How to turn a No.78 into a Scrub Plane | Paul Sellers

[@RexKrueger]

I have seen SO many second-hand 78s missing the depth-stop and fence. They are generally cheap because of the missing parts. This approach makes these planes more useful and desirable again. A great way to keep old tools useful and circulating!

[@imortaldeadead]

Rex Krueger better get one soon, I feel as the price my jump soon 😂👍🏻

[@MrBerryK]

You guys should know that, at least in the US, you can order brand new 78s from Home Depot.

[@RexKrueger]

I didn't know that! Have you ordered one? Was the quality okay?

[@MrBerryK]

I did! It was about $60, and after a bit of fettling, flattening and sharpening the iron, it seems to work great.

[@RexKrueger]

That's great to know. A new source for 78s. Thanks!

[@DRJMF1]

Paul is the creative ‘Fred Dibnah ‘ of our modern age ruled by iPhone and soon, AI.thanks to Paul, sharing his clever technique of using a hardwood block as a chisel guide to achieve flat interior surfaces in mortises, I made my own meranti window from wood rescued from a skip.

[@nickguitar737]

Just did this on a #78. It's an absolute monster, I love it! It will make my life easier on rough boards, and it's genuinely fun to use. Thanks Paul, you're a legend.

[@thefleetfarmer1815]

Paul, you have taught me so many things about no nonsense woodworking THANKYOU so much, so many ppl want us to buy this and that, saying that we can’t do good work without spending thousands of dollars...that’s why you are a refreshing voice

[@jimcarter4929]

Finally found a bare 78 in the wild that was suitable for this at a great price, eight dollars. This thing is a monster and hardly takes any work to convert. Made a make front knob for it and it is more comfortable for high volume work. Might need to file mouth a tiny bit to cut down on clogging especially on wetter wood. Love it, love it love it. Thanks Paul, but got to admit I was somewhat skeptical.

[@stefankreuzer6176]

I made this with a record 778 same as 78, my 778 has a wooden knob in the front, perfect a scrub plane i love it. Thank you

[@christophercast5290]

Got myself a 78 from the woodshop teacher at the high school in which we teach. It was pretty bad from being abused by students that had a substitute teacher for a day. I’m in the process of getting the horrible backbevel out of the original iron, but I think now I am going to just scrub it up! Heck of an idea! Thank you for all of your knowledge!

[@theisey]

I was wondering what to do with an extra 78 body and now I have a brilliant answer! Thank you!

[@matthewschmalz852]

Over the last couple days I converted a cheap "new" Stanley number 4 into a scrub using the methods you described in an earlier video. I was able to complete the work in less than an hour and the scrub works perfectly!! Thanks for all you do you are an inspiration.

[@Mason-hs9oz]

I just picked one up from a retired local. Looking forward to restoring and converting. Thank you for the idea Paul!

[@bhaygood7306]

Nice new shop plenty of room to work but love the look and feel of old cabin behind u in old shop but your shop make your on thanks for what u teach 🙏

[@Expedient_Mensch]

so the broken 78 (the front is broken off) that I bought for the fence and blade, and sometimes used as a chisel plane, has suddenly become even more useful. Thank you very much Paul, how I didn't think of this is beyond me.

[@Keithmwalton]

Perfect, as ive been keeping an eye out for a no 3 or 4 to convert, ive had 3 of these 78's sitting under my bench all along.

[@carpentryandwoodwork2018]

Yes Paul definitely a good tip and especially for planes like this with missing fence or depth stop! Woodwork is good for the heart❣

[@masoncaldwell998]

Great video, Mr. Sellers! Thats a great way to repurpose an old or extra plane! A couple of notes about safety, though. 1. You mentioned safety glasses, which is absolutely correct. Grinding wheels, however, can become loaded, and should be dressed prior to use. Also, if your wheel has become off balance, due to debris, or a hairline crack, it can come apart when the grinder is turned on, so it's best to stand off to one side for the first 10-15 seconds to keep from being hit by wheel fragments if it does fail catastrophically. 2. I noticed the grinder you're using has a spindle on the opposite end, without a wheel on it. Unguarded, it would be easy to catch a sleeve or loose bit of clothing in it, possibly severely injuring yourself... I, for one, greatly appreciate your videos, and dont want to see that happen. Thanks again for another great video, you've taught me a lot about these tools and practices as I learn this trade! Cheers!

