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I have restored Stanley and Millers Falls planes that I bought on ebay (## 4-7). It is an addictive process. I use a solution called “Evaporust” on them first — it is oxalic acid which removes the rust without eating into the iron — does a great job of cleaning up all the parts (much easier to sand and get polished). I have also read that one can use dilute molasses (which contains oxalic acid) –it takes longer, but your shop smells like ginger bread cookies while the parts are in the solution.
I use the “Scary Sharp” system for sharpening — it involves water proof sandpaper and a granite tile (easily available at places like Home Depot. Spray the tile with window cleaning solution, and the sandpaper adheres. I also use a Veritas honing guide which gives exact bevels; as I am working with planes and chisels, I touch up the edges freehand, and then strop them (as Paul demonstrates. This system does get them surgically sharp — I know — I cut my finger on a chisel one day; I applied the universal antiseptic (I stuck in my mouth), wrapped 2 bandaids around my finger and continued working; took off the band aid at home and added antiseptic ointment and more band aids; 3 days later, I took the band aids off — and the cut was completely healed — 6 months later I can’t even see the scar. Never felt a thing!
As I have said, I have gotten a number of planes on ebay — I have given restored planes to friends who have never had a plane in such good shape and capable of taking such nice shavings. It is a process that is well worth repeating. (The down side, of course, is that other folks know this as well, and some of the planes are getting expensive on ebay — so I continue to look for rusted ones that show no evidence of cracks in their photos.I have been using the system with abrasive paper (also known as “Scary Sharp” with great success. I use 3M papers that are water proof and spray water on a granite tile, then on the paper itself. I have a diamond lapping stone (actually steel, with embedded diamond dust, I guess) to re-establish bevels on badly worn plane and chisel blades; then I switch to sandpaper — 100, 220, 400, 800, 1000, 1500 — ending up with honing compound on a leather strop — gets things really sharp — I slipped and cut my finger with one of my chisels last spring; wrapped it with double bandages for several days and when I finally uncovered — healed –no sign of a scar now — that’s scalpel sharp.
I did start this system with sandpaper from Harbor Freight — doesn’t work anywhere near as well as the 3m wet/dry papers. I also use a Veritas jig for both chisels and planes. -
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