Restoring a Stanley #4 Hand Plane

Today we are breathing new life into a trusted old hand plane, the Stanley, Bailey #4. I take the whole thing apart, give some love and attention, cleaning each piece, before surfacing and sharpening the blade up to reassemble and use for years to come. I love these old hand planes and believe that they should have an honored place on the shop shelf with all of my favorite tools.
Check out this great site to help you identify your Stanley hand plane manufacture date.
woodandshop.co...
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[@OORAH659]

I purchased my first house in NYC a century old cottage ..... a year after we were cleaning the old boliler and found a standley no. 2 baily plane .... we move to here and now I am restoring it....OORAH!! .....THANKS FOR THIS VEDIO...

[@RidseardMhicCoinnich]

Nothing more satisfying than restoring a hand tool to a workable and attractive state.

[@_BigLife_]

This definitely turned out really nice

[@budove58]

I've worked in the tile and stone industry for over 20 years and I'd like to offer some advice for anyone wanting a machinists block. Granite tile, like you see here, 1/2" thick is a very good, inexpensive solution. Granite is usually milled very flat. Dont buy an aggregate stone or ceramic for this purpose. Also, if you have a shop that does countertops in your area they almost always have a scrap pile where you can get thick pieces of granite for free. If they're nice, the guys will even cut it for you. It's always worth having a good granite machinists block.

[@syamalsen5531]

Please. Stop narration which makes the subject more complicated and time consuming. Practical demo helps best.

[@chrisdzisiak7540]

You are absolutely correct ! So few people have any idea of this. A second source of flat surface is any small thermal pane window that has been changed out because the seal is gone, they are dead flat and the small ones are easy to handle and store.

[@Jimgoodwin846]

Please KEEP narrative in place, I have read a few discussions who were negative about it. Keep up the good work. I personally like everything about your channel. I have two planes like the one you are working on, dad passed one on to me from my grandfather. The one you have in this video is in excellent shape. Love the video-I have two 18” Stanley Bayly #6 also passed down. Fortunately I have two sons who love tools like I do.

[@richardforrest5781]

You and Paul Sellers have shown me that these tools need to be used! We don't have to restore them to showroom condition. But to a functional tool to be enjoyed, not set on a shelf. Ty

[@Exiledk]

I have a Stanley no.4, a Dictum no.4 and a Clifton no. 3. The Clifton is a magnificent tool, The Dictum is my next favourite and the Stanley does all the grunt work. This is my holy trinity...

[@calmdymon]

I'm glad I've watched it before start sharpening on my table grinder !

[@professor62]

Really glad you did a preservation rather than a full restoration. The #4 looks great. Awesome job!

[@TheArtofCraftsmanship]

Thank Russ. These are such beautiful tools. Preserving their history/patina is such an important part of their story, in my opinion.

[@robertedwards5184]

I just found a rusty old plane just like this in a rubbish skip. Your video has helped me how to clean it up and re-assemble it. Best wishes from Wales, UK. 😃

[@TheArtofCraftsmanship]

I love old tools, so I’m glad that you are going to be restoring one back to its original glory. When you’re finished, use it with pride. Good luck!

[@keenaheaton8853]

Beautiful working restoration of that sweetheart! Thanks for showing us. I’ve done 10 + of these but I can still watch you work on these! Video quality is fantastic

[@TheArtofCraftsmanship]

Thank you so much.

[@rosshutchinson5806]

Brought a tear to my eye, Dad was a carpenter and had about 4-5 of these Stanley Planes in varying lengths, I have most of them and watching this makes me want to go out and restore them all. Great channel, super informative. I'm working my way through all your vids during Corona downtime (Australia) P.S. your daughter cracks me up. Love what she brings and its great to see a dad take her out and teach her bush skills. Thank you

[@TheArtofCraftsmanship]

Thanks for the kind words. Those planes are begging to be used. Clean them up and put them to work😉.

[@alexnorton]

I do love videos like this which give old tools the love and care they deserve. Such beautiful machines made back then. A very different quality to a lot of what is made nowadays.