[@rodrigolfh]

Congratulations on your new filming set. And thanks for passing all your knowledge.

[@bobs344]

I love your philosophy on woodworking, it's the love of hand tools not strictly traditional. Use the power tool so you can get back to the hand plane.

[@ehisey]

New shop looks great. And I happen to have a none antique #78 this is prefect for.

[@imortaldeadead]

You just keep showing us all new things I’m loving it, thank you so much 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@davidkennedy3050]

I sure am glad I purchased my 78 last year,

[@ianmacdonald5195]

Quality concepts as always. Bought my first 78 on ebay the day before this video came out. Not a minute too soon I think! Too bad I didn't bid on two.

[@thomasarussellsr]

Beautifully done. Wish I had a spare to convert to a scrub plane. Will have to keep an eye out for one of these or a second #4 to convert. Thanks for sharing.

[@robertwilson4704]

I have several of these # 78 type planes. One has the front taken off.I am not sure what it was used for by it's original owner. One doesn't have a second place for the blade(in the front). It may be a good candidate for this. The other 2 look just like the one you have. I will be turning one of them into a scrub plane. Congratulations on the new place.

[@justinmasone8941]

Guess I won't be buying a 78 on eBay for a couple months now 😂

[@eduardouk]

i had a bid on one.. guess what... cant pick one up cheap anymore... shame as this was a plane that not many bothered with... until now lol

[@imortaldeadead]

The power of Paul Sellers

[@jimhanna1842]

I gave up trying to buy a Stanley 78 or Record equivalent on ebay. Even heavily rusted ones with short blades are expensive now. I found a low-cost copy of a 78, a Toolzone Duplex Rebate plane. Cheaper new than a used 78, reviews criticise the fence and spur but the base and blade are ok for conversion into a scrub.

[@300whisper1]

Damn it! And I have been hunting stop plate and fence here in Finland and Mr Sellers throws them away like they are growing in trees!

[@labrat7357]

There is an lesser known brand of English made "78" that has a wooden knob attached to the front blade position. It is just a simple knob with the base cut at an angle so it points up when attached to the front blade position. That would really improve the comfort when using this as a scrub plane.All the best.

[@jonathanmoeg1202]

That's the Woden W78. Record took them over and produced a re-badged version as the 778 for a while but it didn't have the knob.

[@Deqster]

Hi Paul, try two blades! Mount the first in the bullnose, the second in the usual position. Set the second a bit deeper than the first, boom twice the cut! 😂

[@schm4704]

Hmmm. I don't know. There are so many clunker planes around that I would not pick a joinery plane to convert to a scrub. On the other hand, that might be a regional thing. Over here in Germany, I would much rather pick up an old wooden bench plane from the flea market and convert that. But then again, wooden scrubs are quite common here, too, while a Stanley or Record 78 is very hard to come by.

[@therealcoreyyt]

The great part about this “conversion “ is that all of the changes are non-destructive except for the cutting iron, which is a consumable part. You can easily pop a regular iron in the plane, reattach the fence, and cut a rebate/rabbet again.

[@Ed-lz4jv]

I love it, I have a Stanley #90 with no stops Just body blade set-up nice condition, wondering what to do with...I do have a Ward Master Version of the Stanley #78 with all the fences and knife for rabbits....will convert the #90 to Scrub :)

[@carbonitegamorrean8368]

I been wanting/needing a 78 (& 48) since I got back into woodworking well over a year ago. I don't have any due to I'm disabled ((the reason I got into wood)) & w/o income, So if I had one there is no way I would butcher it up. I find the #4 to busy, no need for all that stuff on a scrub. I think longer would be better also. As for me and my future scrub plane, due to price I think I might make one from a SB4 or No.33 if I don't build one a little longer and narrower.

