Just thought I'd drop in and update anyone that's interested on the
progress of reclaiming a nearly destroyed Bailey Smoother.
Alert.. Alert .. Alert ... This is a seriously battered and Very
common Plane, any just slightly extreme measures I might take to
return it to a useable tool can not conceivably ruin it's historic
value .... either I repair it and give it a home in my tool chest or
it's junked ... end of Alert
I think I have found a Frog, Thanks Josh, I glued the tote back
together ( It was in three pieces) .... every Bench plane I have ever
bought had a
damaged Tote... more on this later,
It's going to take some more work, but it does not look
bad, and the horn is intact, As soon as I beat this sinus infection
I can start cleaning things
up with the 0000 steel wool. The main casting actually looks pretty
good on this one.
I'm just going to have a little rambling bio for a moment if
it's Ok, I'm either very tired from the insomnia or the Antibiotics and
decongestants
I'm on have affected my mind.
My name is Aaron, W. Gonya and I live in the currently deep frozen
Village of Arcadia Ohio, USA, I'm 26 years old , No Wife (Yet) and no
Kid's
I grew up in a family obsessed with History , (and yes....we are
Collectors) So flea Markets and junk shops are my natural environment,
I also grew up exploring my Great Grandfathers little woodshop, (He
was a Carpenter/Cabinetmaker for decades) he had passed on several years
before I was born but the shop is still there, So I had a early
introduction to traditional woodworking tools, not that I knew how to
do much ,
other than being the only eight year old in town with crosscut skills.
And also My Mom and I would watch Mr Underhill's show every Saturday
(I think it took Mom back to watching her Grandpa work in the little
shop)
So I grew up with a interest in history and a subconscious
interest in neander skills, I got into Old cars, and then vintage
Garden Tractors, and a little tailed woodworking, but because of my
ingrained views on everything my t***e s*w dated to the 1940's
and everything else with a tail was similarly aged. But I'd still see
people on TV once in a while using those beautiful old Bailey bench planes
and the subconscious wheels would start to turn again.
I mean, my block plane was great, but those bench planes were the real
thing!
So one cold February day a couple of years ago I was walking through a
indoor flea market a few towns away, trying to avoid the tables of
tupperware,
Star Trek collectors plates, limited edition stuffed toys and other
similar future landfill fodder, when I spotted an Plane sitting on a
table
with a $12 dollar price tag, I sorta knew what it was, It said Bailey
on it (I knew enough to know that that was good) I talked the old Gent
down to $10 and he wrapped it up in a plastic bag. I said happily "I'm
going to fix it up and make it work" the old gent said "Sure....good
luck with that"
not in a positive way either, Like he was thinking "Sure punk, and I'm
going to be the first governor of mars". But after a couple weeks of
seasoning in
the basement I took it apart (I take a lot of stuff apart) and cleaned
it up with some kitchen cleaner, I sanded the worst of the scale off
the blade
and chipbreaker, I flattened the sole with sandpaper using a derelict
tailed jointer table, I waxed everything, I glued the tote back together,
and I sharpened the blade. And heck if it didn't work! and I was hooked,
I did a little research and found out what I had, a Type 9 (1902-1907)
No 5c Jack plane, More artifacts quickly followed, a Type 11 5 1/2c
I gave $10 for (Ike was president the last time this poor beast had any
Japanning ) a 50's H1204(Cheap Smoother), a Millers Falls 900
(Not quite as cheap as the handyman smoother), a Type 19 Bailey No 3
(Smoother), a really nice Type 9 Bailey No 6, a bunch of other
stuff, plus
I checked on Grandpa's planes, Mostly store brands but all quality
stuff and all nearly ready to use, even after thirty years of storage,
and a
Dunlap Smoother can be made to work "Very" well,
I had to put his Stanley 45 Combination plane back to work, it was just
tool cool not to use.
Then, other stuff started following me home ..... Bevels,
squares, an Egg beater drill, more block planes. and Now I'm hooked,
I'm building a bench and a Tool chest, And as Soon as my Battered
Bailey no 4 is back in service I'm going to start hunting for a
type 9 3 and a 7 or 8 to match it and the 5 and 6
I guess I'm a low knobber, and I don't think there is much
cahnce of stopping now, History is Fun
Later,
Aaron W, Gonya
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