A tip from a former gunsmith; 3 in 1 Oil is not that great a penetrating oil (it's a decent lubricant)... Kroil, on the other hand, is purpose made to PENETRATE frozen screws, etc. Kroil to disassemble, 3 in 1 to reassemble. Just a suggestion! Love the restoration!
Lucky enough to have two and use, my grandfather was a woodwork teacher who kept two as he knew they would never be seen again, I got them years later, he served in both world wars the 1st at the grand old age of 14 !
Next time you're starting to drive a pin out of brittle cast iron, build a hardwood cradle that contacts the casting under the pin as well as the edge of the frame. The hardwood will dent enough to receive the pin. Just a suggestion.
I have to agree on the #1's usefulness other than a collectors' item. For that same $1k you could probably buy a good user plane in all the other 10 sizes and have a full stable except for that tiny #1.
I am with you Rex. As a car guy for a long time spending thousands of hours and dollars restoring a car/ truck that sits on a trailer makes as much sense to me as a tool that sits on a shelf. Great video!
The Stanley no 1 isn't the rarest of the Stanley bench planes. The 2C and 5 1/4C are far harder to find but still far from rare. The No1 is very collectible which is what makes it so valuable. Very nice job on the restoration Rex. Very nice compromise to retain the value for collectors.
Furnituremaker 32 years, here. I remember an old timer say back in the early 90s that he was told that they used them as a chamfer plane. Lightly set and 3 passes max for an edge chamfer. Don't know if its true but I use my Norton rabbit plane for said detail so I think it might be. My block plane is always too much for that kind of chamfer. I could see using a #1 for that task. Hope this helps. Class A restoration, btw. Loved seeing this. Your plane tune up was complete and well taught. I would use this video as a teaching tool for plane tuning. Im impressed. Great work.
A small suggestion,I use a 12 X 12 granite tile as my base for the wet and dry sandpaper I use for tool sharpening. It is smooth and heavy enough that it does not wander when used on my workbench.
Nice restoration. You should leave the original sound in the background, at low volume. It will give you a natural and pleasant soundstage. No one will object to polishing and sanding sounds, maybe machines.
My hearing impaired viewers have asked me not to use background music or noise and keep the audio clean. That's why I don't use music. (I don't disagree with you, but I want everyone to be able to access this stuff.)
@@RexKrueger Not only hearing impaired, but also other sensory processing disorders :) My wiring makes background music behind talking absolutely maddening. Background sounds as well. Music on its own is my life, but this is different.
@@arlingtonhynes agreed. Often the music picked is PURE garbage. Sometimes it causes me to quit watching. I get on to watch what I pick and I'll watch it.
Hey Rex, thank you for your videos. Thanks to you, i just started my very own plane collection. I found 2 Stanley planes, a 5 1/2 and a 7 in great condition for only 40 euro (for both!) and another wooden plane for only 5 euro. I love using the wooden plane, setting it with a small hammer is very intuitive, much more so than i thought it would be. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Damn that's pretty good, I need to look more, haven't really found any good deals on Stanley (or Record) planes here. I'm also in europe and I don't see that many :(
So envious. 😡 I was forced to buy a piece of crap plane made in India because the cheapest Stanley I could find was AUD$170 and it was in need of a lot of work. Anyway I spent two days trying to true up the crap plane (the manufacturer has a unique prospective of 90° angles) to make is useable while I still keep a lookout for a No 4 Stanley. Nice find on your pieces though and I hope you get a lot of enjoyment from their use. 👍
How CUTE! I am now retired but I spent a lifetime as a tool maker for Aerospace. I love tools of all shapes and sizes. You did a good job of cleaning it up while leaving the history on that little guy. NICE :D
Re learning woodworking after not touching a blade for 30 years... I am half power tool and half hand tool, your episode on Mortise and tenons convinced me that hand tools is the only way to go on joints... mine still look like crap, but they are improving. I love how you just seem to enjoy the artistry and the history of it
I bought and I like the new book. When my grandson gets back from vacation, we're going to build a couple of the excellent projects from the book. Maybe the sawhorses first?
@@ATurtle05 The question should be “Why let Rex do it when you can get an expert to do it?” There are people who will go at these things with nothing but cleaning fluids, a rag and a razorblade to scrape the rust of, to preserve all the patina. Rex is good at fixing planes, not so much at restoring them as collectors’ items. But in fairness, the guy wanted it to look brand new, Rex talked him out of it and got it back to usable condition instead - presumably for free. Everybody happy.
I love your channel, I've been into woodworking since I was 11 years old. And I built my very first project using an old rusty chisel, and cheal stock. It's a small box, jointed with rabbits. Since then I havent tackled anything big or serious due to the lack of materials and tools. Recently I got into your videos and you've inspired me to take up woodworking again. I built a workbench using what I had And added a homemade vise following your tutorial on it. I also made some wooden holdfasts and bench dogs. They all work well and suit my needs. The satisfaction of sucessfuly using a homemade tool is unparraled. I invested some money and bought a new chisel and my first handplane. I followed you video on how to super tune a cheap hand plane and it works amazingly. As of right now I've cut up some old 2x8 and 2x4 stock for a big shelve my mom wants me to make. the wood was ugly, gray, but was structurally pretty alright. I used my plane to square them up and give them a new face. Soon I'm gonna have a go at joining them with mortise and tenons. I feel great and I'm very excited to make more tools and start more projects. I'm 16 now and your videos are a great help in learning new things and gathering useful information and tips. I always viewed woodworking as a powertool thing. And now a whole new universe of handtool work has opened to me. If I wasn't so tight on cash I'd definitely join your patreon. Keep up the good work, Thank You for your amazing content.
