What wood should I use on my Stanley hand plane tote?

One of the most common questions I get is "what wood should I use on my Stanley hand plane tote"? I'm going to cover this for the Stanley planes from type 10 to around type 17, this covers 1910 to around 1960.

I usually answer with a question: do you want to match the original or not?

If the goal is to come as close as possible to the original "furniture" on your Stanley hand plane then cocobolo, bar none, is the best choice. That's what Stanley used "back in the day" however that brings an issue with it: cost. Cocobolo is a rosewood (a Dalbergia species) and as of January 2017 all Dalbergias are on the CITES II list which means import/export is restricted. As a result of this, plus the huge demand for it in China, the price has skyrocketed. This puts Coco almost on par with some of the ebonies out there. So, if cost is not an issue, by all means use Cocobolo.

If however cost is an issue, which to many of us it is, then there are a few options. I have found the species Chechen, AKA Caribbean rosewood, to be a very suitable replacement. Despite the common name carrying the word "rosewood", it's not a Dalbergia and not on the CITES list. It doesn't have quite the deep warmth that Coco does nor are the rings as tight or wild but it's also 1/3 the cost of Coco. After it ages it comes out a really nice brown color that's close to the original. However, if you're trying to match an existing knob with a new tote they won't match for several years to come. Staining Chechen is an option but typically we just recommend replacing the knob with a Chechen tote at the same time, they're strikingly beautiful as is and closely resembles freshly worked Cocobolo.

Another option in the "similar to original" category would be Padauk. It comes out a red coloe after working but after it ages and oxidizes (especially in the sun) it turns a deep rich brown. The grain doesn't exhibit the same rosewood type waves like Chechen does but it's a fine replacement.

If you prefer an option native to the US then walnut is certainly a good choice. As it ages it develops a deep warm brown tone though not quite as striking as cocobolo. The upside is that it's MUCH lower cost just about anywhere in the US, the downside is that it's not quite as heavy and feels a bit different when used. Generally though I find this to be an excellent option.

Lastly, down the "similar to original" path would be Bubinga. Despite it being on the same CITES II list as Dalbergia I have not seen the price increases as have occurred with Cocobolo. I personally don't care for working Bubinga, it tears very easily and is really (really) hard, but after it ages it is quite beautiful. It's not my first choice though. Or second. Or thirds.... ;-)

Now, if you're not looking to match the original on the plane then there are many fine options. We offer American beech, hard maple, purple heart and many other species. Note that for a period during WW2 beech was actually used on many Stanley planes due to Cocobolo not being imported. If you have one of these types then life is actually easy, buy beech!

O-1 Tool Steel Pricing

I recently had the need to purchase O-1 tool steel and wanted to see who has the best price for it. In most cases these suppliers sell the EXACT same steel as each other, either Precision Matthews or Starrett.

This is for O-1 precision ground flat stock, I used the same size to compare each supplier (1/8"x1"x18"), used my address as the ship-to and selected the same type of shipping for each of them (UPS ground).

If you're paying more than this for tool steel, you're paying too much. If you are aware of other suppliers please let me know in the comments, I'll include them in this comparison for others.

Notes and caveats:

• This is the shipping cost to ME, it might differ to YOU but is here for comparison purposes.
• Pricing could vary by size, it's possible one place might be lower cost than another for other sizes, do your own comparison. At least you'll know which 3 to target for comparisons.

Drum roll please...

Supplier	Steel Brand	Cost	Shipping	Total
Die Supplies	Precision Marshall	$       12.23	$       13.65	$       25.88
McMaster Carr	Precision Marshall	$       12.97	$       13.45	$       26.42
Grainger	Precision Marshall	$       17.65	$       10.98	$       28.63
Onlinemetals.com	Precision Marshall	$       15.30	$       19.37	$       34.67
MSC	Starrett	$       25.56	$       12.79	$       38.35
Metals Depot	Starrett	$       24.88	$       14.38	$       39.26

So, the winner is Die Supplies but McMaster isn't too far behind. Grainger is actually in 3rd place which totally surprised me.

