Scored a nice Stanley 113 compass plane today!

[creasman]

Went to an estate sale today mostly because my wife was interested. Really glad I did. There was a section with a few tools and this was in the mix. Japanning is good. There is some surface rust but it should clean up well. It has the Stanley Sweetheart stamp on the iron which (along with the other features) makes it a Type 7 (1921 - 1935). I'll post some more pictures once I finish cleaning it.

 

[Graywolf]

Nice score Jim!

 

[Rwe2156]

Nice. I’ve been looking for one

 

[Oka]

Nice score ! They take a bit of getting used to using, but they really work on concave and convex angles

 

[creasman]

It cleaned up nicely. Here's the result.

Works really well, also. I had a scrap curve from another project and gave it a go. Much easier than using a spokeshave and, like any plane, it removes the high spots to create a smooth arc. I'm gonna enjoy this one.

 

[zdorsch]

Ok, Jim…tell me your secret to cleaning it up. I have on that I need to clean up!

 

[creasman]

Nice plane! You've done the first step, which is to disassemble as much as possible. After that my goto method for rust removal is electrolysis. I use a battery charger and a solution of water with borax added to speed up the process. You can read more in this post. I've tried other methods and always seem to come back to this one. After 30-60 minutes what remains on the part is black iron oxide which is easily removed with a scotch pad or brass wire brush.

Take care with putting japanned parts through electrolysis. It may remove some of the japanning in the process if there is any rust underneath. I recommend using more manual methods, like fine sand paper and/or steel wool with WD-40, when it's not possible to separate japanned and non-japanned pieces. I use a tooth brush, soap and water to clean the japanned areas.

As soon as a part comes out of the electrolysis I scrub off the black residue under running water, rinse it well and immediately dry it. Start with paper towels and then use a hair dryer or heat gun to get it completely dry so it doesn't rust while air drying. I use WD-40 to oil the parts as I reassemble and then alcohol to clean off the oil from any areas that might contact the wood.

Post some pictures when you get it back together!