Good video, and I gotta tell ya- I have a WoodRiver No1 AND a Stanley No1 Type 5. I use them all the time. They're great for removing saw marks and making a smooth edge a lot quicker than sanding. It's also really good for easing edges and/or making a bevel. One hand use, quick and easy. You did a little more cleaning on the Stanley than I did, but it looks almost the same (considering the camera view!).
Nicely timed :) I just got my first restoration project from ebay. Just an old #4, but I don't have one and it was $10, in not too bad shape. I expect to use the crap out of it. It's in better shape than a fillister plane I basically YOLO restored a few years back. Only 1/4 the way into the vid and I'm already learning new steps I can use in a few days here :) Thanks!
You know, I have to wonder if the No. 1 provided more benefit than we believe. It's easy to look at a block plane and think to ourselves, "Why not just use this?" But when you showed that coffin smoother it points to the fact that small planes had a use. Perhaps in instrument making such as pianos or with other small parts -- doll houses, models, pattern makers, etc. That coffin smoother and the No. 1 have something that a block plane doesn't: a chip breaker. And that chip breaker means better control of tear out without having to rely on an obnoxiously small mouth or high pitch. And for Stanley, the question becomes how do you make a small plane to mimic the coffin smoother WITH a chip breaker AND to take advantage of their Bailey pattern mechanism? The No. 1, of course.
@@RexKrueger Sure, but that is our problem, not Stanley's. The size of the tote is limited by the 45 degree angle of the blade, but it certainly is recognizable. For them, I'm sure it was more important for the shape of the No. 1 to match the other planes. Ergonomics was an afterthought. And although Gareth is right to point out that it has no lateral adjuster, it still has a depth adjuster. And with a stable cast iron body, I'll take a depth adjuster over no adjustment whatsoever.
I have never given a thumbs down on these videos till this one. For such a rare and valuable plane i would have expected a better restoration. I love user tools, not collections and think this resto is perrect for a user, but not a no.1. Sanding the sole, non original type finish on the timber and wire wheel on the castings all leave marks that can possibly cause permanent impact to its authenticity and value.
My dad gave me my grandfather's no2 Stanley sweetheart. It was pretty busted up. I kept as much of the original rosewood as possible and where it was broken or shattered, ai replaced it with machined brass. It actually gets a lot of use around the house installing doors and making small projects.
Very nice restoration. One day I will eventually get to restoring my "sort of famous plane" which is a Liberty Bell transitional plane which came from my great grandfather. Not anything like the rarity of this one of course. Still trying to understand the adjustment mechanism. I definitely understand how much care you were taking with this one.
Super cool! Thanks for posting this. I was recently talking with a friend about the No.1. I've never even seen one of these so watching you do a resto on one was a real treat. Thanks.
About using a little steel rule to align the frog, I have done that on a Stanley No. 4 in the following way. Put the plane down on a piece of paper and with a pencil outline the opening for the blade on the paper. Then, without moving the plane, with the little steel rule you can make little indentations in the paper by poking the steel rule down through the opening (this is with the edge of the rule aligned along the frog of course, not the flat side). Upon removing the plane from the paper you can see if the indentations are equidistant from the pencil markings (but it may take a magnifying glass to see them).
FWIW, the comparison you made between the No. 1 and a block plane are completely valid and I was in agreement with that for many years. I've had the Lie-Nielsen version for many years and for most of its life it was just an example to show any visitors to my shop what a No. 1 looked like in hand. After developing arthritis in my hands, things have changed. I now find it is much more comfortable to use vs my 60&1/2. I'm not going to imply that this will work for everyone with arthritis but I feel the need to say that it's worked for me. Great restoration BTW, loved the video.👍
Here's a suggestion for removing rust from cast iron. I've done this successfully countless times with cast iron cookware. Sautéed onions. There is a chemical in the onions that eats the oxidized iron (i.e. rust) and leaves the non-corroded iron behind. Merely sauté the onions in some butter and then rub them on the rusted area and let them do their thing. NOTE - do not eat the onions.
Yesterday, I was in an antique store I've never been to. I found a Keen Kutter K5 for $30. It's in great condition. Just dirty. Metal is good. No cracks in the rosewood. Lots of blade left. I resisted the urge to yell, "EEEEEEEEE!" and jump up and down like a nine year old girl. I also bought a slightly rusty and very dirty type 1 Stanley #18 knuckle cap block plane for $9. It's in great shape, under the crud. It was in a little strip mall, in a small Missouri town, that was all antique stores. I was passing through and only had time to look in one small store. It's a two hour drive but I think I'm going back next week to check out the other stores.
I am a fan of owning tools for use not for show but good on you if you like collecting tools that are hard to find and are cool(not cute🤮) then collect away and preserve a great part of history.
LOL I totally agree that a functional tool is way more exciting than a shelf ornament! Still, you did such a great job with this it crosses into "work of art" territory.
Love watching you work and hearing your philosophy. Also 7:12 is the only time I've heard someone say they were going to chuck something, and then they literally chucked it.
That is beautiful Rex, if you over restore a tool you erase the history too. you want to look like it has been well cared for and ready to be used. To me the best way to honor a great tool is to keep it in serviceable condition. great job!