Stanley 62 low angle jack plane

     The Stanley 62 has to be one of the most discussed and often confused planes out there yet everyone appears to want one, look at the prices on eBay. Once and for all I am going to write down my experience with this mythical creature.

     The first 62 I had came from an estate sale, I paid something like $80 for it so it was certainly a bargain compared to the going rates I had seen. Boy did I think I landed a HUGE winner... This one was a sweetheart era plane, circa 1928 or so, and was in excellent condition. In fact, that one had close to 100% of the original japanning left on it. And so I commenced using it and started what is now the worst relationship I have ever had with a tool. If there is one item that is my arch nemesis, it's the Stanley 62.

     The first thing I noticed was the weight, it's a really light plane considering the length. I'm guessing the lack of a "real" frog has something to do with that. Now, I prefer heavier planes, so this was an immediate turnoff to me. if light is your thing you'll like this but personally I have found I can control more steel better than I can less steel. -1 for this this aspect. The light weight is likely also due to the thickness of the casting, it's dramatically thinner than even other Stanley planes of the same era. I'll add another -1 for it feeling like a tinker toy. Heck, I'm going to add -2 just for that reason alone.

     The next part that immediately stuck out was the handle (hah, stuck out), it's small. So small that my entire hand wouldn't fit on it, my thumb hung over begging for somewhere to sit. For the same reason I put an extended magazine on my carry weapon (the pinky problem) I don't like this handle. At all. -1 for this.

Now that we are done with the aesthetic portions let's get to the meat of it...

     One of the main selling points of this plane is the adjustable mouth, you should be able to open it up for thick work or close it up for fine work. In theory that is. I think at the time the machining capabilities at Stanley just weren't up to snuff yet because the adjustable part of the mouth flopped around in the opening with 1/32" to spare on either side. Here's a -1. Couple with that the fact that the mouth just DOES NOT close up very tight and you have one more waste of time and money. -2 for this one since a tight mouth is essential for a smooth finish.

     The iron is basically a thin piece of cheap O-1 tool steel, I don't even think you can use the term "iron" on this, it's a shaving implement for rocks. -1 please.

     Now for the "frog", if you want to call it that. It's a couple pieces of cast metal that holds the blade in position and doesn't really do that well. The blade slops from side to side laterally a whole lot due to the lack of tolerances in the casting as well as due to the poor lever cap design. The depth adjuster isn't fine enough to be able to take really thin shavings for smoothing operations, I guess that's what the $800 Stanley 64 is for! Since there are so many things wrong here I'm going to ding it -5 because by this point I'm sick of this plane.

     Ok, enough bitching, time for functionality, the real meat and potatoes of a hand plane right? It could have all of these dings against it and still produce exceptional results right? Yes, it could but it doesn't. You can't close the mouth enough to be a good large smooth plane. You can never get the depth adjustment good enough for shooting and at a thick setting it's not even a good fore plane. Return to sender.

     Now wait, I know what you're thinking, I got a bum plane right? Remember my comment above about this being my first one? Guess what, lightning does strike twice. About a year after obtaining the first one I ran across another one at a garage sale for like $40 so I bought it. I thought, hmm, that one I have at home HAS to just be a bad plane right? I mean, all of those people on eBay buying them for $300 and up can't be wrong can they? The answer is yes, they're all wrong. This one was of the same vintages as the first one and had all of the same problems PLUS an even worse blade. I'll give Stanley a -2 just for fact they produced 2 of them at all.

     Where am I, -13 or so by now? Even at -1 each I've given you at least 5-6 reasons why you should NOT buy this plane to use. Fill a hole in a collection on the wall with it please. Really, please, so the rest of us don't get stuck thinking we should buy one.

