looking for old plane info

[Allen Epps]

All, How about a little on-topic post? Bought an old plane last weekend in need of some moderate clean-up. $12 so what the hell. It looks like the second large plane from the top in this e-bay post

fact if you disassemble a bit you find the number "904" on it as well as the made in USA and when I cleaned the iron it has "Hercules" on it. Looks like the iron that should fit so I assume it's original. Any info on this like date and such, value is, well, $12 since I plan on cleaning it up, scary sharping and using it. TIA Allen Catonsville, MD

[Plane Truth]

You're entering very dangerous territory. About 2 weeks ago I bought a Stanley #4 from a flea market. About 10 hours later I ended up with a polished piece of artwork with a blade you could shave with. What's worse, I don't want to actually use it, that would "mess it up".

Now I have two Stanley #5's on the way from two ebay "wins", one at $13 and another at $10. I also have bids on Stanley #3's. I'm afraid it has become very addictive.

Here are some of my links to plane tuning sites, some specific to Stanley planes, but still may be of interest to you.

used the Scary Sharp method with a Veritas honing guide and can't believe the results.

Good luck to you!

Gary

[martin]

Sargent made the "hercules" series, as far as 904 dont know about that but if the size of plane is like the pic looks like a smoothing plane.Have fun with it.

[Allen Epps]

In article , martin

[dave]

Are you sure it doesn't say 409 on it? Sargent usually ends their numbers with the length of the plane. It should be about 9 inches long, which makes it the equivalent of a Stanley #4, the common smoother. Sargents are good planes although the blade angle adjuster on that one is folded metal rather than a casting. The Hercules line was positioned against the Defiance and Handyman lines from Stanley as I recall. O'Deen if you're out there, help please. At any rate, it's a perfectley usable plane, enjoy it. i've got a handful aof Sargents and they all are workhorses. Dave in Fairfax

[Mike at American Sycamore]

allen,

Good job...I love taking an old forgotten hand plane and bring it back to life....I always wonder who has used this tool before me and how did it get "lost"

I had a student bring in an old #5 that was her fathers....we took it all apart and let it soak over night and after class each day we worked on it. When we finished, it looked like a champ and cut curly maple like cutting hot butter. It almost made my student cry having her fathers hand plane now to work with. Good luck.

Mike from American Sycamore

[Dave Balderstone]

Sorry you posted a HUGE binary to a non-binary group.

My guess is you've just been added to quite a number of kill files. I know of one for certain...

djb

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

Touchy, touchy!

A guy posts ONE binary and gets kill filed?

Barry

[Dave Balderstone]

What's it matter to you? (rhetorical question - no reply required)

djb

[DexAZ]

Dave,

My apologies to you and the group. I should have posted the binary over on "binaries.pictures.woodworking" and then referred to it here. No harm was intended, just posting late in the PM after a long day. Sloppiness on my part, sorry. Thanks for pointing out my error, Dave. It will not happen again.

DexAZ

[Allen Epps]

Dave, Excuse my mistake! That's what get for trying to remember a three digit number from the basement to the confuser upstairs. You're right it's actually a 409. I checked a few of the links Gary sent and it indeed looks to be a smoothing plane similar to the Stanley number four. The body and iron have now been cleaned up and look pretty good. Now for the moving parts. It's been soaked in WD-40 then I used Naval Jelly to reduce the rust film then some emery cloth seems to be going well. Allen

[Dave Balderstone]

No worries.

djb

[Henry St.Pierre]

Mr. DexAz, You are far more gracious than the situation warranted. A sense of humor can have dire consequences and a simple mistake can get you 'kill filed'. Hank