Restored Millers Falls Block Plane

811 Views 7 Replies 3 Participants Last post by chandler48, Dec 16, 2019

Drachenfire

Discussion Starter · Dec 15, 2019

I have been very fortunate to have a great relationship with my father-in-law. Among common interests we share is a love of woodworking.

Unfortunately his age (84) combined with his health issues has prevented him from continuing his hobby.

He knows I am meticulous about taking care of my tools as is he, which is another reason he has given me a number of his tools some of them quite old.

Among them was a Millers Falls 75 block plane. Based on my research, the one I was given was manufactured between 1956 and 1976.

Unfortunately, his shop is not climate controlled. This along with frequent use resulted in some of the Japanning coming off and a good bit of rusting of the exposed areas.

I took apart the tool and soaked everything in Evapo-Rust for 24 hours (except the front knob of course). This was followed by scrubbing with a brass wire brush, rinse and drying. Using my cast iron table top as a work surface, I sanded the bottom and sides of the sole. There were a couple of severe scratches on the side so I began with 320 and then worked up to 400 and then 600. I was not able to eliminate all the scratches with what I had on hand. I may attempt doing so at a later date.

I wiped the whole thing in lacquer thinner and then taped off all the exposed metal areas with Frog tape. The lever cap was not removable so I had to tape that off as well. I also rolled some tape to fit into the threaded areas used by the knob, lever cap and blade adjustment screws.

Using Rustoleum Industrial Black, I painted the inside of the sole and cap with 3 light coats with 30 minute dry time between coats and let it sit for 24 hours.

While they were drying, I went to work on the iron. I went over it 320 and then 400 sandpaper. Using my Veritas Sharpening system I set the angle on the blade which I kept at the original 20-degrees. (The Veritas system also allows me to change the angle for the micro-bevel without removing the blade from the holder.)

I then took it through my diamond blade sharpening plates starting at 300 and then progressing through 600 and then 1200. This was finished off by stropping on a leather pad with extra fine buffing compound.

After removing the tape, I applied a little Johnson Wax on the exposed areas and reassembled the plane.

Here is the finished product. (Unfortunately I did not do a before picture)

This is a working tool ergo it was never my intention to restore it to like-new condition.

I clamped a scrap piece of 2x6 into my woodworking vice and ran the plane over it increasing the blade depth until it started removing shavings.

I guess I did it right. I got paper thin shaving which light could pass through.

I cannot wait to show it to my father-in-law. I know he will appreciate it.

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SeniorSitizen

· #2 · Dec 15, 2019

Drachenfire said:
I have been very fortunate to have a great relationship with my father-in-law. Among common interests we share is a love of woodworking.

Unfortunately his age (84) combined with his health issues has prevented him from continuing his hobby.

He knows I am meticulous about taking care of my tools as is he, which is another reason he has given me a number of his tools some of them quite old.

Among them was a Millers Falls 75 block plane. Based on my research, the one I was given was manufactured between 1956 and 1976.

Unfortunately, his shop is not climate controlled. This along with frequent use resulted in some of the Japanning coming off and a good bit of rusting of the exposed areas.

I took apart the tool and soaked everything in Evapo-Rust for 24 hours (except the front knob of course). This was followed by scrubbing with a brass wire brush, rinse and drying. Using my cast iron table top as a work surface, I sanded the bottom and sides of the sole. There were a couple of severe scratches on the side so I began with 320 and then worked up to 400 and then 600. I was not able to eliminate all the scratches with what I had on hand. I may attempt doing so at a later date.

I wiped the whole thing in lacquer thinner and then taped off all the exposed metal areas with Frog tape. The lever cap was not removable so I had to tape that off as well. I also rolled some tape to fit into the threaded areas used by the knob, lever cap and blade adjustment screws.

Using Rustoleum Industrial Black, I painted the inside of the sole and cap with 3 light coats with 30 minute dry time between coats and let it sit for 24 hours.

While they were drying, I went to work on the iron. I went over it 320 and then 400 sandpaper. Using my Veritas Sharpening system I set the angle on the blade which I kept at the original 20-degrees. (The Veritas system also allows me to change the angle for the micro-bevel without removing the blade from the holder.)

