Buying tips.

[Coyote Jim]

The reason I am starting this thread is because where I live (Phoenix, Arizona area) there is not a very good woodworking community. Don't get me wrong, there are a couple of woodworking clubs, those clubs are have some very great people in them, we have a Woodcraft, we have a hardwood dealer. We have access to what we need, but the used tool market is as dry at the deserts out here. If you want to buy a used jointer that does not look like it was left our in the rain for a decade then be prepared to watch Craigslist like a hawk for months or be ready to pay almost as much as you would for a brand new one.

So what's the point of this thread? Good question. I need tips to help me find used hand tools. Hopefully we can all share were we have had success. 

I know that Ebay has all the hand tools I can shake a stick at, but Ebay has some definite cons.  My issue with Ebay right now is that standard Stanley planes and the like are priced VERY high at the moment. If you want a Stanley No 7 from Ebay you will most likely be paying over $100, and you have to hope that the pictures that the seller took show everything. For instance, I recently bought a No 7 from Ebay and once the plane was delivered I found a few issue that the photos did not show, issues that would have prevented me from buying.

When it comes to buying tools I want to be able to put my hands on it and check the tool out before I buy it. To do that I need local sellers. Which means antique stores and Craigslist like sites. Antique stores in my area have minimal woodworking tools and the ones that they do have are missing pieces and parts and they are priced at a premium. Craigslist and the like in my area have a very minimal selection of woodworking tools.

But I have had success recently and I will share with you what worked for me. 

Some of you may not know that Craigslist is dying. Craig and his list have had a pretty good run but there is a new player in town that is gaining more and more market share called Offer Up. It is pretty much the same thing as Craigslist but the phone app is slick and is a bit easier to use. You may find more/better deals on Offer Up compared to Craigslist.

I also have found a little bit more luck changing what I search for on Craigslist and Offer Up. When looking for planes I have always just searched for "Hand Planes", "Wood Planes" and "Stanley". Very limited success by doing that. In fact, using those searches hardly gets me anything. Recently I have also started doing searches for "Antique Tools" and "Vintage Tools". Those searches have gotten me better results. People who are posting their stuff as "Antique or Vintage" also tend to not know what they have, I just bought a No 5 with 3 Patent Numbers and a No 4.5 with 2 Patent Numbers for $60 each, they planes looked to have very little use. They guy told me to just pay him what is fair because he had no idea what they were worth. Based off of another search for "Vintage Tools" I found someone selling a No 6 for only $50. I have not seen it yet but the picture shows it to be in pretty good condition. (In my area those are good prices. Maybe where there is more woodworking saturation these prices may seem high to you.)

Well those are my tips. Anyone have any other good tips for finding good used tools? Also looking for tips on buying lumber. At our hardwood dealer even white oak is selling for around $8 a board foot. That seems high to me.

[Chestnut]

Interesting, i feel that the sites that work best for selling stuff vaires by region. In ND there was a decent website but it was specific to the region but everyone used it and craig's list was empty there. CL is still very much king here I've tried a few of the others facebook marketplace ect and they usually are pretty empty.

My advice is still ebay i put reminders on a calendar for auctions but i was careful to watch the buy it now prices and never bid over a buy it now. I found that items that expire at odd times and in the middle of the week go for lower than those that expire at prime times and on the weekend. When i wanted something i watched like a hawk was picky always sorted by newly listed. I sniped a few buy it nows within 5 mins of posting that were just low priced. I also got an ok deal through the make an offer system. Also the planes on ebay go in waves from what I've found. Maybe there is a good season and a bad season mid summer? who wants to get sweaty when it's hot out? Spring might have more supply and lower prices due to spring cleaning?

[Tmize]

I have had some great luck with eBay. When I know I’m going to need or want  a certain plane. I start looking an it may take 2 weeks sometimes to find a great deal but I have alway done well. I to have never had much luck at flea malls for Stanley but I have found one dealer at one mall that usually keeps at least one moulding plane in his booth at a decent price. Other than that eBay is my only option. 

Now Craigslist has been good to me as far as lumber goes. I’ve got 8/4 white for a 1/3 of the price lumber yard. An recently found a fellow woodworker that got in with a wholesaler an will sell to public 10 cents a bdft over wholesale price. 

[Chet]

Hey Jim,  You might try contacting Shannon Rogers at the Hand Tool School.  If I remember correctly a month or two back he mentioned some guy that has a fairly decent ongoing supply of hand tool that he sells.  It sounded like not only did he have used tools but also parts for used tools.

