Stanley Bailey No 6 c1930s Great Looking User Tuned Sharp & Ready to Go to Work

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Stanley Bailey No 6 c1930s Great Looking User Tuned Sharp & Ready to Go to Work:
$104.99

A great user No 6 fore plane that has been returned to a useful existence, clean, sharp and ready to use. Perfect for a budget minded aspiring crafts-person looking for an exemplary performer for the bench.
\"#6 Fore plane, 18\"L, 2 3/8\"W, 7 3/4lbs, 1869-1970.

The plane is definitely not as numerous as the #3\'s, #4\'s, #5, #7\'s, and #8\'s. Some guys prefer them for jointing, but the whole function of jointing is to run a longer flat surface over the edge you\'re planing, which the longer planes do. Still, it\'s a plane a smaller person may prefer, since the larger ones are heavier. The burden of pushing a heavier plane can be minimized, however, by doing most of the surface preparation with the jack, and saving your energy for the large jointers.

Some oldtimers would stock their tool carriers with a #6 (to use as a jointer) to help reduce the weight they had to lug around from job to job. Stanley advertised the plane as \"simply a short jointer.\" Other guys like to use them to face glued-up panels. (Patrick Leach; \"Patrick\'s blood and Gore; The Superior Works; supertool.com)

While the No 6 size fore plane is found by some to be a bit useless, I find it a perfect size for hauling around when a No 7 or 8 is just too big or too heavy. Apparently, others, including Ol\' Leonard Bailey himself as he was producing a fore plane way back in the 1860s. In fact, someone must be buying them as most of the manufacturers of modern Bailey pattern bench planes continue producing them today ( but a lot more expensive than this one) and I doubt they would be if they spent their lives on the retailer\'s shelf. Anyway, there is clearly a use for them, even as Leach, (who is one of their biggest critics) points out above.

This particular example was pretty rough when found but it\'s been cleaned up, tuned up but in no way used up. The bottom and sides have been lapped smooth to remove some of the unsightly and obtrusive build up that made it unusable, though some blemishes remain. The japanning does show some of the after affects of the neglect but over 80 percent of it remains intact. The rosewood tote and knob have been nicely refinished and the tote has a couple of well executed repairs. The lever cap plating is mostly MIA and there is some staining and a bit of residue surface pitting on the cap iron and iron. Speaking of the iron, this one is a proper \"BB\" trademarked and by the looks of it, near full length. It has been cleaned up, flattened and polished to a mirror like finish and the bevel hollow ground at 25 degrees with a 1 degree or so micro bevel. It\'s sharp as a razor and will shave the hair off your arm with little effort. Now, I\'m only guessing but given the fact that a few wood shavings were indeed found under the frog, it was, at one time used but probably very little. Neglect and time are the culprits of it\'s cosmetic complaints but I can attest to the fact that this No 6 performs as well or better than when it was brand new given that someone has taken some time to tune it up.

This plane has the characteristics of those produced just prior to WWII. Now remember that plane types overlapped as Stanley used up spare parts. Pinning down exact production dates is a something like the end of a rainbow as you\'ll never actually get to it, close maybe. If you are interested in type studies check out a couple of sources on the web including plane-dealer.com or the aforementioned supertool.com. Now if you want the detailed version, Roger Smith wrote a fine pair of books on early American planes called Patented Transitional And Metallic Planes In America 1827-1927 Vol I and Vol II. (PTAMPIA)Both are just chock full of great information about the stuff collectors dream about and users find worthless. Anyway, if you can find one you should thumb through it and learn a bit about our historic roots in carpentry.

And now, a word from our sponsor:

What exactly is \"user ready\"? The question has prompted me toprovideyou with a detailed description ofmy interpretationof \"user ready\" or \"user friendly\". If you buy a plane from me it will be ready to use unless otherwise stated. However, let me also state emphatically the bottom will not be perfectly flat nor perfectlysquare in relation to the sides and isn\'t guaranteed to be such. The wood may have dings and dents indicative of its use over the 50-125 years of its lifeso too the japanningmaybe missing in areas, have marring, dings, scratches, etc. The plane may not be completely and totally free of rust and/or corrosion and may retain some of the scars caused by such. The cutter, chip breaker, lever cap and maybe the frogmay be imperfect with a few chips or dings but again, unless stated otherwise IT WILL WORK AS IT WAS INTENDED at the time of its manufacture. I will endeavor to specifically enumerate any obvious defects, cosmetic or otherwise, any clear variations from the type or any other anomalies that may be present. My planes will beclean and usable to the degree that they work as designed, the bottoms at least have been lapped to remove the significant imperfections but I don\'t run a flatness meter over them to make sure they meet some nebulous specification or someone else\'s definition of \"FLAT\". I sell mostly to new or learning woodworkers who don\'t want to spend a lot of money or don\'t know that much about planes generally and perhaps want something that they can feel comfortable with, put on a piece of wood and make shavings. To those folks my planes are what I consider \"User Ready\" or \"User Friendly\" but of course I invite any buyer who is looking for a good solidready to useplane at a reasonable price. If you have questions, I am more than willing to answer and will do so promptly.
One of the most enjoyable parts of restoring these old relics is that I get to put an unusable or neglected piece of iron and steel back into a serviceable condition and into the hands of a craftsman/craftswoman who appreciates the true value and inherent history that they represent. Igenerally try to keep all original partsso will repair a broken tote or knob instead of replacing one. If replacement of a part is unavoidable, I try to stay type consistent as much as possible in order to maintain the originality and historical integrity of the tool. Consequently, my offerings are not perfect and never purported to be, nor shouldyou have an expectation thatthey will be. You will find the dings, dents, stains and marks obtained over years of making beautiful things out of wood. I offer you clean,user friendly andready to usetools that can meet the needs of any new hobbyist or professional looking for a great deal.I believe in pricing realistically and reasonably based on condition so it\'s likely that you\'ll find more and less expensive examples out there on and elsewhere, but I don\'t think you will find a better value for one that is formost intents and purposes,sharp, clean andready to use. I put some real effort into getting these old relics into user friendly condition so consider what you are looking for in a nice tool and compare the price of this one to that of a comparable new or used here on or elsewhere. Clearly, this is a bargain for the new user/collector just starting out or even an experienced craftsman who doesn\'t want to spend a day fettling. Take a look at the photos, see what you think and then you be the judge.
It\'s important that you know exactly what you are buying/offerding on so please review the photos and description carefully. If you have questions, please ask and I will respond promptly. I do accept returnsand per policy, buyer is responsible for return shipping.I ship USPS Priority Mail as I find it reliable, expedient, generally the least expensive for the buyer andit\'s insured, (just in case).Because of recent changes to the CITES agreement no longer allows shipping bench planes containing wood of any type internationally through the Global Shipping Program. International shipping is subject to your country\'s customs intervention withno assumption of financial liability on the part of the seller. If you have questions, contact me before offerding/buying. International shipping costs, import duties and taxes are the responsibility of the international buyer.

If you have an interest in bench planes, web search \"vintage & antique American woodworking planes\" and follow the link to\"plane-dealer.com\"for some great photos and information. Thanks for looking.