 11:28:39 PM by donald_wa »

Online Yadda

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Re: Hand Planes
« Reply #926 on: March 20, 2019, 11:49:19 PM »
I agree, scan the cards and add them as .pdf file in your spreadsheet.  I would definitely enjoy reading through you filebox.

Hey Yadda,

Thanks for stopping by the thread.  What you described..... scanning, spreadsheets, pdf files..... I have a better chance of successfully building my own rocket and going to Mars.  I’m not a computer guy.  As for going though my index card box, well, a lot of it is just the basic stuff, like when I got a plane, how much I paid for it, etc.  But then there’s more than a few planes that have a story, some of which I’ve written about, and some I’ll get to eventually.

Jim C.

Those cards are history. Time and place.  I would love to read through them.  Check your church or a local community college. You can probably find someone 20 or under than can scan and index the cards in a few hours.
You might say I have a tool collecting problem....

Online Yadda

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Re: Hand Planes
« Reply #927 on: March 21, 2019, 12:00:33 AM »
I saw a Paul Sellers video on refurbishing an old hand plane to use and it inspired me to pick up a few and try my hand at it.  All of them need cleaning and sharpening. All of the appear to be lower end models or brands.  This is the Fulton
« Last Edit: March 21, 2019, 12:04:26 AM by Yadda »
You might say I have a tool collecting problem....

Online Yadda

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Re: Hand Planes
« Reply #928 on: March 21, 2019, 12:03:00 AM »
This is the Victor.
You might say I have a tool collecting problem....

Online Yadda

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Re: Hand Planes
« Reply #929 on: March 21, 2019, 12:06:08 AM »
This is a Stanley C557B.
« Last Edit: March 21, 2019, 12:07:55 AM by Yadda »
You might say I have a tool collecting problem....