[Tpt life]

Just depends on your market. I got a whole stable of Stanley’s for under $300 from Craigslist. FaceBook’s marketplace seems to have run of the power tools around here. 

[Tmize]

35 minutes ago, Tpt life said:

Just depends on your market. I got a whole stable of Stanley’s for under $300 

That’s about what I have also in my mine 3-7. I think the only 2 I paid over $50 was the 6,7. 

If still interested in a number 7 I’ve got a extra later model that I have been debating on putting up on eBay just to get my money back on. 

[Tpt life]

I may have been misleading. By stable I mean, several fours, several fives, several transitional, an eight, a seven, a ten, and seven or eight block planes. All one purchase. 

[Tmize]

Wow that is a haul right there. That’s being in the right place at the right time 

[Chestnut]

I have a 2nd #3 it'd take some tuning but i'd bet it would cut. It's a mismatch type but is in good shape. 2 of the top 20 best gifts ever given to me are my #5 and #7.

[Tony Wilkins]

Have you looked at Www.hyperkitten.com?

[Tmize]

He dont ever seem to have very much on his site anymore. Now one that I’ve found that’s not to bad on pricing and genuinely has good stuff is www.vintagewoodworkingtools.com

[Coyote Jim]

Thank you everyone for the recommendations. It really is difficult to find good stuff out here in the desert.

22 hours ago, Tmize said:

If still interested in a number 7 I’ve got a extra later model that I have been debating on putting up on eBay just to get my money back on. 

I may take you up on that Tmize. Well the number 7 that I got off ebay needs a new blade. The one that came with it is not even the right size. Also, the first inch or so of the toe is missing. Yes you read that right. Someone ground the front inch or so of the plane off. The bottom half of all the letters in the word Bailey are missing.

Do you guys think that as long as I can make sure the sole is flat and I get a replacement blade, that it will still function well as a jointer?

5 hours ago, Tony Wilkins said:

Have you looked at Www.hyperkitten.com?

 

3 hours ago, Tmize said:

 Now one that I’ve found that’s not to bad on pricing and genuinely has good stuff is www.vintagewoodworkingtools.com

I have never heard of those sites. I'll give them a good once over.

 

[Coyote Jim]

23 hours ago, Chestnut said:

My advice is still ebay i put reminders on a calendar for auctions but i was careful to watch the buy it now prices and never bid over a buy it now. I found that items that expire at odd times and in the middle of the week go for lower than those that expire at prime times and on the weekend. When i wanted something i watched like a hawk was picky always sorted by newly listed. I sniped a few buy it nows within 5 mins of posting that were just low priced. I also got an ok deal through the make an offer system. Also the planes on ebay go in waves from what I've found. Maybe there is a good season and a bad season mid summer? who wants to get sweaty when it's hot out? Spring might have more supply and lower prices due to spring cleaning?

This is very good advise. I still have my hangups about ebay you are right, it IS the biggest selection.

[Chestnut]

25 minutes ago, Coyote Jim said:

I may take you up on that Tmize. Well the number 7 that I got off ebay needs a new blade. The one that came with it is not even the right size. Also, the first inch or so of the toe is missing. Yes you read that right. Someone ground the front inch or so of the plane off. The bottom half of all the letters in the word Bailey are missing. 

Do you guys think that as long as I can make sure the sole is flat and I get a replacement blade, that it will still function well as a jointer?

So yeah probably. i'd be that someone dropped it and damaged the front of the plane. I don't know what you have for flattening but I've heard and used slabs of granite from a counter top shop. You can usually get the sink cut outs from them for free. I glue some sand paper and use it to flatten the sole or at least clean it up some. post some good pictures i'd be interested to see what we're looking at here. Obviously you aren't a collector so who cares what shape it's in if it cuts.

I always suggest a replacement blade personally. I have started buying the blade and cap iron sets and comparing my vintage Stanley to my Lie Nielson  the LN has an obvious edge but i still get dang close  with the Stanley and an upgraded blade and cap iron. The Stanley blades are ok but they are soft steel and i felt like i spent more time sharpening than planing. I have started getting PMV-11 blades from Lee Valley and boy do i love that steel. I touch up the edge of my planes once every 3 months with a strop and hardly go back to the stones. There is so much differing advice on this. The woodcraft guys here have the exact opposite mentality. What that means is everyone is goign to have an opinion and they all probably work just find the one that makes sense for you.

 ... starting to ramble should probably just hit send.

I also strongly recommend to avoid corrugated plane soles. I have a #4C and hate it.

