Setting up and sharpening bench planes (intro)

Setting up and sharpening bench planes (intro)

Here is what I learned about setting up and sharpening bench planes. If you participate in any woodworking internet forums at some point you will stumble upon a debate about the best way set them up and sharpen the blade for use. Sadly these debates are often marred by ill humour and repetitive argument. Unsurprisingly...

Here is what I learned about setting up and sharpening bench planes. If you participate in any woodworking internet forums at some point you will...

bench planes
How to refurbish a bench plane

How to refurbish a bench plane

This post describes how to refurbish a bench plane. To show what can be done with even the most unpromising looking specimen, here is the worst example I purchased: …it was made at some point between WWII and the mid-1950s and, as you can see from the photo of it dismantled, it has been painted...

This post describes how to refurbish a bench plane. To show what can be done with even the most unpromising looking specimen, here is the...

bench planes
Dating Record Bench Planes

Dating Record Bench Planes

As we already found out there are no very old Record bench planes – production started in 1931 – and there are lots of them about, so ebay descriptions of “antique” Record bench planes are something of a misnomer. While the older models might reasonably be referred to as vintage, in the sense of something from the...

As we already found out there are no very old Record bench planes – production started in 1931 – and there are lots of them about, so...

bench planes
Record Bench Planes  - a Brief History

Record Bench Planes - a Brief History

Old Record bench planes show up on ebay on an almost daily basis and are frequently described by optimistic sellers as “Vintage”, but how old are they really? To answer the question I have looked at the circumstances that prompted Record to start producing hand planes and in a subsequent post I will look at...

Old Record bench planes show up on ebay on an almost daily basis and are frequently described by optimistic sellers as “Vintage”, but how old...

bench planes
Buying used bench planes on ebay

Buying used bench planes on ebay

As I mentioned earlier, my foray into buying used bench planes on ebay is inspired by Paul Sellars, a British woodworker who talks eloquently about the value still to be found in old hand-planes and other tools.   He puts his money where his mouth is too, by routinely using an old Stanley 04 he bought...

As I mentioned earlier, my foray into buying used bench planes on ebay is inspired by Paul Sellars, a British woodworker who talks eloquently about...

bench planes