#6 Stanley Corrugated Plane

[protectedvoid]

I know the #6's aren't all that common (or popular), but I have an opportunity to pick up an early 1900 Stanley #6C VERY cheaply. It appears to be in good condition, certainly good enough to refurb / true-up. My question is about the corrugated vs non-corrugated. What's the difference, and if I work to true / flatten the bottom using the sandpaper / granite combination, do I run the risk of destroying the corrugation?

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks.

[Vic]

If you have to lap the sole enough to remove the corrugation, the plane is too destroyed. You'll also be opening the mouth way too much. As far as corrugated vs. flat. I have a corrugated and I think the selling point was that it would have less drag, but I really don't notice any difference.

[muddlermike]

what Vic said. The old thinking is that the more surface you had to push across the surface of the wood, the harder it was. and if that surface was flat and polished, it might even create a "suction" effect. either way, they added the corrugations to make it easier to push over the board - especially for the larger and heavier planes like the #6-#8, although they corrugated #3's and #4's too. An advantage to corrugated soles on larger planes is that you have less material to lap when lapping the sole. And #6's aren't all that rare - in fact there is 14-15 of them on ebay right now. Add to that the amount of Sargent 418s and Miller's Falls 18's and they become pretty common, so don't pay too much for it

I like my MF #18, BTW. For an average power tool oriented shop that does most of it's milling with a jointer and planer, a good bench plane kit could be a #6 and a couple of smoothers IMHO. Granted, I can't imagine only owning 3 or 4 bench planes, but that's just me

[protectedvoid]

I'm actually bidding on one on ebay at the moment. I don't expect to pay more than $25 or so for it. As for lapping the sole...I did figure that I would likely not have to lap it enough to destroy the corrugation, but then, photos can be deceiving so I wasn't sure how deep the corrugations go.

As for the benefit of the corrugation, that was pretty much where my head was, but then, I'm relatively new to the larger hand planes, so I figured it never hurts to ask. I'll likely end up with a #4, #5, and #6 by the time all my bidding and such is completed.

From what I've gathered on the internet, if I need to replace the irons, I'm assuming a Hock blade is the way to go?

[jwatson]

yep a hock is a nice replacement also pinnacle as well makes a great iron.

[Dyami Plotke]

I'm actually bidding on one on ebay at the moment. I don't expect to pay more than $25 or so for it. As for lapping the sole...I did figure that I would likely not have to lap it enough to destroy the corrugation, but then, photos can be deceiving so I wasn't sure how deep the corrugations go.

As for the benefit of the corrugation, that was pretty much where my head was, but then, I'm relatively new to the larger hand planes, so I figured it never hurts to ask. I'll likely end up with a #4, #5, and #6 by the time all my bidding and such is completed.

From what I've gathered on the internet, if I need to replace the irons, I'm assuming a Hock blade is the way to go?

Good luck. I just bought the same plane while on vacation. I hope you win the bid and enjoy it.

[Vic]

You'll like the Hock planes blades and breakers. I put one on a recent Stanley No. 7 jointer refurb and it take very nice shavings.

[muddlermike]

Hocks rock.

[protectedvoid]

Hocks rock.

Well it looks like that's the route I'll be going. I won that bid, and lost out on 3 other #5's and two #4's...but I guess that's the way of things. So, here's a question. If I have a #6, would I need a #5? I figure I'll probably need a #3 or #4 smoother (which would you choose?). I got the #6 for $23.28, so I don't think I did too bad, judging by the pictures. We'll have to see when I actually get the thing.

[PurpLev]

I use a #6 as my jointer as it's the biggest thing I have. it's a heavy plane, so may not work so well as a #5 for versatility. as for flat of corrugated - it's all marketing - both will work just as well, I wouldn't give it a 2nd though unless it was for collectible value - which I could care less about - I need users!

I have a #6 I use to joint and flatten, and a #4 to smooth. don't really 'need' a #5 although it would be nice to have one for shooting boards or for rough work (although I may as well get a scrub plane for that). - my point is - with a #6 for flattening, and #4/#3 for smoothing you should be covered.

[muddlermike]

Well it looks like that's the route I'll be going. I won that bid, and lost out on 3 other #5's and two #4's...but I guess that's the way of things. So, here's a question. If I have a #6, would I need a #5? I figure I'll probably need a #3 or #4 smoother (which would you choose?). I got the #6 for $23.28, so I don't think I did too bad, judging by the pictures. We'll have to see when I actually get the thing.