[@nannanz2097]

Excellent- i’m restoring an old Stanley no 4 and this has helped enormously

[@brianlykins6663]

Nice job on your plane. I'm working on one my grandad and dad used to work with. Type II mcg. 1910 -1918 with the ribbed sole. Like you, I don't want new, just want it cleaned up again. Can't imagine how many times their hands touched this and the other planes I've got to do. Keep up the Good work.

[@DougPalumbo]

Beautiful! Very motivating to get out to garage sales and buy old tools to restore!

[@craigsilsbee4094]

Enjoyed! Nice to see you didn’t overly restore. It’s hard to watch wood handles have all their ‘character’ sanded off. You did only what was necessary and it turned out great! The selective tight shots and soft focus makes it lovely to watch and helps the viewer appreciate the beauty of this tool. Keep at it!

[@torincarl7934]

sorry to be off topic but does anyone know a method to get back into an Instagram account? I somehow lost my login password. I appreciate any tips you can give me

[@noeljace1424]

@Torin Carl instablaster =)

[@torincarl7934]

@Noel Jace thanks for your reply. I found the site through google and im trying it out atm. Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@torincarl7934]

@Noel Jace It worked and I now got access to my account again. I am so happy! Thank you so much, you saved my account :D

[@noeljace1424]

@Torin Carl happy to help :D

[@krustysurfer]

Nicely done Dustin

[@jameswilfourd6149]

Bought my 1st plane today .5 bucks . Got it home, put up your video right away, turns out it's a type 15 , 1931-1932. Thanks to your woodandshop tip thank you, needs light restoration , starting now , nice job.reply if you get this.

[@elsdp-4560]

THANK YOU...for sharing. Very nice.

[@jasonbalkenbush253]

You did an excellent job restoring this plane. I've been learning about planes and I wanted to suggest that you add a chamfer to your plane blade. You can do this by adding pressure to the outside edges of the blade while you're sharpening the bevel. This gives the blade a slight curve, and you can adjust the depth so that the edges of the blade are not cutting. This allows you to avoid creating tracks in your wood from the edge of the blade.

[@nolanpeter2748]

Nice job

[@BillySmith-hk6fz]

Excellent restoration, of an old, Stanley hand plane.

[@stanruud7253]

Very nice! Fun to watch. Thanks.

[@DG-zl6ml]

I like a good hand plane restoration vid so it's nice to see a new one every now and then. While I've long been a fan of using rust-removal solutions (molasses being my favourite) I've come around to the idea of directly tackling it on a wire wheel. I love that you didn't do more than was necessary here, especially that you sanded just enough and didn't try to remove every last pit which is completely unnecessary for a plane to function.

[@RutherfordRyan1]

With you on the molasses....Don’t like the sandblast etching effect from Evapo etc. sometimes. Wire wheel yes, in context. I use neodymium magnet to get the bristles outta my forehead. What proportion water with yer molasses ?

[@Yes_buh]

Hey man great video, I was given my late step fathers exact same plane and I’m going to restore it and use on a future project - thanks for your help

[@mp330600]

very nice restoration. Ready for the next 100 years of use.

[@stever2193]

I need to go hunt for one of those, thanks for the inspiration.

[@kennethmenges5707]

I found a plane very similar to yours in my fathers stuff after he passed. I am now going to restore it too. Thanks for the information on what the parts are called.

[@freddysflyz]

Great video, I've done a few myself and exactly as you did, preferring the wire wheel to other methods. A buddy that likes the garage sales during the summer picked some up for me. Not all were worth restoring but I now have a #3, #4, and #5 and enjoy using them all! Thank for sharing this video - fun to watch!

[@jerryjohnsonii4181]

Awesome restoration an thanks for the knowledge Dustin.

[@markharris5771]

A perfect restoration, very nicely done.

[@HWCism]

Nice job. Thanks

[@YootubeUK]

Very nice video! Great camera work and informative! I did much the same (although not as well) to my 4 1/2 Stanley earlier today! Lovely tools that feel really rewarding once cleaned up. Picking them up cheap is even better!

[@codybryant8684]

As someone that has restored many hand planes. You done very well my friend. So pointers. I would recommend a brass whire wheel that dont scratch as bad. Evapo rust is ok but never ever vinegar. Other than that its a beautiful tool brought to life again. I love the sound of a sharp blade over wood. Keep up the fine work my friend

[@mikedkc]

Cody Bryant why not use vinegar?