Very nice video. I enjoy your tool videos but absolutely love the woodworking for humans videos. I'm just a normal dude messing around in my spare time and when you make a video about simple projects I can actually do I not only watch them I rewatch them. I watch once just for fun and once to really learn, note your technique and love them. TH-cam is full of woodwork, but simple easy to execute projects in well produced easily digestible fun to watch videos are actually more rare than they should be. Tool videos are ok but honestly you're WAY more into planes than I ever will be, and you have covered the topic about 300% beyond my interest level. You're so good I'm still watching but it's not exactly a home run for me.
Great one Rex! Loved it, great tips, really liked how you keep the video moving but still give us a lot of information, great work my friend, take care and enjoy!
It’s funny to me that “Someone has given me one of the rarest and most expensive planes , and I’m going to restore it,” is followed immediately by the title card. It makes it seem like the title is said more along the lines of “Rex…uh…figures it out.” Confidence inspiring.
Very cool! I love these kind of videos. I have a 3 through 8 minus a 7. No halfs. Most were nasty when I bought them. Lots of fun and thanks for all of your tips!
Got your book 4 days ago. Read through it a few times. I'm so excited to have a resource from which I can first teach myself. And then teach my 3 boys (when they are old enough in a few years). Thank you for the book! (Though, being in the swamp in Florida, we have pine, palmetto bushes and live oak....and that is it. Finding these green logs of hardwood is......not so easy down here)
I recently restored a Stanley No4 Bailey. Something I found amazingly helpful was to vat the iron/steel parts in a 50% solution of Krud Kutter. It took the rust off nicely without damaging the japanning and it leaves a rust resistant grey patina if you don't polish it off. Thought you might like it.
Guys, probably 15 years ago ??? I came across this cute, little hand plane, cannot remember for the life of me where, garage sale? Flea market? But I thought it would come in handy on my small handyman woodworking jobs and for $15, good deal right? All original no rust or cracks. Only the very tip of the handle is broken off. Squared and sharpened the blade and have used it whenever needed. Didn't know it's history till a few years back. Still use it regularly but now it has a place of honor on the shelf. Might be silly but I really like hand tools.
I use my no1 all the time for what most use a block plane for. Its also a great pocket plane for those little fine adjustments needed when on the job. Oh yeh, always use it single handed and it's very ergonomic in the hand.
Yes, over-restoration can ruin a piece, the patina looks great on the old planes. As far as that little dip at the nose of your No.1, I deliberately put one on mine, and I would leave the one that you have. Many older planed have that, I also put about a 0.5° decline along each side of the bottom, about 3/8 of an inch from the edge, and put a light shampher all the way around. Many thanks, for a great video, Now I have to save for another thing I don't need. lol.
I find a Stanley number two is quicker at removing tearout - compared to other planes I have tried to date. The plane is quite delightful, in use, light, easy to push and it is always a pleasure to bring out the patterns from reversing grain... For justfication, I do not know exactly why I find the number two quicker but this are the differences I have noted. 1mm tighter mouth easierreachchallenging Having a Finally, getting to the point. The number one shares many of a number two's features and then expands on them. Food for thought when considering how a number one was used by a skilled woodworker....
Oh I couldn't agree with you more Rex. Sat in near silence the majority of your restoration only to scare the crap outta the Mrs with the way down, deep inside, came from the soul, noise that jumped outta me as if it were going to be the next to hold the Norris the second you brought it out. That 77 different emotional reactions rolled up into one noise ...noise. the no. 01 is famous so naturally I envy the viewer that sent it in because well, I don't have one. But even if I had 3 no. 01s in my possession, I would gladly give up all 3 for the one Norris. No second thought whatsoever.
Hey Rex, it's my understanding that the purpose of the #1 Stanley was to use as a demo for salesmen to pitch the the Stanley line of hand planes to would-be buyers. The smaller, lighter model was much easier to take on the road than the larger planes in the Stanley line. That is also why they are so rare.
Stanley: “Bill, you and the others will go on the road and pitch our new planes.” Bill: “Sure. Should we take one of the smaller ones to demo the design, like a No. 4?” Stanley: “Not the No.4, that’s what we made the No. 1 for: it’s really awkward to grip and it’s missing some of the features all the other planes have. Perfect for demoing.”
here are a few tips on removing varnish or other finishes effectively: sanding is, for anything but smaller pieces, a waste of time, use alcohol or paint thinner together with scotchbrite. if it's a really tough finish you want to use pipe cleaner or sodium-hydroxide solution, apply with a brush, rinse with water and repeat, keep in mind that oak turns black when you do this, but this can be bleached with hydrogen peroxide.
I completely agree that tools need to be used. But I bought a wooden plane a while back with no intention of using it. The reason was it was just too darn cool to use. I bought it from an old dude who’s dad had been a wagon maker around the turn of the century, and this plane had clearly been the one he used the most. He had, at one point, blown the plane apart by adjusting the iron improperly. And because he didn’t have the time to build a new one, he nailed the thing back together with some brass tacks. The plane had clearly gone through many years worth of work since that accident because the tacks look like they are physically a part of the wood now. But I wasn’t about to use it in my shop, so it stays on a shelf where I can enjoy it. Maybe it’ll see another piece of wood one day, but I doubt it.
Tip from a luthier with over 45 years of experience and a clock maker with over 70 years of experience: Linseed oil will darken that rosewood until it looks like black black Gaboon ebony, or blackened ebonized hardwood.
I'm not sure how planes were finished, but vintage sewing machines (especially Singers) had a black japaning with a clear shellac overcoat. The shellac gave the japaning a pleasing shine. Perhaps something similar was done with planes?