Ahhh... I love the "need" vs. "want" debate when it comes to planes I was considering a very lengthy response but realized it was more about justifying my need to buy and restore old planes then it was about your question. It all boils down to how you do your woodworking and what your needs will be in the shop. If you have a jointer, planer, and tablesaw then you'll probably be doing most of your stock milling with the power tools. Where a bench plane could fill in is with smoothing milling marks and stock preparation as well as compensating for the limitations of your machines. I can only fit a small, 6 inch jointer in my shop, so when I'm jointing wider boards I flatten one side with a #5 jack plane and a #7 jointer plane, and then send it through the power planer after. Could you do that with a #6 fore plane? sure. Maybe not get it as smooth as with the jointer, but flat enough that you could send it through the planer and get co-planer sides effectively. Jacks, fores, and jointers are designed to take thicker shavings so you typically hone your irons with a camber to help prevent gouging the wood as you take a shaving. If you want to use one for a shooting board, however, you really need a straight honed iron to get a nice, flat, square edge. You could have two irons for one plane, but setup can be a hassle and most guys want to be able to just pick up the plane and go. So, if you find plane restoration a pleasure and love the deals you find, then I would say the likelihood that you would eventually pick up a #5 and a #7 and dedicate your #6 to a shooting board is high. If you find you hate restoring that #6, then it will do just fine for your needs

As to the smoothers, there's a lot of personal preference. Some love the lightness of a #3, and some look for a #4 1/2 because they want something wider and heavier. I love my #4s and find I only use my #3 or junior jack for odd jobs. That being said, I don't have a #4 1/2 size yet. I would suggest going with a #4. After you've used it on a few projects you'll know whether you want to go bigger or smaller. Don't worry, you'll always find use for the #4 - different woods prefer different cutting angles and it's not uncommon to find use for at least 2 or 3 smoothers in your collection.

Hope this helps, and message me if you need help with tuning up the #6 - I hate to see anyone get discouraged when it comes to plane restoration.

Mike

[protectedvoid]

Ahhh... I love the "need" vs. "want" debate when it comes to planes I was considering a very lengthy response but realized it was more about justifying my need to buy and restore old planes then it was about your question. It all boils down to how you do your woodworking and what your needs will be in the shop. If you have a jointer, planer, and tablesaw then you'll probably be doing most of your stock milling with the power tools. Where a bench plane could fill in is with smoothing milling marks and stock preparation as well as compensating for the limitations of your machines. I can only fit a small, 6 inch jointer in my shop, so when I'm jointing wider boards I flatten one side with a #5 jack plane and a #7 jointer plane, and then send it through the power planer after. Could you do that with a #6 fore plane? sure. Maybe not get it as smooth as with the jointer, but flat enough that you could send it through the planer and get co-planer sides effectively. Jacks, fores, and jointers are designed to take thicker shavings so you typically hone your irons with a camber to help prevent gouging the wood as you take a shaving. If you want to use one for a shooting board, however, you really need a straight honed iron to get a nice, flat, square edge. You could have two irons for one plane, but setup can be a hassle and most guys want to be able to just pick up the plane and go. So, if you find plane restoration a pleasure and love the deals you find, then I would say the likelihood that you would eventually pick up a #5 and a #7 and dedicate your #6 to a shooting board is high. If you find you hate restoring that #6, then it will do just fine for your needs

As to the smoothers, there's a lot of personal preference. Some love the lightness of a #3, and some look for a #4 1/2 because they want something wider and heavier. I love my #4s and find I only use my #3 or junior jack for odd jobs. That being said, I don't have a #4 1/2 size yet. I would suggest going with a #4. After you've used it on a few projects you'll know whether you want to go bigger or smaller. Don't worry, you'll always find use for the #4 - different woods prefer different cutting angles and it's not uncommon to find use for at least 2 or 3 smoothers in your collection.

Hope this helps, and message me if you need help with tuning up the #6 - I hate to see anyone get discouraged when it comes to plane restoration.

Mike

Thanks so much for all that info Muddlermike! - I ended up finding another #5 that seems in pretty good shape, so I expect that tuning / restoring won't be as drastic on that plane. Paid $29.94, including shipping. The #6 looks like it's going to need a little more work, and I find that I don't really mind putting in the time to restore something, especially when I can delight in the end result. It gives me a sense of accomplishment, which is more or less what this (woodworking) is really all about.

