Tool Restorations

One of the main reasons that I started this blog was to show the methods and techniques I use when restoring old tools.  My goal in these restorations has always been to return them to a beautiful condition and ready to use for woodworking.  I’m not a conservator and I’m not setting tools aside for a museum collection. I’m not afraid to strip a tool to its bare bones and re-paint / re-finish it if I think it will improve the tool.

I’ve discovered that it can be a little tricky to find things on my site, since it is set up as a blog and generally sorts things chronologically.  I’ve decided to link to some of my Tool Restorations here and will go back through my old posts and add them here as time allows.

My Tool Restorations:

Restoration of Stanley No. 4½-107Stanley No. 4 ½ Jumbo Smoothing Plane

In this series, I strip and completely restore a Stanley No. 4 ½ Jumbo Smoothing Plane.

 

This should make a good pairing chisel.Greenlee 1″ Chisel

The neck was slightly bent and it needed a major cleaning.  Here’s how I did it.

 

Gerhard's is on the left, mine is on the right.William Marple Mortise Gauge

Disassembly, cleaning, polishing, and new pins.

 

 

The tote is clean and smooth but still has the marks of age. Disston D-8 Panel Saw

Cleaned and polished the plate, re-sharpened the teeth, and re-finished the tote.