[@eddlr8074]

I've just done this, having bought a number 78 and a spare blade on eBay. struggled a little bit to get the hang of the figure of eight sharpening, but when it clicked it went quite quickly, and the end result is amazing! Very pleased. Thank you very much Paul. On a related note, the plane I bought has a bent fence arm, i.e. the bit that screws into the plane body is bent. I am wondering whether it is safe to try and straighten it by simply screwing it into the plane body and trying to bend it, or where this is likely to crack the plane body itself? Anyone who has any thoughts, or a better way to do it I would love to hear. Thank you all.

[@Thom4123]

The shop looks awesome guys

[@BDM_PT]

Hi there from Portugal, Another great info :D Obrigado(Thanks)

[@ryan_conover]

Great video and great idea! Thanks as always

[@PaavoLammikko]

I recall seeing a video where Paul goes through setting up a regular Stanley No.78 including sharpening the spurs. Now I cannot find it on YT or Woodworking Masterclasses! Any help? Or am I dreaming...?

[@mercoid]

PaavoLammikko .... I need that video badly!

[@johnbuckley683]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pauZf4Bqj7Z3sLs

[@davidstorer4706]

Good news ... I found a Record 078 on Ebay for less than £15.00 that had all the bits needed to convert to a scrub plane and was in generally serviceable condition. Good news again ... after conversion, it can hog off good quantities of stock easily and quickly both along and across the grain. But ... bad news ... it's no substitute for an actual scrub plane. The basic ... and immutable ... drawback of a modified #078 is that it will never, despite whatever imaginative customisation is employed, be able to shift and clear large quantities of heavy shavings half-nearly quickly enough. It clogs and backs-up ... and it clogs and backs-up very quickly. It's not hard to clear but doing that stops you in your tracks and badly interrupts your work flow. It seriously slows you down. I work by hand ... from choice combined with necessity. I am out in Africa and limited in access to locally available but very rough stock (although often very lovely wood) and the customised #78 is never going to be able to meet my heavy stock preparation needs. I have bitten the bullet and ordered a Veritas scrub plane. The #78 conversion was well worth a try and I am not really disappointed with the unsatisfactory outcome. It proved the case for spending a whole lot of money (that quite hurts) on a purposefully designed and designated specialist tool.

[@mihumus]

Nice tips as always, Paul. Thanks!

[@ikust007]

Lovely! love that you "innovate" . Thank you!

[@blackfender100]

Very cool Paul .thanks as always

[@jason-hh6lu]

Paul I love all your videos and some of the skills you go over I have just forgotten over the years, either from bad habits or what my work calls for, thank you so much for the refreshing teachings. That sound is so satisfying once you start with that plane. I have to ask, is that really bad brick work on your wall just bellow and between the two sockets on the left as we see you? 😂

[@FatherTIme70]

Since my only scrub plane is a Stanley #5, what about using a 78 with a well sharpened straight edge blade as an option for smoothing? I don't use my 78 that often for rebates, it would save me a lot of time changing blades with the #5 from scrub blade to smoothing blade .

[@MrDanielForrest]

Is it the first video from new shop with the new bench or the new bench from the old shop?

[@Paul.Sellers]

Well spotted! Yes, this was shot in the new shop. The bench is the one made in the workbench video series. - Team Paul

[@JoelHudson]

Looks good Paul et all

[@lebronjordan802]

Great job mr Paul!👍

[@hasanhanc4112]

What other materials can we use to polish the knife? Other than leather

[@watermain48]

Love the new digs. The price of No. 78's has gone up considerably with the influx of new plane collectors unfortunately for thos of us on fixed incomes...