A few years back I bought several boxes of old tools at a flea market. I sort of scaned over what I could see and there were some nice old tools. They were in various states of rustyness but nice just the same. I asked what he was wanting for several items and haggled a little. The gentleman finally said I'll take $__ for the whole two boxes. I took the two boxes home and they set for a day or two. I started to go thru them and I found a very well preserved Stanley sweetheart #2 in a small old box at the bottom of the second larger box. It still has the sticker on the handle. But like you said all it has done since is sit on my self cuz it just to small to use.
I'd dunk the parts without japanning in an electrolysis tank and the japanned parts in a vinegar bath. Saves a lot of grinder/drill press time and is less aggressive. 🤙
Looks great. Nicely restored, not overdone. If it looked like new it would lose its history and might as well be something you bought yesterday, which would make it just another tool. Great job.
Fantastic job! I'll be using these tips when I get round to restoring my no. 4. At least I can relax knowing it's nothing like as valuable or hard to replace if I break anything 😁
I thought the No1 was for pianomakers but since I only have a No2 I'll never know? Some points on how I restore which is in the spirit as what you did...I dip most of the small parts in Evaporust including the blade. I respect the original japaning and don't over restore or repaint. I use lots of different Birchwood Casey gun cleaning products in the process. I find that oiling the japaning brings out the color and prevents rust from reappearing better than wax. I lap the bottom and sides and I never use a powered wire wheel on anything. I don't sand knobs so as to preserve the original oxidation. Finally, the plane must work at least as good as when new and possibly better by virtue of the tweaks you mentioned.
Thanks for the extra clarification on plane restoration - VERY helpful. Blade/Chip Breaker 'jams' (a couple of my restorations suffer from that issue), the locating of the Frog using a small ruler (that tip was almost worth the whole video by itself for me), and finally, flattening the bottom of the plane under tension (I definitely missed that time in your earlier videos - back to the sandpaper for me). Thanks again!
In viewing James Wright,s Stanley #1 restoration, he seemed to remove the adjustment wheel with no interference from the blade yoke. Just "one of those things"? I always enjoy your very practical woodworking videos. Keep them coming!
Whew! Finally get to watch!! Great "measured" work... great patina, and it's clean and works! I didn't know how small the "Mythical No.1" actually was until you had it in hand....... yeah. Lol! It was probably a salesman's Sample-Example that was a BuckFitty for displays!! I read it was for tight spots, but but, that's why block and bullnose planes exist! Funny thing, the No.1 is still made New, cast iron and steel, in "China", for the princely sum of $160.00, plus S&H..... Just way too busy to order one! Excellent work... It's an good old tool that some unknowing person just didn't throw out. It was rescued!
Very satisfying restoration to watch. This might be a dumb question, but what is the use of such a small bench plane over a block plane? Great video by the way.
If the plane is old enough the handle varnish should be easily strippable with alcohol or isopropanol (it should be shellac). You could avoid a lot of sanding that way. Only a surface preparation is needed then.
A tip from a former gunsmith; 3 in 1 Oil is not that great a penetrating oil (it's a decent lubricant)... Kroil, on the other hand, is purpose made to PENETRATE frozen screws, etc. Kroil to disassemble, 3 in 1 to reassemble. Just a suggestion! Love the restoration!
Yep. I've used Kroil for years for getting old nuts n' bolts apart. That, and an old can of "Liquid Wrench" that I have had for decades.
thoughts on PBlaster?
@@Tater1337 Kroil is King.
Or pb blaster… that worked better than kroil on my power hammer…
Acetone and ATF 50/50 mix is king. I just used Gibbs on a block plane restoration yesterday and it worked great.
There's something nice about restoring a viewers Stanley number one. Sweet work man. Love it
That means a lot coming from you, brother!
Good day, Sir James. Loved seeing Lady Sarah's Bench completed. Can't wait to see her make puppies for the puppy-holes in her wee little bench 😉.
@MichaelKingsfordGray ? Coward ? how is training youth rated as a cowardly deed ?
@@markbaker9459 8 лет ща ща ща ща ща
Lucky enough to have two and use, my grandfather was a woodwork teacher who kept two as he knew they would never be seen again, I got them years later, he served in both world wars the 1st at the grand old age of 14 !
You handled this like "Hand Tool Restoration" does only fix what needs fixing on an antique, amazing finish and honest commentary
Nice job. Glad you didn’t go too far in restoring the plane.
Agreed, I never figured out why some people make an old plane look like it just came from the factory. Keep it old but working properly.
Next time you're starting to drive a pin out of brittle cast iron, build a hardwood cradle that contacts the casting under the pin as well as the edge of the frame. The hardwood will dent enough to receive the pin. Just a suggestion.
@MichaelKingsfordGray
What is it with you calling people cowards?
@@davidhutchins3986 I'm not sure what his comment was but he apparently deleted all of them. Who's the coward now?
I have to agree on the #1's usefulness other than a collectors' item. For that same $1k you could probably buy a good user plane in all the other 10 sizes and have a full stable except for that tiny #1.
I'd have been in a state of mild panic restoring a #1 if it was my own, let alone someone else's; you're a brave man, Rex...!
I am with you Rex. As a car guy for a long time spending thousands of hours and dollars restoring a car/ truck that sits on a trailer makes as much sense to me as a tool that sits on a shelf. Great video!