     Overall the idea behind this plane is absolutely fantastic. Low angle, bevel up, good length and an adjustable mouth. It's essentially a large block plane which is really handy to have around. The problem here is execution, Stanley just didn't have the mojo in them to do it. My advice? Let the collectors pay $300+ for these things so they're not on the market anymore then take your money and buy the LN version of it. Now THAT is a good plane. I have since sold both of my vintage 62's (at a profit I might add) and used that cash to fund an LN 62 and 2 spare Hock irons for it.

     Note that I did NOT get into the relative pros and cons of the low angle vs the standard or other angles, I'll save that for another crappy week when I want to rant.

Helpful? I hope so. Now go buy an LN 62!

Wait, you're still here? I said buy the LN!

Here's a few pictures of the 62 cause it *is* a cool looking plane...

Alfie Shine Hard Wax Polish

Those of you that know me, know that I build quite a few wood hand tools but you might not know that I repair and restore quite a bit more. In addition to that I have my own tool collection (of course) and all of these need to be cleaned and maintained. The centuries of use by craftsman results in colors, spots and prints on these fine tools that are a testament to the dutiful work performed over several lifetimes.  One of the more important aspects of the cleaning process is to preserve as much of that beautiful patina as possible. What one person calls dirt another one, such as myself, views as witness to history.

Not only does this patina need to be preserved during cleaning but it needs to be added to, by those of us that use these tools, and protected for future generations to marvel at. In the past I have used various waxes and polishes to protect and maintain wood tools but recently a fellow craftsman, and friend, has created a new hard wax polish to help us maintain and preserve our precious old wood tools.

Jim Hendricks of Kent, England, has spent the past couple years developing, testing and producing a hard wax polish he calls Alfie Shine, named after his friend & companion, Alfie. Alfie leads a very good dog life there in Kent and from what I understand, he approves of and officially endorses the product. As soon as he announced its availability I immediately ordered a tin from Workshop Heaven to try out. Matthew Platt, who assisted Jim with getting the product to market, runs a fine operation there and shipped the product soon after I ordered it.

It took around a week to arrive in the mail from the UK, unfortunately I wasn't home that day and it needed to be signed for. The following day on the way to an appointment I stopped by the post office to pick up my parcel. I couldn't wait until I got home to open it, so here it is fresh from the package:

Alfie Shine straight from the package

After returning home and finishing work for the day, I took Alfie to the shop with me to take it for a test drive. I fortunately had several planes in for maintenance, as well as a few of my own, so it was the perfect time to go test.

First up was a recent purchase, an H. Chapin no 8 round circa 1850. As you can see in the before images it wasn't in terrible shape, only needing a bit of cleaning, sharpening and a finish coat.

H. Chapin no 8, escapement side

H. Chapin no 8, blind side

My "standard" routine includes cleaning the plane and in this case I used my existing method that is a mix of raw linseed oil, pure pine turpentine and apple cider vinegar. Using that mixture I cleaned the plane with a cloth towel making sure I only removed the surface gunk. After sharpening I opened up the Alfie Shine and the first thing that struck me was the smell, it's divine. Whatever wax and ingredients were used, it's actually a nice tin to open up and smell. Using a cotton cloth I applied the wax sparingly then came back with a fresh cloth and polished it up. I must say, at that point I was quite happy with the results. There was a bit of residual dirt on the cloth used to apply the Alfie Shine so I decided to test the other claim: Alfie can be use to clean planes as well. Hmm, that's next up.

H. Chapin no 8, escapement side after clean and wax

H. Chapin no 8, blind side after clean and wax.

Next up was my walnut 15" jack plane, it had a years worth of dust and dirt buildup and I decided to use a bit of boiled linseed oil (BLO) followed by Alfie Shine to see how that worked. The idea here is that the BLO will "feed" the wood and prevent it from drying out, that being the #1 cause of planes cracking, then protecting that coating with the wax. I allowed the BLO to dry for a few hours then, using the same method as before, I applied the Alfie Shine with a cotton cloth then used a clean one to come back and polish. I must say, the Alfie Shine went over the BLO like a champ protecting the oil & wood and looks fantastic.