[@codybryant8684]

@@mikedkc because vinegar is an acid if not treated properly it can either way the the metal. I have bought a lot of hand planes off eBay and other places that say they've been restored get them home and can tell that they were soaked in vinegar to remove the rust. I had one plane that I was just scraping chunks of metal away from. I'm not going to argue it does work but it is very harsh on the tool. If you're going to use a chemical use evapo-rust

[@flat-earther]

Do you mean 100% brass wire wheel or just a softer in other words thinner gauge steel wire wheel because solid brass does not do nearly anything on steel I have one and the ones that look brass today are just brass coated which makes no difference what so ever so really the gauge of the steel wire is what matters in my opinion.

[@mikedkc]

Thanks Cody!@@codybryant8684

[@horacerumpole6912]

You are as uninformed as the video about plane restoration-rennovation-

[@tomhill1713]

I really like the screw drivers you’re using. The knob handle really lets you get a good grip and lots of tork

[@kenbeaton9871]

Dustin you saved my butt for me. I have my grand father’s handplane

[@kenbeaton9871]

Dustin I have my grandfathers hand plane and was wondering how I could restore it? You saved my butt I followed you step by step and was saved from sibling wrath , thank you so much.

[@TheArtofCraftsmanship]

Glad I could be a part of your story! 😂

[@carlmcgee1623]

Great work. Can tell by the view of your shop cave and the way you keep it oraganized that you are a true craftsman. Thanks for shaing your skills. How about "By old hands" do not touch plane collection. He is quite the craftsman as well.

[@Giove83]

Hi I just wanted to say thanks for such a great video. I’m from the uk and come across a beautiful no4 it had never been used but I followed everything what you did just to get it all cleaned up and now it’s beautiful.

[@upsidedowndog1256]

Nice job. Very professional filming. Keeping the rosewood tote and knob is always a great idea.

[@scottflanagan7927]

Wonderful job Sir?

[@harryalcantara1756]

Thanks for sharing this , now i can practice a better way of taking care of my planer.

[@whatme3473]

Nice. I have two 4 and a half Bailey plain's one made in Britain one made in USA. I'm restoring both of them . Both from the 30's a bit of damage hear an there but that just makes them what thay are . Grate video thanks.

[@TheArtofCraftsmanship]

Thanks. I love Baileys! Good luck with the restorations.

[@4Truth4All]

Well done Sir. I'm restoring a few Stanley planes and this was very helpful. If you're doing a lot of sharpening I would recommend investing in diamond stones, they stay flat and last a long time. I love the look of your shop, it looks like a great place to work and play!

[@philquinn73]

Im in the process of restoring a couple of planes, actually my first planes. I'm lucky enough to have access to milling equipment to flatten the bottom and square the sides. They don't have much identifying marks, other than the blades, one said eclipse, the other miller's falls Co.

[@mikedkc]

Beautiful restoration.

[@gcarson19]

Little bit of ‘Powderfinger’ noodling in the background - nice!

[@Rattletrap-xs8il]

For those stuck screws. To break them free so you don't exert so much force you cam out of the screw slot and chew it up. Put the screw driver blade in the slot and strike the screwdriver with a mallet. This will shock the thread and many times the screw will unscrew with very little force. I rust blue the blade and chip breakers, re-nickel plate the things that were nickel (caswell kit), re true the sided and bottom with wet/dry sandpaper on a granite block. All the brass parts go in a rotary tumbler with some citronox. I have home made japanning paint to paint them. They're fun to restore I gotta say.

[@lokisullivan469]

Type 15s are pretty good planes. I really like types 10-15 because the frog is held so securely to the sole. Type 12-15 are a little better than the 10/11 because they have a larger 1-1/4” depth adjuster and a taller front knob. Type 14-15 are a little better because they have the raised ring under the front knob which keeps the knob from splitting like it does on the 12/13. I do like the type 15 over the 14 though, but only because the “Made in the USA” was moved to the heel allowing the “Bailey” to be placed on the toe in front of the knob instead of behind it.

