Very Old Stanley No4
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I’ve just received 3 Ebay Stanley N04 planes that I had a bid on and (to my surprise and delight) I won £42 inc P&P, not bad I thought. I’m very pleased with all of them two are cleanable and workable 60’s/70’s I think. They are both complete and with a clean, flatten and sharpen they will be great. I’m planning to make one of these a scrub. The third plane initially caught my attention because it had a slightly undersize adjustment screw and then I noticed it has some raised writing between the frog and the rear handle it reads-
PAT’D
MAR-25-02
AUG-19-02I did a bit of online research and discovered that this is a USA manufactured “Type 9” and is at around 110 years old.
I also notice it has no means of adjusting the frog.
I need a new front knob for it I think it’s a little different from the later ones as it has a raised bit that the knob sits on. The rear handle is solid but I haven’t removed the screw yet and I think I can see a crack in it so I maybe need a new one of those as well. If anyone has any suggestions where I may be able to get the handles from (in the UK) I would be very grateful.Attachments:
You must be logged in to view attached files.Congratulations for the nice acquisition.
Especially getting the old “low knob”! it is a very fine plane – mine works like a dream and every time I use it I think it’s more than hundred years old! and I ask myself who might have worked with it since it is well worn.Hopefully you can get a replacement for the knob. Maybe you could find someone who can make a new one on lathe, perhaps through woodworking forum in your local area. If I had a lathe I would make you one (okay, I couldn’t since I have never done woodturning yet).
The lever cap might be not an original one though regarding the kidney shape of the hole, plating and the logo “STANLEY” on it.
Je
Yes Jelee I also thought the lever cap looked a bit too new. I too don’t have a lathe (or the skills to operate one!) Maybe someone will come up with a solution. I try to envisage who it was who first owned the plane, how much it cost?, where did they buy it from?, I wonder if today’s new tools will still be around in over 100 years time?
I’m going to start to dismantle it fully tonight and make it look pretty again.
Cleaned it up, flatten and sharpened this weekend. I repaired both handle and knob with epoxy to a point where I am satisfied and gave them both several good coats of BLO. Took my first shavings with it yesterday and it works like a dream. I think I will keep this on the bench set for very fine shavings as the smaller adjustment knob is quite awkward to turn with my big clumsy fingers.
On the look out now for an original lever cap, just because I feel it should be as authentic as possible.Attachments:
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