Walnut jack with BLO and Alfie Shine

Since I am in the midst of my annual tool cleaning process and my Stanley 62 was due up next, I decided I would take that opportunity to use Alfie on that. Not only to protect the metal from rust but to clean it up to begin with.

Here is the plane after disassembly and before cleaning. As you can see, it was in pretty sad shape, this is one of the more recent 62's I picked up and it hadn't been cleaned since I bought it.

Stanley 62 before cleaning

Using another cotton cloth I applied Alfie Shine to the plane body first, scrubbing it off rather hard to remove as much dirt, dust and grime as much as I could. After doing the entire plane, here's what the cloth looked like:

The 62 cloth after cleaning

Personally, I would call that a roaring success. Not only did the Alfie Shine clean the plane as stated, it coated the entire body in enough surface protectant that there's no chance it will get any surface rust over the next year.

Here's the 62 after cleaning and reassembly:

62 after cleaning, knob side

62 after cleaning, iron and handle side

The last test was of a molding plane I am repairing for someone, it's a fairly "simple" molding plane and best as I can tell was made around 1880.

Molding plane before cleaning

Molding plane before cleaning

It has much of the usual dirt and grime all over it and was dry as a bone. I started with the same wood cleaning mixture I use which removes most of the grime while feeding the wood a bit. After that it received a good BLO feeding over the course of a day. I applied a thick coating of BLO, let it soak in then came back and did that again until the wood didn't absorb any more. 

When that was done I used the 2 cloth Alfie Shine process, the profiled sole of the plane received the same treatment and was given a bit of additional wax. This will certainly help the plane slide smoothly over the workpiece.

Here's how it came out.

Molding plane after clean and wax

See the shine?

The blind side, again, shiny

The profile, waxed and ready to use

At this point I had used Alfie Shine on 8-10 planes as well as on my marking gauges and several chisels. While the tin it comes in may seem small, a little goes a LONG way, I have used *maybe* 5% of it thus far.

The patina on the tool is meticulously maintained with Alfie and the layer of protectant should last for months to years depending on how much the tool is used.

Overall I'm extremely happy with the product, it does everything claimed and does it well. It's only available from Workshop Heaven in the UK today but they ship to the US, the shipping price is quite fair and it arrived in an expeditious manner. I've heard rumor they're working on a US based distributor as well.

It is available direct from Workshop Heaven here, more info will be available here.

The only real problem is I'm going to need more than one tin... I'll be using it on everything from here on out.

Sold: Bedrock 606, type 6, fresh restore

SOLD: Stanley Bedrock 606

Type 6 (1910-1921)

$180

Up for sale is a Stanley Bedrock 606, type 6 (1912-1921), 2 patent dates and small depth knob. Ground up refurb and tuneup, it's ready to go to work out of the box. This is a restore done by a hand tool woodworker for hand tool woodworkers.

So what is a Bedrock plane versus a Bailey one? I’m glad you asked...Introduced in the early 20th century Stanley decided that they needed a new, higher end, line of planes where they could introduce newer more “high end features”. The majority of innovation of bench planes at Stanley was occurring around the Bedrock series. One of the first additions was from a patent that introduced the world to that middle frog adjustment screw, the one just below the iron depth adjustment knob on Bailey planes. While offered in the Bedrock series it was then added to all of the Bailey planes as well and survives to this day on modern Stanley and other makers planes.

The other, perhaps more controversial, addition introduced in 1911 (on the type 5)  was from another patent which would allow the frog to be loosened up without removing the lever cap and iron. On a Bailey plane, you need to remove those pieces so you can access the screws that hold the frog in place. On a Bedrock you simply loosen 2 screws on the rear of the frog, right beside the other new frog adjustment screw, and move the frog back and forth without removing the lever cap and iron. These are my favorite Bedrock planes and represent the majority of the ones I restore and sell and are widely considered the finest planes ever made by humankind.