I say that and then find this and get really tempted to buy it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Stanley-no-6-corrugated-plane/283154468403?hash=item41ed524e33:g:-l4AAOSwJhdbl-Ef

That logo is in such great shape...

[Tmize]

12 minutes ago, Coyote Jim said:

Thank you everyone for the recommendations. It really is difficult to find good stuff out here in the desert.

I may take you up on that Tmize. Well the number 7 that I got off ebay needs a new blade. The one that came with it is not even the right size. Also, the first inch or so of the toe is missing. Yes you read that right. Someone ground the front inch or so of the plane off. The bottom half of all the letters in the word Bailey are missing.

Do you guys think that as long as I can make sure the sole is flat and I get a replacement blade, that it will still function well as a jointer?

 

 

 

That’s awful makes me cringe just thinking about it. Now is it still useable sure it’s a 20” plane but it will still give you a jointed edge as long as sole is flat an straight. Now I’m probably going to make some people mad but the sole on a jointer doesn’t need to super flat with mine I lay a wooden straight edge to it if I don’t see a light I move on an then check to see there is any twist in it with winding sticks. With the damage you are talking about already on it I would differently check for that. If the casting is twisted it not even a good paper weight. 

Ive gotten to where I’m replacing all my blades in mine. The thicker blades are way easier to free hand sharpen an keep constant bevel. An hold a edge longer seems like. 

[Coyote Jim]

18 minutes ago, Chestnut said:

I also strongly recommend to avoid corrugated plane soles. I have a #4C and hate it.

Well where were you 3 days ago! I literally just bough a number 5 and a 4.5 with a corrugated sole on Tuesday!

Can you share what you don't like about them?

 

Also, that is good info on the blades. Do you have link to where you buy your blades from? I assume Lee Valley?

[Tmize]

30 minutes ago, Chestnut said:

 

I also strongly recommend to avoid corrugated plane soles. I have a #4C and hate it.

I say that and then find this and get really tempted to buy it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Stanley-no-6-corrugated-plane/283154468403?hash=item41ed524e33:g:-l4AAOSwJhdbl-Ef

That logo is in such great shape...

I have a 6c and I could see where it would be a problem on a smoother. I use mine on a shooting board with no problems

that is a great deal to.

[Coyote Jim]

Would this sandpaper be a good one for flattening a sole? The fact that it is so cheap gives me pause.

https://www.amazon.com/PORTER-CABLE-740001201-2-Inch-Adhesive-Backed-Sanding/dp/B0000223SK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1537762407&sr=8-3&keywords=adhesive+back+sandpaper

 

[Coyote Jim]

On 9/13/2018 at 1:42 PM, Chestnut said:

I also strongly recommend to avoid corrugated plane soles. I have a #4C and hate it.

I want to ask you this again because I just bought a 4.5c and a 5c a day or two before you posted that.

What is it you don't like about corrugated plane soles? Is it even worth the elbow grease of fixing up the ones I just bought or should I try to post them online somewhere in the hopes to recoup some of my money?

[Chestnut]

4 minutes ago, Coyote Jim said:

I want to ask you this again because I just bought a 4.5c and a 5c a day or two before you posted that.

What is it you don't like about corrugated plane soles? Is it even worth the elbow grease of fixing up the ones I just bought or should I try to post them online somewhere in the hopes to recoup some of my money?

Yes they are worth using. My comment is because I've had the corrugations catch the edges of boards and cause a few dents and broken edges.

The second more picky is that I wax the soles to reduce the friction. The smaller surface area causes the wax to wear off faster making me have to wax the plane significantly more often.

The third even more picky complaint is schmutz gets caught in the corrugations. I've had it pick up a grain of sand from sand paper and put a nice scratch in a board only happened once then i was way more careful. When using my #4 i'm generally looking to apply finish so a scratch is a big deal.

[Coyote Jim]

Thanks Chesty.

Those are all good things for a noob like me to be aware of.

[pkinneb]

6 hours ago, Chestnut said:

Yes they are worth using. My comment is because I've had the corrugations catch the edges of boards and cause a few dents and broken edges.

The second more picky is that I wax the soles to reduce the friction. The smaller surface area causes the wax to wear off faster making me have to wax the plane significantly more often.

The third even more picky complaint is schmutz gets caught in the corrugations. I've had it pick up a grain of sand from sand paper and put a nice scratch in a board only happened once then i was way more careful. When using my #4 i'm generally looking to apply finish so a scratch is a big deal.

Never had one but I can see where the wax would be a pain.