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Early Access Video: My Hardest Restoration EVER! (Patreon)

Published:
2024-05-18 11:00:07
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

Friends:

This was an unexpected challenge. I agreed to take this plane sight-unseen and fix it up. I thought it just needed a little tune-up. Boy, was I wrong! This plane was fixable, but just barely.

But I know a lot of you are struggling with that first hand plane restoration and this video has tips for tools in REALLY bad shape. If you've got a clunker, this video is for you.

Happy Saturday!

--Rex

Files

Previews only

Frankenplane Green Cut

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Comments

GFHWoodWerks (Gregory)

Thanks for taking this on, you didn't need to make this a video, but by doing so you demonstrate that the near impossible can be done. I think it was very nice of you to replace the knob and tote for William.

Evan Van Dyke

Great restoration! I was really interested in how well it might have cut before you flattened the sole, but alas not shown. Still really nice video though!

Wayne Miller

Nice work Rex. I appreciate you offering your time and parts to help others. I hope will gets years of enjoyment out of his newly functional plane

Bas Vermeyden

Great video, nice to see you overcome the unexpected challenges that can pop up during restorations. So many restoration videos make it look so easy. Makes me feel a lot less crazy for struggling with my first plane restoration.

Brian Taylor

Great video. It shows that even rust buckets can often be brought back to useful life with some perseverence and elbow grease. When you were flattening the sole, it occurred to me that a collab with a sympathetic machinist with a surface grinder might provide some interesting content. Keith Rucker (VintageMachinery) springs to mind, a skilled machinist and sometimes woodworker.

Marc Barash

As other have said, great job and hope Will appreciates all the extras you brought to bear on this project.

Geoff Krapf

Love the Plane Wellness shoutout! CIHI is doing a fundraiser for them in this weeks auction!

John Shufelt

I watched and enjoyed every minute even though I have watched literally dozens of plane restoration videos. I always learn something. This proves: 1) I am a woodworking nerd, and; 2) Rex and anyone reading this are fellow nerds. Aren't we the lucky ones.

Bruce E Harang II

I am enjoying the restoration of my hand planes. It’s good to have videos like this available for guidance.

CharredTree (Bryant Johnson)

Great video, Rex! Thank you for the knowledge and encouragement. I have a couple of planes that need to be restored back to working order (one from an estate sale about 30 years ago and one from eBay last week). Will be getting started on them next week.

John Griswold

Another fun video, and I couldn't agree more; that first silky shaving is just addictive. My first old Stanley is still my favorite, a century+ old Stanley #7 with rosewood tote and knob. This one plane, purchased for a particular project, tipped me down the rabbit hole of hand tool woodworking, introduced me to your channel and videos, and eventually led me back to my long abandoned goal of lutherie. I owe it, and you, a lot;)

Kevin S Thomas

Excellent video. I like the fact that your friend is sharing the therapeutic side of woodworking with people. It's (usually) very relaxing, and brings a sense of accomplishment. Thank you for these video's.

Rick Prosser

Great video. I much prefer the "working thru issues" vs "see how things go perfectly". I remember my first plane restoration that went pretty well and sent me down the road of restoring tools.

Gerald Eddy

The point you made about how to get the knife edge on the chip breaker for some reason I had not heard before and will employ as I have a couple planes that have the problem of shavings jamming between it an blade! Thanks for that revelation!

Madeleine Yeh

It's good seeing you wrestling with a plane that isn't easy to restore. Also seeing how a completely unusable plane can supply parts to a fixable one.

Dave West

Thanks rex, even though I have seen a bunch of plane restoration videos I usually see something new in each one. This one was no different.

Dan Delie

Rex 36 grit is a place to start when lapping the sole. James Wright recommends it. He cuts a belt sander disk. Then 80, 120 and 240. It works great.

Alex R

Nicely done! I may be in the minority here, but I hate lateral adjusters and often fully remove them if they are damaged. I find I get much finer adjustments taping the blade with a light (~8 oz) hammer.

Matt Evans-Koch

Nice work, Rex. I have several planes that are in need of restoration and this video will help immensely. Kudos for helping Will out.

Richard C von Brecht

Can’t get enough of those restoration videos. That is the worsted looking plane I have ever seen. What vintage was it? Those knobs look like something a flea market peddler would stuck on there to make a quick sale. Your extreme rework of the chip breaker was different. Out of curiosity have you changed which size plane you’d first get to a No 5?

