Please help me ID this Craftsman hand plane

[kooshball]

I have ZERO experience with hand planes but I found this in my father's garage and I would like to get it up and running. It is 14" long x 2.5" wide and the base is perfectly flat and true. There are few markings on it other than "CRAFTSMAN" and "MADE IN THE USA". The chipper and blade are in terrible condition so I would like to ID this plane to get a suitable set put in it.

If anyone can tell me what type of plane this is, and how to specify the chipper and blade I would be grateful. (the photos are terrible so let me know if I need to take better ones)

Thanks

 

[mshel]

Probably made by Sargent for Craftsman. This is equlivent to a Stanley #5 jack plane. Post a pic of the blade and chip breaker. It may be salvageable or not. Lots of blades and chip breakers available for this size. There may be someone here who has the parts you need. Post a "Wanted" in the Classifieds section.

HTH

Mike

 

[froglips]

I'll second the Sargent or possibly Millers Falls. The Red Frog make me lean towards Millers Falls, but hard to say.

You replace the chip breaker and iron by width. In the case of Hock irons, thickness can be in issue. Hock makes (IMHO), the bee's knees of irons and chip breakers. You can always email him if you need to be sure. The issue is the depth adjuster. If your chip breaker + iron are too thick, the depth adjuster thingy won't reach the slot in the chip breaker.

Yes, there are some ways to get around this, but I'd not bother for a #5.

You can also go with Pinnacle (Woodcraft line) and Lie-Nielsen too. Their irons/chip breakers are more inline with the thickness of the normal #5.

As a #5, I'd not put a lot of money into it. Its a roughing tool, not meant for precision work.

I too think some pics of the iron and chip breaker would be helpful to advise you.

Unless its badly pitted with rust, it likely can be cleaned up for use.

Jim

 

[James Davis]

The way that the lateral adjuster appears to bent in a upside down U shape indicates that is was made by Sargent. As Froglips said, the blade is replaced by width. But, If the Iron and Chip Breaker are in as good a shape as the pictures show the rest of the plane is in then there is a good chance that all the iron needs is a good cleaning and flattening the back and honing.

The plane is well worth cleaning up and using, but I wouldn't put a lot of money into it. Just sharpen it up and go to making shavings.

James

 

[Ben325e]

It might not be worth anything to some, but were I to find it in my fathers shed I'd definitely clean it up and bring it back to tip top shape.

 

[kooshball]

Thanks for all the replies. I will try to get some photos of the iron and the chip breaker but they are not pitted too bad. The biggest issue is that the iron was sharpened poorly and is now out of square and rounded over on the corners (not the bevel) so it will take some work but if there is room to slide the iron down it should be able to be fixed.

 

[wghatcher]

I am in the process of cleaning up some old Stanley Bench and Block Planes that I had accumulated. I would say that on average, your plane look better than mine did at the start. I disassembled and soaked the metal parts in EvapoRust. You will be amazed at the difference.

As for the curved corners on the blade. In some cases this is done on purpose to prevent the edge from digging in and leaving tracks in the wood.

Greg