I have my eye on a Stanley two-tone #4 that I'm hoping to pick up pretty cheap as well. I think all things being equal, I'd like to eventually build my own #4, #5, and #7 using the Hock kits (or versions thereof) and Hock blades / chippers, etc. There's just something appealing about those wooden planes.

As for tools, I don't own a table saw or jointer / planer. I can have the rough stock milled at the place I buy it from. They're good people and usually do the milling for free. They've also told me when I've completed my glue-ups, they'll be happy to run them through the surface planer for me, though I'd like to learn to do it by hand. So, I figure I'll have them mill as much as possible for me, then I'll use the hand tools for the remainder.

I've thought about integrating a shooting-board into my workbench top along the back edge (I'll be able to walk all the way around the bench), so I think the #6 would work well in that capacity, especially on wider stock.

Anyway, I really appreciate the advice and information you've provided. I think it's helped me quite a bit.

[jwatson]

I have three number 5's and about 4 smoothers. I know exactly what Mike is talking about when it comes to the need vs want argument. I use my number 6 as a jointer but I still use my jack planes. i need to tune one up like a scrub plane. you can find yourself getting a decent shaped jack( no5 in stanley ) you can camber the iron and use it to thickness rough stock. I have a 26" wooden jointer and hope that I can use it and get away with not having a number 7 for now. But part of the fun to me is seeing a crudded out plane come to life when you get off the rust and crap left in it.

[muddlermike]

eeeeewwww..... Stanley two tone....... those be ugly planes Don't forget to look at Sargent 409's and Miller's Falls #9's. Union and Record are good as well, and jwatson has the inside scoop on Keen Kutter planes if you have questions.

Shooting boards have to be replaced or repaired now and then, so I would caution you on building it into your bench. make sure the design allows for easy replacement if you do. Otherwise, sounds like you're on the right track! Keep posting in here - there are lots of us that have taken the journey you're on and are always glad to help.

[protectedvoid]

eeeeewwww..... Stanley two tone....... those be ugly planes Don't forget to look at Sargent 409's and Miller's Falls #9's. Union and Record are good as well, and jwatson has the inside scoop on Keen Kutter planes if you have questions.

Shooting boards have to be replaced or repaired now and then, so I would caution you on building it into your bench. make sure the design allows for easy replacement if you do. Otherwise, sounds like you're on the right track! Keep posting in here - there are lots of us that have taken the journey you're on and are always glad to help.

Yeah. What I figured I'd do is use my router and a 3/4" straight/mortising bit to create an 8" wide x 48" long by 3/4" deep "lane" on the back edge of my hard maple top. Then, I could attach the shooting board into the lane using recessed screws, so the top edge is flush with the workbench surface. Then, when it wears out, I can just unscrew it, and replace it with a newer one.

At least, that's the thought. What do you think?

As for the two-tone...yeah, it's ugly. But it's cheap, and looks to be in excellent shape.

[muddlermike]

sounds innovative but I'm having a hard time picturing it. as long as you can replace it when needed. I'd like to see it when it's done

[protectedvoid]

sounds innovative but I'm having a hard time picturing it. as long as you can replace it when needed. I'd like to see it when it's done

Okay, here's more or less what I'm thinking:

So, I could make the shooting board out of 3/4" Sapele (for the base), with a 1" wide x 3/4" Sapele Fence that flushes up next to the Maple top along the entire 48.5". I can then mount the shooting board to the top via pocket screws through the bottom of benchtop and into the base of the shooting board....or equip the bench and the shooting board with T-track. I guess there's really quite a few options for "mounting".

Thoughts? Also, I've spaced the dog holes 4" on center. So, another question might be, did I space them too close together? How many dog holes should there be? I do know that along the front 48.5" face, I'm going to have 1 row of 3/4" dog holes as well. Since I'm not sure exactly what I'll need, I'm trying to cover the basics. I know I won't have a jointer any time soon, so the shooting board is going to be very important, and I want to make sure I have enough dog holes for any purpose, but specifically for using my router since I don't have a benchtop router table.

Anyway, any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[muddlermike]

pretty cool - especially the drawing I love how the grain/color is true to the species.