[@maskedavenger2578]

You do not want to see made in USA on a Stanley plane ,let’s have it correct ,it should always read made in England or Great Britain .The USA should stick to what tools it makes best ,like Eastwing hammers & hatchets ,Arrow Staplers & Empire Speed squares .The best planes were made in Britain by Stanley or Reccord .

[@bighands69]

@@maskedavenger2578 Sorry but Stanley are American company and their hand planes were made in America. Stanley also made British planes but there are two distinctions. Both are great tools so it does not matter if it is American or British.

[@maskedavenger2578]

@@bighands69 None of my Stanley planes are made in the USA .My Estwing claw hammers,joiners axe ,Empire Speed square ,J21 & 50AP Arrowe staplers are USA made .I have never seen any Stanley / Bailey ironed plane or any other Stanley plane with made in USA on it nor the box it came in .

[@user-dx6pt9oo6h]

Very good restoration bro 👍👍👍👍👍

[@Scoss-ib1tp]

Thanks

[@andrewgarratt5191]

5:24 and we find out it’s just a dang ol type 15 ,we stop everything,go back to the sale and see if they have something worth restoring. “I don’t actually think that way at all,but thought it would be fun to pick on the plane snobs. 😂 great job! One of my very favorites is a type 15”

[@triune_blades]

You almost had all three top screws facing the same direction.haha. It cleaned up wonderfully. Great job! I look forward to another restoration video!

[@eastbay40386]

Great video. I have just done my restoration. The one I have is exactly the same as yours. :)

[@chiplane3976]

Dustin - this is a great video: you do such a good job of explaining what you are doing, providing resources and tips and showing all the steps of your resto. I was blown away with this. Liked and subscribed. Will look forward to seeing more like this! Thanks for making/sharing!

[@matthewsnowdon8530]

Im currently restoring this exact one

[@johnmorrison1180]

That big screw holding the blade to the backing plate is meant to be undone using the cap plate, so dangerous to us a screwdriver like that, easily stab the screwdriver into your hand. As the guy from mythbusters so spectacularly demonstrated ! ( another beginner who didn't know how to take it apart correctly )

[@grievouserror]

Wow! Great job. I'm surprised the steel wire wheel didn't mark the surface more. I was expecting you to go for something in brass. Fantastic result, though, and great production.

[@jareddevisser9304]

You really should be flattening the soul with the blade and blade cap in place. The frog under tension does warp the frame of the plane just slightly.

[@TheArtofCraftsmanship]

Thank you for the tip!! 🙏

[@srdavis37]

Ha! Kids are funny. They often find a way to be goofing somewhere in the background. Oh yeah - nice restoration too. I picked up an ooooold (I least I think it's old) long plane made from a block of wood! The wood, about 3x3 inches, has warped/twisted long ways. I'm trying to figure out way to correct it but it seems like it will require a whole new block.

[@DG-zl6ml]

You have what is affectionately called a woodie. Depending on length it's either a jack plane, a fore or try plane or if it's very long (22" or more) it's a jointer. Although other wood species were sometimes used in the US if it was manufactured in America or Britain it's likely made from beech which can be prone to movement. Although they were supposed to select and age the wood to minimise the chances of this the reality is they often used stock that was less than optimal. I found a plane a couple of years ago where there was a big ol' knot right at the mouth! If the warp/twist isn't excessive it may be possible to flatten the sole to make the plane usable again, but the usual way of doing this is by planing so you need another plane. If it's particularly bad though you either have something to put on the shelf as a decoration or just a nice piece of firewood, and you paid for the iron and cap iron/chipbreaker (which may be worth the money you paid for the whole plane to be honest, there's a solid secondhand market for vintage plane irons in good shape).

[@jenhartart2]

Fabulous, thank you. Just in time, as I bought 2 no 4's at a junk store for $5. Couldn't pass them up and looking forward to the restoration. Your video will be a tremendous help

[@ericg1971]

Thanks for the info for checking the production date , mine is seemingly different as the bottom isn't a smooth flat plate but has channels along it ?

[@TheArtofCraftsmanship]

That’s cool. You have a corrugated sole on you plane. Those can be very desirable.