7:28 Seeing the knob and tote getting that coat of boiled linseed oil... just... chills down my spine
The Stanley no 1 isn't the rarest of the Stanley bench planes. The 2C and 5 1/4C are far harder to find but still far from rare. The No1 is very collectible which is what makes it so valuable. Very nice job on the restoration Rex. Very nice compromise to retain the value for collectors.
Dont see many Stanley 4 1/2H and 5 1/2H planes around.
I can never find their left-handed planes.....but I'll keep looking.
@@greystone71 Oh really. I have a couple of dozen of them. Persevere and you will find them out there
My No. 3 1/2 is the only one I know, haven’t seen any others.
@@prairie_born do u live in the uk by chance? They are a lot more common over there. Either way sounds like a good collection.
Furnituremaker 32 years, here. I remember an old timer say back in the early 90s that he was told that they used them as a chamfer plane. Lightly set and 3 passes max for an edge chamfer. Don't know if its true but I use my Norton rabbit plane for said detail so I think it might be. My block plane is always too much for that kind of chamfer. I could see using a #1 for that task. Hope this helps. Class A restoration, btw. Loved seeing this. Your plane tune up was complete and well taught. I would use this video as a teaching tool for plane tuning. Im impressed. Great work.
A small suggestion,I use a 12 X 12 granite tile as my base for the wet and dry sandpaper I use for tool sharpening. It is smooth and heavy enough that it does not wander when used on my workbench.
6:20 finally an actual use for a yoga mat 🤣
Nice restoration. You should leave the original sound in the background, at low volume. It will give you a natural and pleasant soundstage. No one will object to polishing and sanding sounds, maybe machines.
My hearing impaired viewers have asked me not to use background music or noise and keep the audio clean. That's why I don't use music. (I don't disagree with you, but I want everyone to be able to access this stuff.)
@@RexKrueger Not only hearing impaired, but also other sensory processing disorders :) My wiring makes background music behind talking absolutely maddening. Background sounds as well. Music on its own is my life, but this is different.
@@RexKrueger Thanks so much for not having music.
@@arlingtonhynes agreed. Often the music picked is PURE garbage. Sometimes it causes me to quit watching. I get on to watch what I pick and I'll watch it.
Hey Rex, thank you for your videos.
Thanks to you, i just started my very own plane collection.
I found 2 Stanley planes, a 5 1/2 and a 7 in great condition for only 40 euro (for both!) and another wooden plane for only 5 euro.
I love using the wooden plane, setting it with a small hammer is very intuitive, much more so than i thought it would be.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Damn that's pretty good, I need to look more, haven't really found any good deals on Stanley (or Record) planes here. I'm also in europe and I don't see that many :(
@@kz.irudimen I got good deals on EBay. Look for rusty ones.
So envious. 😡 I was forced to buy a piece of crap plane made in India because the cheapest Stanley I could find was AUD$170 and it was in need of a lot of work. Anyway I spent two days trying to true up the crap plane (the manufacturer has a unique prospective of 90° angles) to make is useable while I still keep a lookout for a No 4 Stanley.
Nice find on your pieces though and I hope you get a lot of enjoyment from their use. 👍
How CUTE! I am now retired but I spent a lifetime as a tool maker for Aerospace. I love tools of all shapes and sizes. You did a good job of cleaning it up while leaving the history on that little guy. NICE :D
Re learning woodworking after not touching a blade for 30 years... I am half power tool and half hand tool, your episode on Mortise and tenons convinced me that hand tools is the only way to go on joints... mine still look like crap, but they are improving. I love how you just seem to enjoy the artistry and the history of it
I bought and I like the new book. When my grandson gets back from vacation, we're going to build a couple of the excellent projects from the book. Maybe the sawhorses first?
I'd have a hard time letting anyone else restore any plane let alone a number 1 You are lucky to have such trusting viewers
OK, so you have a plane with a four figure price tag, why do it yourself when you can get an expert to do it?
The reason is I get a lot of enjoyment restoring good old planes to be great users
@@ATurtle05 The question should be “Why let Rex do it when you can get an expert to do it?” There are people who will go at these things with nothing but cleaning fluids, a rag and a razorblade to scrape the rust of, to preserve all the patina. Rex is good at fixing planes, not so much at restoring them as collectors’ items. But in fairness, the guy wanted it to look brand new, Rex talked him out of it and got it back to usable condition instead - presumably for free. Everybody happy.
Great video, Thank you. Nice to see you held back on the restoration.
I love your channel, I've been into woodworking since I was 11 years old. And I built my very first project using an old rusty chisel, and cheal stock. It's a small box, jointed with rabbits. Since then I havent tackled anything big or serious due to the lack of materials and tools. Recently I got into your videos and you've inspired me to take up woodworking again. I built a workbench using what I had And added a homemade vise following your tutorial on it. I also made some wooden holdfasts and bench dogs. They all work well and suit my needs. The satisfaction of sucessfuly using a homemade tool is unparraled. I invested some money and bought a new chisel and my first handplane. I followed you video on how to super tune a cheap hand plane and it works amazingly. As of right now I've cut up some old 2x8 and 2x4 stock for a big shelve my mom wants me to make. the wood was ugly, gray, but was structurally pretty alright. I used my plane to square them up and give them a new face. Soon I'm gonna have a go at joining them with mortise and tenons. I feel great and I'm very excited to make more tools and start more projects. I'm 16 now and your videos are a great help in learning new things and gathering useful information and tips. I always viewed woodworking as a powertool thing. And now a whole new universe of handtool work has opened to me. If I wasn't so tight on cash I'd definitely join your patreon. Keep up the good work, Thank You for your amazing content.