Fast forward to modern times… When Thomas Lie-Nielsen was designing his new bench planes, he didn’t have to look any further than the Bedrock series for inspiration. They were, and still are, considered the last great plane to come from the Stanley company. LN took modern steels, tooling and other materials and turned what was a great plane into the world’s finest. By purchasing this Bedrock you are getting a piece of woodworking history.

The nitty gritty details

The base was blasted and received replacement Japanning. The japanning is my recipe and is a near carbon copy replacement for Stanley’s circa 1900-1930. It was applied in several coats then baked at progressively higher temps, an hour at a time. After this it's allowed to cure for 30 days. This finish will last longer than engine enamel and looks nearly identical to a plane coming out of the Stanley factory. The only apology on the base is very slight pitting towards the heel, I do not remove that because it would cause the base to be too thin. It will not affect performance

The frog was torn apart, blasted and received the same japanning as the base. After curing all mating surfaces were flattened. The only apology is pitting on the lateral adjustment lever, it will not affect performance, it's just annoying.

The knob and tote are new and are hand made out of cocobolo by me. To allow the natural beauty of the material to show through they received 2 coats of teak oil (so they're UV protected), were buffed out then had a coat of Renaissance Wax applied. If ren wax is good enough for the British Museum, it's ok in my books. I've added one of Bill Rittner's beautiful brass tote screws, it's a Bedrock and deserves a little bling.

The lever cap is the type correct one that has the word "BEDROCK" cast into it, NOT the word "Stanley" as that is incorrect for a type 6 plane.

It will come with a type correct iron that has been flattened and sharpened to 8000. Some pitting on the top of the iron and lever cap but none in the area that matters. The cap iron was tuned and mated to fit the iron correctly.

It's taking shavings that range from thin .002 to thicker .010.

This is one fine plane, it's beautiful and works very well. For all intents and purposes, this is a almost brand new 100 year old plane that, if taken care of properly, will last at least another 100 years.

Contact me if you're interested.

Some additional pics

Brand new hardware.

The iron is in good shape and has ample material left. 

 The frog has been tuned flat.

You can see the pitting on the lateral here.

Very slight pitting on the heel.

Flattened sole

Ready to go

Part time plane restorer & maker

Pirate Plane Co is looking to hire a part-time assistant plane restorer and builder, we're growing and would like others to join us in that process. Due to the part time nature of the position we understand there are other work requirements and are willing to accommodate off-hours schedules. This could be used to augment current income, evenings and weekends are fine. We are currently offering 10-12 hours per week and as we grow additional there will be additional work that would increase our needs to around 25 hours per week.

Previous experience with restoring hand planes is a plus but any previous metal/tool restoration work can satisfy our requirements. Given the business we're in we understand there aren't many people out there with this experience so we are willing to teach the plane process to a dedicated individual.

Basic qualifications & experience are:

• Metalworking
• Media blasting
• Paint stripping
• Japanning & painting
• Tap & die work
• Basic metal cutting, filing, sanding and grinding
• Hardening & tempering tool steel (O1)
• Sharpening & honing tool blades
• Vertical mill experience, CNC is a plus but not required
• Woodworking
• Turning
• Band saw use
• Planing, both electric and manual
• Table saw use, rip and crosscut
• Creating mortises by hand using chisels
• General & soft skills
• Prompt and punctual
• Detail oriented
• Customer focused
• Willingness and ability to quickly learn new skills
• Comfortable in a small home shop environment

This would be a great opportunity for someone to learn or grow their restoration skills and over time learn how to hand make wood planes. Pay is commensurate to experience but will be in the $15-$20/hr range to start. 