Jennessa Lynam

This time last year I restored a No.4 Dunlap plane that a friend of a friend found literally in the dumpster. It has a lot of issues to say the least. The whole thing was completely rusted. It had, I'm assuming, dryed up drywall compound caked on it from being in the dumpster probably. There was quite a bit of pitting on the sole and sides of it. The tote was broken in half, the knob was ok just really really dried out almost to the point of cracking. The iron and chip breaker only needed a little work, surprisingly. It took me off and on about a month to get it up in running. Although, even after that my friend who brought it to me to fix for him still has problems using it. Which is because he doesn't really know how to use a hand plane and I've tried showing him how to but idk if ever got the hang of it. But when I was done with the restoration it worked great for such a trashed out hand plane. Thanks for sharing and letting me share too. Lol

Kirk C

Thanks for this one Rex! Don’t think I’ve seen one yet with the lateral adjustment knocked off, so that helps. Have a type 13 that I’ve been hesitant to hit with the ball peen. That handle though … looked like it came from the town of Bedrock!! Might have to make one of those if I ever spring for one.

Bradley Barth

Thanks again for great insights. Maybe this weekend I can get to the two planes I have stashed away!

Robert Dennett

I wonder if the blade and lateral adjuster weren't damaged in shipping. What can you do about a chip breaker where the edge isn't at 90 degrees, i.e. leaving a gap on one side of the blade? FTR, I restored a Stanley #4 WWII era plane which has some gaps near the edge and could stand either the ruler trick or to be ground back, but even with the gap, it performs pretty well. I just have to clean it out more often.

Rex Krueger
>>138339223

A plane that's out of flat from use will usually still cut fine, but big damage and hollows from rust will interfere with cutting, so I just went straight to flattening.

Rex Krueger
>>138340221

It's a struggle, for sure. Many tools just refuse to work, even after you've followed "all" the steps.

Rex Krueger
>>138342367

I'm glad people aren't sick of this kind of thing. I've done a lot and made the course. I wasn't sure this would be valuable.

Rex Krueger
>>138343972

Good luck with that! I think estate sales are the best. I generally skip yard sales, but I can't resist an estate sale.

Rex Krueger
>>138349425

The first plane is often the cause of a whole new world. That little Sargent my dad gave me really got my attention the moment I held it. There was just something about it I couldn't explain. Here we are, nearly 15 years later!

Rex Krueger
>>138350705

"Usually" is the key word. Once you turn it into a business....not so much. But it's still satisfying and exciting, even if it's not relaxing.

Rex Krueger
>>138353283

I'm really trying to show more process this year and do fewer slick edits after all the problems are solved. It's a challenge.

Rex Krueger
>>138360238

I'm surprised it's not more widely known. I don't think a chip-breaker will work at all without that knife-edge. Glad it was helpful.

Rex Krueger
>>138364582

This one was right on the edge. I wasn't totally sure I could fix it. There was a little luck on this one.

Rex Krueger
>>138370941

Wooo! 36? That's a little heavy for me. I would do 80 (if I had any laying around). I could go coarser than the 100 I used, for sure.

Rex Krueger
>>138374431

You know, I hear a lot of people say that, but I don't totally get it. I think Stanley laterals work pretty well. Norris-style adjusters are a bit harder. Different strokes.

Rex Krueger
>>138376563

I'm super glad it's helpful! I've done a few of these and I don't want to start repeating myself.

Rex Krueger
>>138377967

This was a post-War plane. Maybe an 18? I didn't pay super-close attention. I'm surprised that my chip-breaker re-work seems different (and you're not the first person to say so). ASAIK, that's literally the only way to do it and get a working chip-breaker.

Rex Krueger
>>138382545

You obviously put a lot of work into that plane. It would have made a great video! As time goes on, you certainly get pickier. When i see trashed old planes, my mind adds up the restoration hours pretty quickly. I pass on a lot of tools I would have bought in the past.

Rex Krueger
>>138393752

Yeah, i don't enjoy taking a hammer anywhere near a cast-iron part. It's so brittle! But I've never broken one...so far.

Rex Krueger
>>138527308

For that chipbreaker, you can grind that front edge square again (or do it with a file; doesn't matter). Then do the knife-edge trick just like I showed here. You really don't want to be cleaning it out at all. Unless you hit some really crazy grain or a knot, your planes shouldn't jam at all.

Dan Delie
>>138370941

I would only do this if it is badly pitted. The main idea is to remove all the rust scale and heavy pitted areas. Otherwise I start at 80,120,and 240. My KK #7 was rough 😔 thank goodness it did not need 36 grit.

Eric Ezell

Well done. I know a lot of people are saying troll in the youtube comments, but it seems very likely that Will was just at the limit of his understanding or capabilities patience. Hopefully when he gets it back he sees what a restored plane looks like, and is better equipped to do it himself in the future.

Eric Ezell
>>138360238

I'd go so far as to say that in the various videos I've watched discussing planes, I haven't seen anyone suggest looking at the edge of the chip-breaker except to hunt for major defects. This was a bit of an eye opener for me!

Alex R
>>138374431

Might speak to the quality of the planes I've been using. I recently started using a nicer plane made by Sargent, and the lateral adjustment is smooth as butter.