[@PikeRiverW]

One of the first Woodsmith magazines has a layout for a wooden jig to set the blade jig for bevel and micro bevel cuts.

[@bighands69]

Just as easy to do it by eye and hand.

[@slomkaadas9603]

Thank you for the video, great job. Greetings from Poland 🇵🇱

[@TheArtofCraftsmanship]

Thank you

[@harryalcantara1756]

I have the exact same planer and i just wish i could really sharpen it's blades just like when it was brand new.

[@1stinlastout165]

For your stroth take a peace of 18 mm plywood to the size you want and stick your leather to it with double sided tape,your can then mount it in your vice to use and it's flat and more controllable to use, nice job fella!

[@magicdaveable]

I have 3 of them. 😁

[@MusicGodsNFT]

I sure do enjoy your videos. Thanks for the time you put in and the excellent production quality. Cheers

[@bumblebeebob]

Dancing pixie at 8:25. Lol!

[@ockamsrazr]

That was awesome...

[@galapagos4154]

Harika 👍 Türkiye den sevgiler.

[@boblambert8985]

Nice work, and your commentary is unintentionally humorous. @17m50s metric measurements ARE standard measurements everywhere except the USA, Liberia, and Myanmar!

[@RegebroRepairs]

Oh, thank the lords of KZbin, you didn't "restore" it by replacing everything and make it look brand new. Halle LuJAAAAH!

[@kle2217]

Is it best to generally use a wire wheel or to soak parts in a rust remover? Or a combination of both? Thx

[@TheArtofCraftsmanship]

I like to use a wire wheel if I can. That being said, I’ve used rust remover also, but then still usually wire wheel parts after.

[@matthewsnowdon8530]

Only my blades are all different angles so im guessing i need to get them equal

[@jimsarranadventures3005]

Thanks for another great video. What is the best way to stop restored tools like this from rusting again? Scottish weather and metal are not good friends. Cheers and thanks again.

[@TheArtofCraftsmanship]

Thanks for the compliments. There are several different product that are designed to prevent rust. I personally keep a rag soaked in WD40 and wipe my tools down after each use, but there are lots of things out there that are more specifically designed.

[@David-hm9ic]

A paste wax for wood floors or cars will protect the metal and keep it sliding smoothly. In the US Johnson's Paste Wax is popular for this use. Great stuff if you have it available in Scotland.

[@davidedwards7835]

I notice the handle only has one screw,plus a metal lug to sit on,my handle has two screws.

[@tootall5559]

nice job... I have to ask, sometimes when you have a nice, sharp plane, do you just turn a piece of wood into shavings because it feels so good? I do from time to time.

[@harryalcantara1756]

I get addicted to it ,then i have clean up all the shavings, it feels good though.

[@tootall5559]

@@harryalcantara1756 I have made a lot of shavings! When it's going right, I tend to just make shavings. or sawdust...whatever when it's going right it's just... well it feels so good.

[@anthonyseidita919]

It’s ok you’re make kindling in case you need it lol

[@ryanmurphy3025]

You can tell that this was made during a time when men wore leather aprons and smoked cigarettes at work.

[@stupidassol]

Nervous wreck waiting for the screwdriver to slip off the workpiece and into the palm....🤯

[@TheArtofCraftsmanship]

Lol. Thanks for the concern.

[@pleappleappleap]

I'm pretty sure they actually sold more #5s.

[@overlyskinned]

Still amazes me that a first world country can't say Aluminum correctly

[@DeltaArxz]

Can not find one for less than $50 used this sucks man because I have no idea which hand plane to get as my first one

[@TheArtofCraftsmanship]

Keep you eyes open at antique stores and flea markets. That’s were I find them. Good luck.

[@JoeBob79569]

I'm guessing that in another 90 years, people will be restoring these very same planes again, instead of some of the cheap-ass planes that are produced new today.

[@callum9513]

It's such a shame that on site carpentry has less and less use for these classier tools. I had spent some time on my Jackplane getting it sharp and clean and I havnt needed to use it because the quality of the battery electric planes like the Dewalt 18v are just great pieces of equipment. You wouldn't use an electric plane as a cabinet fitter but I wish I could justify using an old plane.

[@bighands69]

Modern carpentry and modern cabinet making is nowhere near the quality of classical woodwork.