Good video, and I gotta tell ya- I have a WoodRiver No1 AND a Stanley No1 Type 5. I use them all the time. They're great for removing saw marks and making a smooth edge a lot quicker than sanding. It's also really good for easing edges and/or making a bevel. One hand use, quick and easy. You did a little more cleaning on the Stanley than I did, but it looks almost the same (considering the camera view!).
Nicely timed :) I just got my first restoration project from ebay. Just an old #4, but I don't have one and it was $10, in not too bad shape. I expect to use the crap out of it. It's in better shape than a fillister plane I basically YOLO restored a few years back. Only 1/4 the way into the vid and I'm already learning new steps I can use in a few days here :) Thanks!
Watched it with early access. Watching it again now. Also No. 1 costs more than $1000 nowadays.
You know, I have to wonder if the No. 1 provided more benefit than we believe. It's easy to look at a block plane and think to ourselves, "Why not just use this?" But when you showed that coffin smoother it points to the fact that small planes had a use. Perhaps in instrument making such as pianos or with other small parts -- doll houses, models, pattern makers, etc.
That coffin smoother and the No. 1 have something that a block plane doesn't: a chip breaker. And that chip breaker means better control of tear out without having to rely on an obnoxiously small mouth or high pitch. And for Stanley, the question becomes how do you make a small plane to mimic the coffin smoother WITH a chip breaker AND to take advantage of their Bailey pattern mechanism?
The No. 1, of course.
The no 1 has no lateral and no frog adjuster nut. Not really taking advantage of their Bailey pattern mechanism with out those.
The size isn't the issue (block planes being equally small) the issue is you can't grip it.
@@RexKrueger Sure, but that is our problem, not Stanley's. The size of the tote is limited by the 45 degree angle of the blade, but it certainly is recognizable. For them, I'm sure it was more important for the shape of the No. 1 to match the other planes. Ergonomics was an afterthought.
And although Gareth is right to point out that it has no lateral adjuster, it still has a depth adjuster. And with a stable cast iron body, I'll take a depth adjuster over no adjustment whatsoever.
Such well scripted videos.. Consise, accurate, informative. Always a pleasure to watch Rex.
Thank you! Writing an actual script really helps.
I'm such a nerd. I geeked out way too much over a tool restoration video. Well done sir.
I recently found my grandfather's old Stanley 45. It is amazing, pretty sure I have everything for it too.
I have never given a thumbs down on these videos till this one. For such a rare and valuable plane i would have expected a better restoration. I love user tools, not collections and think this resto is perrect for a user, but not a no.1.
Sanding the sole, non original type finish on the timber and wire wheel on the castings all leave marks that can possibly cause permanent impact to its authenticity and value.
Mate this is awesome. It looks like one of my restorations. Youve done the little No 1 proud
My dad gave me my grandfather's no2 Stanley sweetheart. It was pretty busted up. I kept as much of the original rosewood as possible and where it was broken or shattered, ai replaced it with machined brass. It actually gets a lot of use around the house installing doors and making small projects.
Very nice restoration. One day I will eventually get to restoring my "sort of famous plane" which is a Liberty Bell transitional plane which came from my great grandfather. Not anything like the rarity of this one of course. Still trying to understand the adjustment mechanism. I definitely understand how much care you were taking with this one.
AS USUAL…a video well worth watching. It has history, restoration, and practicality blended seamlessly into a delightful few minutes.
Thanks. I just got a number 5 that needs some work. Very helpful and enjoyable.
I bet your watcher was REALLY happy. That's a beauty.
Super cool! Thanks for posting this. I was recently talking with a friend about the No.1. I've never even seen one of these so watching you do a resto on one was a real treat. Thanks.
About using a little steel rule to align the frog, I have done that on a Stanley No. 4 in the following way. Put the plane down on a piece of paper and with a pencil outline the opening for the blade on the paper. Then, without moving the plane, with the little steel rule you can make little indentations in the paper by poking the steel rule down through the opening (this is with the edge of the rule aligned along the frog of course, not the flat side). Upon removing the plane from the paper you can see if the indentations are equidistant from the pencil markings (but it may take a magnifying glass to see them).
The No1 was designed for bamboo rod making. Great video! Thanks from Bill from frozen Mn.
You have done it again DR. Kruger! I would have been so nervous of messing it up!
Order placed, just waiting for UK release on the 22nd :)
Thanks Rex
FWIW, the comparison you made between the No. 1 and a block plane are completely valid and I was in agreement with that for many years. I've had the Lie-Nielsen version for many years and for most of its life it was just an example to show any visitors to my shop what a No. 1 looked like in hand. After developing arthritis in my hands, things have changed. I now find it is much more comfortable to use vs my 60&1/2. I'm not going to imply that this will work for everyone with arthritis but I feel the need to say that it's worked for me. Great restoration BTW, loved the video.👍
I managed to pick up 4 hand planes in great shape for only 32 bucks! Only surface rust, perfect timing for this awesome video!
That's what I love... the honesty in your videos. Spell out the truth and move on.
Here's a suggestion for removing rust from cast iron. I've done this successfully countless times with cast iron cookware. Sautéed onions. There is a chemical in the onions that eats the oxidized iron (i.e. rust) and leaves the non-corroded iron behind. Merely sauté the onions in some butter and then rub them on the rusted area and let them do their thing. NOTE - do not eat the onions.