[@jonwilson6077]

I had to pay $80 for the Sargent brand version a few months ago in Australia. Great condition though

[@JoelHudson]

Bill K. Why is it called a "fixed" income when I am usually broke? 😀

[@watermain48]

That's the question then, isn't it...

[@andywhite9362]

For those struggling to find an 078 - take a look on Amazon. You can buy cheapo Chinesium version for a lot less than ebay. Worked great for me :)

[@benhaughton6199]

Hello Mr Sellers this may seem a ridiculous question But I am an absolute novice to woodworking and have recently inherited several hand planes from my grandfather. My question is how do I know which number planes they are? Is there a standardized measure among manufacturers? Thank you.

[@Paul.Sellers]

Most of the reputable ones have the name cast into the plane body.

[@ryannavarre4161]

before everyone goes and tears up a no 78 for a scrub plane, i have a craftsman clone that is missing the fence and all the other bells and whistles to trade that would be perfect for this.

[@HiltonRalphs]

Interesting idea as most just use an old #5.

[@TechTins_Projects]

Why and when is a scrub plane better than using an ordinary plane? Nice video.

[@TheShred89]

Tech Tins for heavy material removal

[@scottm9605]

This seems like an excellent way to get a scrub plane on a budget. I've been eyeballing the Veritas Scrub plane for a while. Have you used it? How would the two compare in your estimation?

[@ehisey]

Looking at the Veritas specs, I would say this pretty close on blade specs and seriously cheaper. the Veritas might be easier on the hand, but doing a lot of scrubwork is rough on the hands anyway.

[@scottm9605]

yeah I'm currently using a converted #4 and it is ok but it has convinced me of a couple of things: ergonomics are important and a narrower blade would make a deeper cut easier, allowing you to get on to the jack sooner. this on the surface seems like a great solution for the width but I know that Lee Valley puts a lot of work, thought and design into their planes and so all of that might be worth the extra money, especially with a pmv-11 blade. It's not as though 150 dollars is much money when it comes to buying a new well made plane. I'm interested to find out if anyone has experience with it.

[@Paul.Sellers]

There is no difference between the two planes in use.

[@scottm9605]

Thanks! That makes my decision very easy. I appreciate it.

[@laurencegoedar462]

Congratulations Paul on your First video in your New workshop! I do have a suggestion. Would it be possible to change the color of the electrical conduits? They tend to draw to much attention in the background. Great Instructional video as always!

[@29ginad]

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[@etiennefrancois9492]

👌🏻

[@mcflapper7591]

Honestly, the backdrop looks fake. Is it real masonry? I doubt it. Even if it is, it just looks not real, i.e. left of center it seems there's a "bowl" just below the (thought) line linking the receptacles. Just don't accidentally dip the blade into your coffee mug. :) The old shop with the cabinet in the background had so much more flair. I'm missing it already.

[@Paul.Sellers]

It is real masonry, but half bricks rather than full bricks. You can see it go up in our latest video update: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJe0foB_mJyifs0 Paul has only just moved into the garage workspace, so there will be more to come in the background as he makes what he needs to have all his essential tools handy. We will be sharing this process along the way so that people can see how Paul like to set things up. Team Paul

[@mcflapper7591]

Glad to hear. Thanks for all the efforts you went through to make this happen. :-) I am grateful for what I learned and will continue to learn from Paul. Thank you!

[@beardyface8492]

Hide the grinding so that no bugger has a clue what you're doing, just like everyone else that wants to make it mysterious, why don't you? Never mind that there's no explanation why you'd even want to do this, or why, or how much compared to an ordinary "plane.

[@prairie_born]

Certainly doable but why? I can't imagine how uncomfortable using a 78 as a scrub plane would be after a couple of hours. I had to check the date to make sure it wasn't April 1. Struggling for new content Paul?

[@jpanic7677]

The whole point of a scrub plane is you are achieving a fast roughing-out. If you're doing it for hours on end you're not scrub planing.