[@callum9513]

@@bighands69 it's the same in all construction at the moment. I live in a large city in the uk and I see these great towers being made from concrete. All the stud work is metal fabricated and every piece of carpentry is more or less in kits. Alot of the On site carpenters I speak with no longer cut hinges in the doors they are pre cut in factory. Luckily I work for a smaller firm and just today I was assisting in the construction of a large cut roof(hips, gable end, cripple rafters) on a 2.5 million pound property and the masonry work on this house is nothing that youd see built these modern days. If you were to rebuild this house from scratch nowadays it would cost at least twice the value it's worth right now. So you're right and it's a damm shame.

[@brenteaton1708]

What type of oil do you use on the wooden handles?

[@TheArtofCraftsmanship]

I use Boiled Linseed Oil

[@jameswilfourd6149]

What angle was the cutter edge.? Don't have jig. Tia

[@monkeyman6292]

This is a great video and really helpful. What grit of sandpaper did you decide to stop lapping the plane at?

[@Lukos0036]

I saw a restoration yesterday of a plane that looked exactly like this but it was made by a British company called "Record". Was the design not patented? Except for the name on it they are exactly the same right down to the wood handle.

[@MrSnookerballs]

OMG, if that screwdriver had slipped the blade would have gone straight through the palm of your hand. Always keep hand behind any blade be it sharp or blunt.

[@ghettojohnny]

Hey Sir. Great Video! I just found your video after getting my first Stanley Bailey NO#4 Plane. I used the website you recommended and came out as the same as you but mine looks different than yours. My sole is grooved/corrugated and there's no stanley on the tote. Any suggestions?

[@sepulchre10]

What grit are you using to flatten the sole?

[@bighands69]

The machines are handy but by no means are they necessary for restoring a hand plane they just make it less labour intensive. All you need is sandpaper, steel brush, lubrication oil and a little bit of elbow grease.

[@dwainlambrigger3769]

Thanks for the video! Where did you get your screwdrivers??? I love them and would like to get some.

[@imager8763]

They are Cabinet Screwdrivers. Ebay has some used. Woodcraft used carry new ones, though I don't know if they still have them.

[@benedictdelacruz2535]

You should have a LouieVuiton product.

[@evren.builds]

20:37 please don't test the sharpness of your edge like that guys. You can brush you finger perpendicular to the edge lightly, or see how well it catches your nail. My no 4 type 14 is on the way ^^

[@jmonte2811]

Great job. What is the estimated retail resale price after restoring. Thanks

[@mitchelcreegan9636]

Nice work! Could you tell me what the thread pitch is on the stud for the front knob? I am working on one that is so buggered up I can't match it, don't want to have to epoxy it in place.

[@maxitv8242]

Hi, thanks for the video. May I ask, as an amateur, what does a no 4 mean? Is it simply 4” wide? I got confused by the title that says it’s a number 4 but the website telling you it’s a type 15. Trying to understand as I’m trying to find an adjuster wheel for an old plane and I don’t know how to look it up. I’ve seen 1” and 1.1/4” wheels are available and don’t know which is right (as I bought it at antique store without the wheel) and also if the thread diameter for the wheel bolt is always the same on all Stanley planes, or if they are different too. .

[@TheArtofCraftsmanship]

Hey Maxi, I just came across this comment and wanted to give you an answer. The #4 relates to the size. A #1 is smallest, and the #8 is the largest. As they get bigger, they have different uses. The #4-#5 are the most versatile, because they can surface plane, and joint plane, but like most things, they are not the best at either. A “jack of all trades” if you will 😁. The different wheel sizes for the blade adjuster depends on the year it was made, but to the best of my knowledge, the thread will be the same. I have switched out small for large/ stainless for brass/ plastic for metal adjustment knobs and haven’t had a problem with them fitting.

[@maxitv8242]

@@TheArtofCraftsmanship thanks so much for your reply. That makes it quite clear. Best wishes to you.

[@gear8649]

what kind of screwdriver did you use? They're beautiful.

[@paulbabcock9606]

Nice older example. You got a bargain on that. Is it a type 11?

[@sepulchre10]

So you don't camber your iron?