# restoring wood wood planes



## ronald bonneau (Sep 23, 2014)

i have several wood wood planes...i wish to restore them and need help on what to do to then without destroying thair value....i an take off rust on the blades with no problem but how do i restore the wood ...can i sand the whole thing and linseed oil them or what...:blink:


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## UVaJester (Nov 1, 2013)

subscribed... 

Looking for the same information.


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## woodchux (Jul 6, 2014)

IMO restoration depends on the condition of the unit and your intended use of it - whether display or actual use. Take it completely apart, look for cracks in both the body & the frog, & check all the bolts and threads for workability. If replacement parts are required, try to match the same as removed. For wood parts - front knob & plane handle should be solid without cracks as there will be a lot of pressure on those items when in use. Linseed as well as some waxes are acceptable for cleaning both wood and metal, but PLEASE DO NOT try to remove all the defects on any old tool - as those are the "battle scars" of wood working! Be safe.


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## fareastern (Sep 19, 2014)

I think it may be fanciful to imagine that wooden planes have much value.I don't know that many people would be seeking them out or would have much knowledge of how to use them or adjust them.Indeed it seems that most woodworkers are tending to become wood machinists,or they have succumbed to the ads for the machines.

I have a good number of wooden planes myself,not sure how many-maybe 70, and use them for the jobs they are suited for.If I acquire a plane I usually take it apart and examine the components.Rusty metal gets cleaned with wire wool and WD40 and maybe the iron will need a re-grind,for which I use a wet grinder.Then its on to an India stone for sharpening.The body and wedge get a wipe with linseed oil and I have been given a couple of jack planes which must have been made very late in the era of wooden planes and never used very much.They were consequently very dry and absorbed more linseed oil than I would have believed.The increase in weight was quite noticeable.Planes which have belonged to a careful owner need very little oil and a few drops on a rag will bring up quite a shine instantly.

The least desirable planes are those which have been abused and have damaged soles.A light skim to remove damage is not too bad.An enlarged mouth or severely scored and concave sole would put me off applying my time to the plane.


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## BZawat (Sep 21, 2012)

I don't use any woodies, but I do have a few dozen wooden moulding planes that I use. I don't sand them at all, if necessary I'll clean the body with mineral spirits or naphtha and 0000 steel wool, then oil with mineral oil. Believe it or not, that's all you need. 

If the iron is pitted toward the cutting edge, it's pretty well useless. The pitting makes it impossible to hone to a consistent keen edge. 

As was mentioned above, wide open mouths & throats can be tricky to deal with, and time consuming. 


Sent from my iPhone using woodworkingtalk.com


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

The question of caring for wooden tool parts comes up so much that I finally made a permanent page with it so that I don't keep retyping the same thing...

http://www.creoleproject.com/p/cleaning-restoring-and-preserving.html


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