Restoring Bailey No.5 Jack Plane


chefmagnus@grics.net

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I couldn't find anything to put the main part of the plane into. So I vacuum packed it with a cup of Evapo Rust. I thought that it would like marinate in the solution like a steak would. Since there is only plane part and Evapo Rust in the bag they have to be touching one another. I also put the small parts into a Zip-Lock bag after reading that evaporation was bad for items in the solution. The plane was easy to take apart. I did check the base for flatness as best I could using a straight edge.  And aside from the rust it was flat. It does appear to be working well on the small pieces but large part isn't going as fast. There is writing on the large part that I could not see before. I am going to have to spend my morning at dialysis wondering how the pour of the new shop floor and finding about what to use to restore the plane. From the videos that I have seen I am going to have to get a flat surface for working on the planes.

 

I have read and heard about stuff flash rusting coming out of Evapo Rust. What should I coat the pieces with to stop this rust?

 

I was going to put the small pieces into the vibrator tumbler to polish with some walnut shells. Is this ok? 

 

How is the best method of checking the angles? And fixing them if incorrect? 

 

I got an estimate of $630 to clean up all the planes. Can I get the tools to clean and rehab the planes for less than this?

 

Is there a website that I should be looking at?

 

I am hoping for lots of help fixing these old planes up and get them back to work. 

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Chef, 

 

I use a rubbermade shoebox sized holder with as much evapo-rust that is needed to cover the item I'm soaking. I keep it in my shop with the cover on the container and my shop is about 65 degrees. I usually soak over night, then hit it with a scotchbrite pad to remove as much of the black carbon staining as possible. Full immersion is the most effective. I tried wrapping the top from the table saw I restored with evapo-rust soaked paper towels and then shrink wrapped it, didn't work well. I bought a washing machine overflow pan for 20 bucks and put it upside down in that and it worked like a champ. Again, full immersion is best. Once you scrub it with some scotchbrite, rinse it thoroughly with water to get any evaporust off, dry with a towel or paper towels, and then I have been putting them on top of my toaster over to get the metal to about 175 degrees to dry it thoroughly, you could also hit it with a hair dryer or heat gun to get it full dry. I then rub the pieces with 0000 steel wool and WD40 to keep from rusting. If the japanning needs to be restored, I just media blast the jappaning off, and then mask the body where I don't want paint. I use rustoleum flat black enamel and build up the coats, then I wait 2 days and I put 2 coats of clear gloss enamel and let dry for a week to let it cure. 

 

Here's what I did on my No. 5. I turned a new knob as well. I just need to finish making the rear handle which has been an interesting task so far. 

 

 

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remember the evapo rust is reusable so don't throw it away.  and yes, just pour it into a tub and soak your items in it.  i even left some small hardware bits in evaporust for about 5 days once because I forgot about it, didn't harm the stuff at all just rinsed off clean. so when in doubt feel free to let it soak for longer.

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You can run it through a coffee filter to get the sediment out and further extend its life, too.

Why didn't you post this a month ago - I just done a whole batch of old plane irons and chisels and threw it away cos it was black, at least I know for next time :P

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Chef,

 

Fantastic job lapping that sole. It's looks nice and shiney and flat. What grits did you use? I know it take forever to to get it nice and flat. If you're going to paint the body, you're probably going to have to strip the existing jappaning off to get it painted evenly. The evapo-rust didn't take that off, from the original pictures before it was cleaned up it would seem that the rust, and time ate it up. If you do paint over it without stripping, you should mask the sides with some masking tape, rough up the surface with some sand paper, and then hit it with a coat of primer.

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At home now. I spend most of two evening working on the sole. I started with 50g on a piece of marble going lengthwise then crosswise until I had a cross pattern across the whole sole. I then moved to 60g and went at a 45º and 135º until the crosses had become X's. 80g and just moving the body from head to toe until I had lines from head to toe. I then moved to 120g and moved it 90º to the so the lines went the other way, Then I go a piece of 150g and started all over with crosses, 180g X's, 220g head to toe, 320g side to side, over and over through the stack of cut open sand papers. I also switched to wet/dry paper at 400g and added water with dish soap added. I guess that I spent 10-12 hours doing it. I also started doing the ears/sides at 320g but they had almost no pitting. 

 

 

I was worried that taking out the bad pitting in the toe area of the sole would make it not flat. 

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That's dedication, it takes forever to sand down cast iron, and paper clogs fast. I have a rare earth magnet that I put a paper towel over and suck off the iron dust with, helps prolong the paper. 

 

As for stripping off the jappaning, I would guess the soy stripper would work, never used it before. The jappaning is usually varnish based. 

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Nope japanning doesn't come off with soy stripper. I am going to try hitting it with walnut shells when I get my media blaster out of storage. It will wait for now. 

 

I got a email from my questions from Evapo Rust. They say to store a green 3M pad and plastic bristled brush in your tub of Evapo Rust and to use them to clean off residue. Also if you aren't using the parts that dried Evapo Rust will protect from rust for 2-3 weeks or leave items in the tub. 

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That's dedication, it takes forever to sand down cast iron, and paper clogs fast. I have a rare earth magnet that I put a paper towel over and suck off the iron dust with, helps prolong the paper. 

 

As for stripping off the jappaning, I would guess the soy stripper would work, never used it before. The jappaning is usually varnish based. 

i put the marble on a board across my lap and watch TV while I do it. 

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