Typically, shooting boards are for cleaning up end grain and miters. I've never seen someone using it for jointing an edge so that would explain your length. I don't know that you need all that length, because most guys edge joint with the board clamped along the front of the bench. It allows you to get on top of the plane and use your whole body. there are going to be times that you will need the whole surface of the bench - especially being 3'x4'- and the cross fence of the shooting board will probably get into the way. I would consider a more usable method of attaching and unattaching the shooting board, like using T-nuts and bolts. I've used t-nuts and bolts on my workmates for various tools. Just line up and drill the hole for the t-nut, tap it in underneith the surface, and then when you want to use it for a tool stand you just place the tool on the workmate and bolt it down. once you set it up it is very quick to change out tools and such. If you haven't used them before, just PM me for more explination.

with Dog holes, remember that the farther apart you space them the more you'll have to crank the vise to close it up most guys go with 3" to 4" spacing. I've seen 6" spacing and it is way too far apart to be useful. I think your 4" spacing will be fine.

[protectedvoid]

Yeah, I figure if I'm going to take the time to draw it up in Illustrator or Photoshop, I might as well add in some detail to get a semi-realistic understanding of what the end result will be.

As for the T-Nut idea, I think that's probably a good route as any. I'll PM to clarify, though. I do eventually plan to have a front vise on the left hand side of the bench, but I'll likely have to add that later. I'm getting close to my budget for this benchtop. Between the maple and sapele I've already purchased, I've spent $160, and I still have about $30 more in stock I need to purchase to complete it.

Anyway, I know this went a bit off topic...but thanks for all the feedback to this point. When the #6 arrives, I'll post some pics. By the way, what's a good cleaner/degreaser/de-crudifier to use on a pre WWII plane to start with, before lapping the sides / sole?

[muddlermike]

well, you don't have to apologize for going off topic on your own post

I typically use formula 409 or simple green for cleaning/degreasing and evaporust for the rust removal. murphy's oil soap for the tote and knob.

[protectedvoid]

well, you don't have to apologize for going off topic on your own post

I typically use formula 409 or simple green for cleaning/degreasing and evaporust for the rust removal. murphy's oil soap for the tote and knob.

Cool. That's where I figured I'd start (Simple Green). I'll have to hit Auto Zone for evaporust. Again, thanks for all the input!

[muddlermike]

one thing that I feel like I should mention. Forgive me if it seem rudimentary - I'm not sure how much you know about milling stock. Something to consider with having a shop mill your boards for you is that often they are perfect when they finish them, but you take them home, they start acclimating to your shop's temperature and humidity level, and ut oh - you got ribbons. A big advantage to bringing home rough stock and milling it yourself is that you cansticker it, give it a week or two to acclimatize to the conditions of the shop, and then mill it. Then you're able to take out the cups and twists and have a lot more stock to work with to get to your final dimension.

And, that milling can be done with either power tools or hand tools or both. If you want to see a good vid on milling stock by hand, I would suggest Chris Schwarz's "Coarse, Medium, and fine" video from Lie Nielson.

[protectedvoid]

one thing that I feel like I should mention. Forgive me if it seem rudimentary - I'm not sure how much you know about milling stock. Something to consider with having a shop mill your boards for you is that often they are perfect when they finish them, but you take them home, they start acclimating to your shop's temperature and humidity level, and ut oh - you got ribbons. A big advantage to bringing home rough stock and milling it yourself is that you cansticker it, give it a week or two to acclimatize to the conditions of the shop, and then mill it. Then you're able to take out the cups and twists and have a lot more stock to work with to get to your final dimension.

And, that milling can be done with either power tools or hand tools or both. If you want to see a good vid on milling stock by hand, I would suggest Chris Schwarz's "Coarse, Medium, and fine" video from Lie Nielson.

Yeah, it might seem rudimentary (in hindsight)...but I've already learned that the hard way. The stock I've had them mill was very well done, and then I got it home and it sat for a week or two, and wuh-oh...bows and cups, even on pieces that were previously straight. So, yeah, I guess milling my own stock is definitely in my future. It really sucks not having a table saw and jointer. I guess those will have to be my next purchases in the near future, the table saw being the first. But, thanks for affirming that. I guess I didn't realize just how much that stock could "move".

On the plus side, I should have my #5 and #6 planes this week. And I'll definitely be taking a look at the video you mentioned. After getting my subscription to FWW, that is...since a lot of their videos are only available to subscribers.

[protectedvoid]

So, I got the planes in. The #6 is in EXCELLENT condition, while the tote on the #5 needed some repair. So, a quick question. Both totes are rosewood. Any suggestions on a finish I should use (other than natural) after I've repaired / restored them?

[muddlermike]

I don't like to put much finish on mine. a coat or two of BLO will seal them well enough.