I then took it through my diamond blade sharpening plates starting at 300 and then progressing through 600 and then 1200. This was finished off by stropping on a leather pad with extra fine buffing compound.

After removing the tape, I applied a little Johnson Wax on the exposed areas and reassembled the plane.

Here is the finished product. (Unfortunately I did not do a before picture)

This is a working tool ergo it was never my intention to restore it to like-new condition.

I clamped a scrap piece of 2x6 into my woodworking vice and ran the plane over it increasing the blade depth until it started removing shavings.

I guess I did it right. I got paper thin shaving which light could pass through.

I cannot wait to show it to my father-in-law. I know he will appreciate it.

WOW, just WOW.

I'll get all of mine in the mail just addressed to Drachenfire, CA.
I suspect word is already out about the kind of restore work you do and the postal service will know exactly where they go.:biggrin2:

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chandler48

· #3 · Dec 15, 2019

Great find and super restoration. I have a set of Bailey planes from #3 up to #8 with a 24" corrugated sole plate. These are not Stanley, but Bailey's before Stanley bought them. Hand made wooden block planes are the boss ! I bought the Stanley #55 plough plane on a lark once for $25. Going for $549 on Ebay.

I'll send my Bailey's to you for restoration

Actually you shamed me into bringing them down off the shelf. I need to do some serious cleaning on them.

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Drachenfire

Discussion Starter · #4 · Dec 15, 2019

SeniorSitizen said:
WOW, just WOW.

I'll get all of mine in the mail just addressed to Drachenfire, CA.
I suspect word is already out about the kind of restore work you do and the postal service will know exactly where they go.:biggrin2:

LOL, thank you.
I think you need a bigger keyboard (C vs V), also you could not pay me to live in CA.

chandler48 said:
Great find and super restoration. I have a set of Bailey planes from #3 up to #8 with a 24" corrugated sole plate. These are not Stanley, but Bailey's before Stanley bought them. Hand made wooden block planes are the boss ! I bought the Stanley #55 plough plane on a lark once for $25. Going for $549 on Ebay.

I'll send my Bailey's to you for restoration Actually you shamed me into bringing them down off the shelf. I need to do some serious cleaning on them.

Nothing I did cannot be done by anyone else. Evapo-Rust can be purchased at Advance Auto Parts, Pep Boys and Harbor Freight to name a few.

NOTE: Evapo-Rust is reusable for a limited time. After you remove the item that was cleaned, let the container sit covered and undisturbed for a few hours. Using a paint or coffee filter, carefully pour the liquid into another container.

Since Evapo-Rust is non-toxic and an environmentally-safe water-based product it can be stored in a plastic container (I used an empty windshield washer fluid bottle). Depending on how bad the rust was on the item being cleaned, you should be able to get 2-4 uses out of it before the effectiveness is degraded.

All the sanding and sharpening was done by hand. If you do not have cast iron table you can get a 12"x12" granite tile at the big box for about $5.

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SeniorSitizen

· #5 · Dec 15, 2019

I sure missed that one by nearly 3,000 miles.:vs_laugh:Now ya know why I was never a pilot.

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chandler48

· #6 · Dec 15, 2019

Good info on the cleaner. Hope it comes in gallons

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Drachenfire

Discussion Starter · #7 · Dec 15, 2019

SeniorSitizen said:
I sure missed that one by nearly 3,000 miles.:vs_laugh:Now ya know why I was never a pilot.

:vs_laugh:

chandler48 said:
Good info on the cleaner. Hope it comes in gallons

I bought my gallon from Harbor Freight as I have a #4 plane also from my father-in-law to restore next.

~~~
This was my first attempt at restoring a plane in 2013. It belonged to my father who bought it before I was born. When his health declined, he and my mom went to live with my sister. The tenants who were renting their house left the storage shed where the tools were stored open to the weather hence the deplorable condition. On one of my trips home, I went through the shed and gathered as much of his tools as I could and shipped them to my home.

I used electrolysis to de-rust the parts. It is very effective but messy, time consuming and dangerous as the process produces hydrogen gas.

My dad got to see the finished produce before he passed and was very pleased.