Yesterday, I was in an antique store I've never been to. I found a Keen Kutter K5 for $30. It's in great condition. Just dirty. Metal is good. No cracks in the rosewood. Lots of blade left. I resisted the urge to yell, "EEEEEEEEE!" and jump up and down like a nine year old girl. I also bought a slightly rusty and very dirty type 1 Stanley #18 knuckle cap block plane for $9. It's in great shape, under the crud. It was in a little strip mall, in a small Missouri town, that was all antique stores. I was passing through and only had time to look in one small store. It's a two hour drive but I think I'm going back next week to check out the other stores.
I am a fan of owning tools for use not for show but good on you if you like collecting tools that are hard to find and are cool(not cute🤮) then collect away and preserve a great part of history.
You are the man Rex, I agree with you, if you won't use it, you do not need it. Great video.
Top restoration 👍🙌
LOL I totally agree that a functional tool is way more exciting than a shelf ornament! Still, you did such a great job with this it crosses into "work of art" territory.
Love watching you work and hearing your philosophy. Also 7:12 is the only time I've heard someone say they were going to chuck something, and then they literally chucked it.
That is beautiful Rex, if you over restore a tool you erase the history too. you want to look like it has been well cared for and ready to be used. To me the best way to honor a great tool is to keep it in serviceable condition. great job!
Very nice video. I enjoy your tool videos but absolutely love the woodworking for humans videos. I'm just a normal dude messing around in my spare time and when you make a video about simple projects I can actually do I not only watch them I rewatch them. I watch once just for fun and once to really learn, note your technique and love them. TH-cam is full of woodwork, but simple easy to execute projects in well produced easily digestible fun to watch videos are actually more rare than they should be.
Tool videos are ok but honestly you're WAY more into planes than I ever will be, and you have covered the topic about 300% beyond my interest level. You're so good I'm still watching but it's not exactly a home run for me.
Great one Rex! Loved it, great tips, really liked how you keep the video moving but still give us a lot of information, great work my friend, take care and enjoy!
Great video Rex
Enjoyed the video. Great tip on setting up the chip breaker. Thanks for sharing and have a great day.
Congratulations on the book!
It’s funny to me that “Someone has given me one of the rarest and most expensive planes , and I’m going to restore it,” is followed immediately by the title card. It makes it seem like the title is said more along the lines of “Rex…uh…figures it out.” Confidence inspiring.
Fantastic Restoration, Rex !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Very cool! I love these kind of videos. I have a 3 through 8 minus a 7. No halfs. Most were nasty when I bought them. Lots of fun and thanks for all of your tips!
Love your humor brother!
Great work, as always! Glad I got my copy of the book on the first go-round!
Got your book 4 days ago. Read through it a few times.
I'm so excited to have a resource from which I can first teach myself. And then teach my 3 boys (when they are old enough in a few years).
Thank you for the book!
(Though, being in the swamp in Florida, we have pine, palmetto bushes and live oak....and that is it. Finding these green logs of hardwood is......not so easy down here)
thank you!!!!
I recently restored a Stanley No4 Bailey. Something I found amazingly helpful was to vat the iron/steel parts in a 50% solution of Krud Kutter. It took the rust off nicely without damaging the japanning and it leaves a rust resistant grey patina if you don't polish it off. Thought you might like it.
Guys, probably 15 years ago ??? I came across this cute, little hand plane, cannot remember for the life of me where, garage sale? Flea market? But I thought it would come in handy on my small handyman woodworking jobs and for $15, good deal right? All original no rust or cracks. Only the very tip of the handle is broken off. Squared and sharpened the blade and have used it whenever needed. Didn't know it's history till a few years back. Still use it regularly but now it has a place of honor on the shelf. Might be silly but I really like hand tools.
I use my no1 all the time for what most use a block plane for. Its also a great pocket plane for those little fine adjustments needed when on the job. Oh yeh, always use it single handed and it's very ergonomic in the hand.
Beautiful! Great attention to detail!
Yes, over-restoration can ruin a piece, the patina looks great on the old planes. As far as that little dip at the nose of your No.1, I deliberately put one on mine, and I would leave the one that you have. Many older planed have that, I also put about a 0.5° decline along each side of the bottom, about 3/8 of an inch from the edge, and put a light shampher all the way around. Many thanks, for a great video, Now I have to save for another thing I don't need. lol.
I find a Stanley number two is quicker at removing tearout - compared to other planes I have tried to date. The plane is quite delightful, in use, light, easy to push and it is always a pleasure to bring out the patterns from reversing grain...
For justfication, I do not know exactly why I find the number two quicker but this are the differences I have noted.
1mm tighter mouth
easierreachchallenging
Having a
Finally, getting to the point. The number one shares many of a number two's features and then expands on them. Food for thought when considering how a number one was used by a skilled woodworker....
Oh I couldn't agree with you more Rex. Sat in near silence the majority of your restoration only to scare the crap outta the Mrs with the way down, deep inside, came from the soul, noise that jumped outta me as if it were going to be the next to hold the Norris the second you brought it out. That 77 different emotional reactions rolled up into one noise ...noise. the no. 01 is famous so naturally I envy the viewer that sent it in because well, I don't have one. But even if I had 3 no. 01s in my possession, I would gladly give up all 3 for the one Norris. No second thought whatsoever.
Great work Rex. Glad the resto was a success
Thanks to your mate for sending it over.