Must be willing to sign an NDA and 3 year post-employment non-compete agreement. The position is in our Willow Springs location, my garage shop.

Plane parts for sale

Here's a list of the various plane parts I have for sale. Contact me if interested.

ID	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	STATUS
041601	Stanley no 8C bottom (sole). Type 8-9. Refinished condition with new paint. each	$40	Available
041614	Stanley Bailey No 4 plane bottom (body). Type 9-10. 2 patent dates, MAR-25-02 and AUG-19-02. 10% japanning. No pitting.	$7	Available
041615	Stanley Bailey No 4 plane bottom (body). Type 9-10. 2 patent dates, MAR-25-02 and AUG-19-02. 5% japanning. No pitting.	$7	Available
041616	Stanley Bailey No 4 plane bottom (body). Type 15+. 10% japanning. No pitting. U casting.	$7	Available
041617	Stanley Bailey No 4 plane bottom (body). Type 15+. 10% japanning. No pitting.	$7	Available
041604	Stanley no 5-8 depth adjustment yoke with pin. Like new. Each.	$5	Available
041622	Stanley frog screws, all Bailey/Bedrock planes. Fair condition. Pair.	$3	Available
041608	Stanley tote front screw. All Bailey/Bedrock planes, no 5-8/605-608. Each.	$3	Available
041607	Stanley cap iron screw. All Stanley planes. Fair. Light rust, no pitting. Each.	$3	Available
041609	Stanley lever cap screw. All Stanley planes. Fair. Light rust, no pitting. Each.	$3	Available
041613	Stanley no 5-8 tote, broken wing, no other cracks. each	$6	Available
041620	Stanley no 8 lever cap. early type without logo. S casting. good condition, no rust or pitting. each	$10	Available
041639	Stanley no 5-8 knob, early short type, fair condition. no finish remaining. each	$5	Available
041637	Stanley lever cap screw. All Stanley planes. Fair. Light rust, no pitting. Each.	$3	Available
041636	Stanley frog screws, all Bailey/Bedrock planes. Fair condition. Pair.	$3	Available
041634	Stanley tote front screw. All Bailey/Bedrock planes, no 5-8/605-608. Each.	$3	Available
041623	Stanley no 8 frog, type 8-9, broken lateral adjustment lever otherwise good condition. Includes yoke. Each.	$15	Available
041611	Stanley no 8 frog, type 8-9, broken lateral adjustment lever otherwise good condition. Each.	$10	Available
041619	8-32 brace ginble bit, new old stock. ea	$8	Available
041624	8-32 brace ginble bit, new old stock. ea	$8	Available
041625	8-32 brace ginble bit, new old stock. ea	$8	Available
041630	8-32 brace ginble bit, new old stock. ea	$8	Available
041641	Craftsman combination plow plane, similar to Stanley 45. Good condition, no rust or pitting. Includes 1/8" cutter.	$35	Sold
041612	Stanley no 5-8 knob, early short type, good condition. each	$7	Sold
041618	Stanley no 8C bottom (sole). Type 8-9. Refinished condition with new paint. S casting. each	$40	Sold
041627	Stanley no 8 lever cap. early type without logo. S casting. good condition, lever operates freely, light rust or pitting. each	$10	Sold
041605	Stanley brass depth adjustment knob, early 1" size. Good condition, threads work. Each.	$5	Sold
041610	Stanley tote bolt. 4" Good condition. Very light rust, no pitting. Each.	$3	Sold
041603	Stanley knob bolt. 2" Good condition. Very light rust, no pitting. Each.	$3	Sold
041606	Stanley knob/tote screw, early brass type. All early Stanley planes. Good condition, threads work. Each	$5	Sold
041629	Stanley brass depth adjustment knob, early 1" size. Good condition, threads work. Each.	$5	Sold
041602	Stanley no 8 iron, 2 5/8" wide, 1" of useable steel. No rust, light pitting. each.	$10	Sold