First Hand Plane

[wbarnes]

Picked up my first hand plane today. Millers Falls No. 9C. Everything is there and looks original to my untrained eye. I’ll try cleaning it up using citric acid for the chip breaker and iron. What is recommended for cleaning the painted parts (lever cap and body)? With the black paint on the body peeling already, would I be better off stripping it and repainting?

Not looking to make it a collector item, just cleaning it up to hopefully use it one day.

 

[mdbuntyn]

@Chris C seems to be our resident Plane Restoration Guru, and he has a penchant for Millers Falls planes

 

[Chris C]

That's a nice tool. It looks like it had a solid adjuster wheel which makes it a little newer but still a very nice user.

What I would do:

Take it completely apart and scrub all the loose japanning off. Make a bath of citric acid and put in all the non brass parts. Brasso for the brass parts if you're so inclined.

You can go nuts and remove all of the japanning off you want. I usually just knock off the loose and flaking stuff. Put the body in the CA bath overnight. Remove and do a quick dip in a water and baking soda bath to stop flash rust. Then brass brush the body and parts.

I like VHT automotive epoxy paint to repaint the body. Fast, easy and cheap. As a bonus it looks good. I get it from Advance Auto.

Reassemble.

If you don't know how, learn how to sharpen. It will be an exercise in frustration and you'll hate it if you neglect this step. There are people here willing to help should you need hands on assistance.

Set it up and use it.

Any questions let us know.

 

[Chris C]

You are welcome to come by my shop and I'll help you get it sharp and set. Havelock not that far from here.

 

[wbarnes]

That's a nice tool. It looks like it had a solid adjuster wheel which makes it a little newer but still a very nice user.

What I would do:

Take it completely apart and scrub all the loose japanning off. Make a bath of citric acid and put in all the non brass parts. Brasso for the brass parts if you're so inclined.

You can go nuts and remove all of the japanning off you want. I usually just knock off the loose and flaking stuff. Put the body in the CA bath overnight. Remove and do a quick dip in a water and baking soda bath to stop flag rust. Then brass brush the body and parts.

I like VHT automotive epoxy paint to repaint the body. Fast, easy and cheap. As a bonus it looks good. I get it from Advance Auto.

Reassemble.

If you don't know how, learn how to sharpen. It will be an exercise in frustration and you'll hate it if you neglect this step. There are people here willing to help should you need hands on assistance.

Set it up and use it.

Any questions let us know.

Thanks @Chris C. Citric acid should be here Monday from Amazon. Hopefully I can have it all cleaned up next week.

You are welcome to come by my shop and I'll help you get it sharp and set. Havelock not that far from here.

I may take you up on this. Give me a week or so once I get it cleaned up to get it sharpened and try my hand at setting it up. I’ll PM you if I can’t get it.

 

[Craptastic]

What I love about this place. Everybody loves to help and teach everybody else.

Great stuff.

 

[tvrgeek]

Another vote for the VHT paint.

 

[KurtB]

Nice find. Enjoy the cleanup.
VHT is great. Dupont Duplicolor works very well too.

 

[wbarnes]

I got the plane cleaned up about 75% of the way after one night in citric acid followed by a good scrubbing with a brass brush. I just dunked it in citric acid again for a couple more hours to get off a little bit more of the rust in some of the harder to reach areas. I’ll pull it out later tonight and give it another good once over with the brush.

What do you use to get the rest of the jappaning off, or is it ok to paint over the little remaining? I’m not too worried about under the frog or rear tote since the jappaning in those areas is in good shape and won’t be seen.

Happy so far with the results.

 

[Chris C]

That depends on you. Some strip it down to bare metal. Others, like me, paint right over what's left and don't think twice about it. No wrong answer.


It came out really well. That's going to be a nice user.

 

[wbarnes]

That depends on you. Some strip it down to bare metal. Others, like me, paint right over what's left and don't think twice about it. No wrong answer.


It came out really well. That's going to be a nice user.

That’s what I was thinking. I’ll probably paint over it. More pics to come when I get it painted and assembled.

 

[Mike Davis]

I use some 120 grit sandpaper to feather the edges that show and paint right over the rest. If you don’t have an auto parts store close by most hardware stores have appliance epoxy spray. It’s pretty much the same and some places charge a little less.

 

[Chris C]

I own it's twin..... I painted over what was left of the japanning. You can tell if you look close but I don't care.

 

[NOTW]

Will, some of us take restoration way past "functional". I typically strip mine all the way to bare metal, repaint and take the side and sole to 1000 grit while polishing the lever cap and making new knob and handle so that all my planes match. Totally unnecessary and takes a lot of time, but they are my planes and I enjoy doing it