Hey Rex, it's my understanding that the purpose of the #1 Stanley was to use as a demo for salesmen to pitch the the Stanley line of hand planes to would-be buyers. The smaller, lighter model was much easier to take on the road than the larger planes in the Stanley line. That is also why they are so rare.
Stanley: “Bill, you and the others will go on the road and pitch our new planes.”
Bill: “Sure. Should we take one of the smaller ones to demo the design, like a No. 4?”
Stanley: “Not the No.4, that’s what we made the No. 1 for: it’s really awkward to grip and it’s missing some of the features all the other planes have. Perfect for demoing.”
here are a few tips on removing varnish or other finishes effectively:
sanding is, for anything but smaller pieces, a waste of time, use alcohol or paint thinner together with scotchbrite.
if it's a really tough finish you want to use pipe cleaner or sodium-hydroxide solution, apply with a brush, rinse with water and repeat, keep in mind that oak turns black when you do this, but this can be bleached with hydrogen peroxide.
That looks great. Good job Rex!
I completely agree that tools need to be used. But I bought a wooden plane a while back with no intention of using it. The reason was it was just too darn cool to use. I bought it from an old dude who’s dad had been a wagon maker around the turn of the century, and this plane had clearly been the one he used the most. He had, at one point, blown the plane apart by adjusting the iron improperly. And because he didn’t have the time to build a new one, he nailed the thing back together with some brass tacks. The plane had clearly gone through many years worth of work since that accident because the tacks look like they are physically a part of the wood now. But I wasn’t about to use it in my shop, so it stays on a shelf where I can enjoy it. Maybe it’ll see another piece of wood one day, but I doubt it.
Tip from a luthier with over 45 years of experience and a clock maker with over 70 years of experience: Linseed oil will darken that rosewood until it looks like black black Gaboon ebony, or blackened ebonized hardwood.
I'm not sure how planes were finished, but vintage sewing machines (especially Singers) had a black japaning with a clear shellac overcoat. The shellac gave the japaning a pleasing shine. Perhaps something similar was done with planes?
A few years back I bought several boxes of old tools at a flea market. I sort of scaned over what I could see and there were some nice old tools. They were in various states of rustyness but nice just the same. I asked what he was wanting for several items and haggled a little. The gentleman finally said I'll take $__ for the whole two boxes. I took the two boxes home and they set for a day or two. I started to go thru them and I found a very well preserved Stanley sweetheart #2 in a small old box at the bottom of the second larger box. It still has the sticker on the handle. But like you said all it has done since is sit on my self cuz it just to small to use.
Awesome ! I've been keeping an eye out for no. 1
I'd dunk the parts without japanning in an electrolysis tank and the japanned parts in a vinegar bath. Saves a lot of grinder/drill press time and is less aggressive. 🤙
Looks great. Nicely restored, not overdone. If it looked like new it would lose its history and might as well be something you bought yesterday, which would make it just another tool. Great job.
Fantastic job! I'll be using these tips when I get round to restoring my no. 4. At least I can relax knowing it's nothing like as valuable or hard to replace if I break anything 😁
Great restoration. Thanks for the information!
He did a lovely job on that little fella.
Really agree with your approach not to destroy the tool story by just sand blasting it all to bare metal.
I thought the No1 was for pianomakers but since I only have a No2 I'll never know? Some points on how I restore which is in the spirit as what you did...I dip most of the small parts in Evaporust including the blade. I respect the original japaning and don't over restore or repaint. I use lots of different Birchwood Casey gun cleaning products in the process. I find that oiling the japaning brings out the color and prevents rust from reappearing better than wax. I lap the bottom and sides and I never use a powered wire wheel on anything. I don't sand knobs so as to preserve the original oxidation. Finally, the plane must work at least as good as when new and possibly better by virtue of the tweaks you mentioned.
Thanks for the extra clarification on plane restoration - VERY helpful. Blade/Chip Breaker 'jams' (a couple of my restorations suffer from that issue), the locating of the Frog using a small ruler (that tip was almost worth the whole video by itself for me), and finally, flattening the bottom of the plane under tension (I definitely missed that time in your earlier videos - back to the sandpaper for me). Thanks again!
Thanks for the journey!
Beautifully done.
OMG THEY DO EXIST. It's an honest to goodness UNICORN!
In viewing James Wright,s Stanley #1 restoration, he seemed to remove the adjustment wheel with no interference from the blade yoke. Just "one of those things"? I always enjoy your very practical woodworking videos. Keep them coming!
Very informative . Great job
Whew! Finally get to watch!! Great "measured" work... great patina, and it's clean and works! I didn't know how small the "Mythical No.1" actually was until you had it in hand....... yeah. Lol! It was probably a salesman's Sample-Example that was a BuckFitty for displays!! I read it was for tight spots, but but, that's why block and bullnose planes exist!
Funny thing, the No.1 is still made New, cast iron and steel, in "China", for the princely sum of $160.00, plus S&H..... Just way too busy to order one!
Excellent work... It's an good old tool that some unknowing person just didn't throw out. It was rescued!
Love this. My Stanleys bottom out at #2. Even that one doesn't find much hand time.
Very satisfying restoration to watch. This might be a dumb question, but what is the use of such a small bench plane over a block plane? Great video by the way.
Excellent job!!!!
I heard that the number one was for shop class. Being a shop teacher, one picks up on that stuff. By the way, I enjoy your videos.
Brilliant job. Great video.
If the plane is old enough the handle varnish should be easily strippable with alcohol or isopropanol (it should be shellac). You could avoid a lot of sanding that way. Only a surface preparation is needed then.