Tuning the Stanley 60 1/2 Block Plane

Tuning a Stanley Low Angle Adjustable Mouth Plane no 60 1/2

[@Venomator.]

Thank you! Just got hold of one of these and need to fettle it, this video will help a lot, so thank you… ✅ 👏🏻

[@ga5743]

Nice job thanks for sharing your skill.

[@bentontool]

That's the way to do it!

[@JohnColgan.]

Nice job, very clean finish. Always nice to see good crisp curls on the shavings. Bragging Rights for the End Grain curls too!! what angle did you put on 2ndary bevel? Guessing 30 deg?

[@DaveCorinth]

Yes 30 degrees, in general I sharpen all my planes with a 25 degree primary and a 30 degree secondary.

[@DrewMarold]

Nice video. I have a 60 1/2 that I believe is quite a bit older. It has "Made in USA" on the body under the depth adjuster and doesn't have 60 1/2 on the sides. Also the lever cap is not machined like yours. I think it's probably from around the 1930s-1940s. Another thing is the depth adjuster only has one set of threads, the back half is a smooth shaft and the rider is trapped between the shaft & the knob by a shoulder.

[@DaveCorinth]

Yours is one made in the 1980’s that has the captured adjuster. I believe they started making those in 1981. All the early ones have the tops of the rails on the body as well as the rails on the lever cap machined or ground. Yours might be a 60 1/2 P. I don’t think they stamped that on the sides later on.

[@sgtdoug05]

Looks pretty good. Now that we can't get Johnson's paste wax anymore, what do you recommend?

[@DaveCorinth]

I have one full can of Johnson paste wax left, but I have tried Briwax and like results, I recently bought some other waxes and will give them a try. Bumblechutes Shop Wax and Zacks Wax Blacksmith Forge Finish. I’ll probably make a video to see the results.

[@martinhawrylkiewicz2025]

Wow really nice work!

[@RoBBz2000]

a pleasure to watch.. :) glad to have found your channel!

[@DaveCorinth]

Awesome, thank you!

[@Malba1776]

Wow u scored that block plane shined up like new, how much did u buy it for? THANX for the video !!!

[@DaveCorinth]

Not much I think around $20.

[@martinhawrylkiewicz2025]

Great restoraton! Just curious if you coukd use WD40 for cleaning the grime and dirt off too?

[@DaveCorinth]

Sure, WD 40 works fine, I like the CMT cleaner because it removes paint splatter, and any wood resin that might have built up on the plane, especially near the mouth.

[@davidjennings9253]

Great video Dave. I have a 1962 Stanley 60 1/2 which is one of my favourites. I bought it in 1971 and tuned it up and regularly give it a break down and clean but it is a joy to use. I have recently fitted an after market thisker blade which has taken it up another notch and would recommend that mod. I keep it in my apron paocket so that ity is always to hand. I recently used it to plane the edges of perspex for a machine guard I made and you get an almost polished edge. Brilliant little plane. Keep up the great work!!!

[@DaveCorinth]

I know that Hock makes a great replacement blade for the 60 1/2, definitely improves the performance with the thicker iron.

[@davidjennings9253]

@@DaveCorinth Mine is actually a Quangsheng blade and it is excellent. I highly recommend it!

[@Heeman5]

Awesome!

[@chris-C8]

Hey Dave, I love your videos. I recently refurbished a Stanley No. 5 Type 18. However, I noticed that over time, the body starts to get little spots of discolouration (it looks similar to the metal table at the end of this video when you were using Scotch Bright). I put some 3 in one oil to protect it, but it didn't do much. Is there something I can use besides Johnson's paste wax to keep it looking sharp?

[@DaveCorinth]

Union Mfg sells an Elixer that keeps rust off. Check out their website. Unionmfgco.com Myself I don’t mind a little discoloration after I’ve been using one. When I’ve used one a lot, I’ll hit it with some scotch brite. It’s unprotected metal so it’s going to oxidize.

[@chris-C8]

@@DaveCorinth Thank you for the reply! That makes sense. I'm new to woodworking and hand planes, so seeing all these beautiful planes on KZbin, I thought I was doing something wrong because the plane gets superficial staining in certain spots. I will check out the product you suggested. Thanks again!

[@kentgreenough75]

I bought a new Stanley 60 1/2 and what a mistake. The sole was convexed! It took hours to lap flat, but I was determined to make it work. Next the bed behind the mouth was uneven, so I flatten that. Then flatten the blade, again it needed a lot of sanding, and the sharpened the blade. Now the real fun began. As the blade came out it was crooked! One side higher, tilting the entire blade! No amount of adjustment made a difference. I tried a shim on the low side and no improvement. I’m defeated by this plane and now it sits on the shelf to remind me to never, ever buy a new Stanley plane. My old Stanley’s are great, I have five of them, all a joy to use. Any thoughts, did I miss something? Good video.

[@1pcfred]

I was just looking at my planes and they're looking like how that one started out. I thought I had a 60½ I have a plane that looks like it but it is not marked such.

[@darinhalvorsen]

Great work on the plane and extremely well done video.

[@DaveCorinth]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@dale1956ties]

The 60-1/2 is my favorite block plan as well. I inherited a Stanley No. 6 and the 60-1/2 both in VG condition when my father-in-law passed away. There were some hardware store planes in there as well, some very others not so much but the 60-1/2 is the one I reach for when I need a block plane

[@DaveCorinth]

My very first plane was a Millers Falls 56, a Stanley 60 1/2 copy, and it too was my go to plane for years, until it fell off my work bench and came from gather to part. Thank you for watching.

[@manny.u1958]

Hello from Tijuana; I brought one in a flee market for $5 dollars I don't know if it is old it has ( PAT' D.10-12-97) I have been cleaning it and fallow your instructions, to tone it, thank you for sharing your experiences cheers from Tijuana

[@DaveCorinth]

The patent is referring to Andrew Turnbull’s lever cap. That plane certainly is old as the patent was issued on Oct 12 1897. Great find. And good luck with the tune up.

[@Rigus208]

Dave Ty for this vid. Learned a lot to enhance the twinkling of my 60. 1\2 I found when I was the same age 😉13 yrs later it’s still my favorite.👍😇🇺🇸

[@DaveCorinth]

I love the 60 1/2’s, they are great little planes to have around the shop. Especially when they are tuned. I hope this video was a helpful tool in getting yours tuned.

[@4Truth4All]

Nice job Dave!

[@martinhawrylkiewicz2025]

Would you sell it?

[@DaveCorinth]

Already sold it. Usually I list them on eBay shortly after they have been tuned, restored.

[@martinhawrylkiewicz2025]

@@DaveCorinth can you please tell me your eBay handle so I can check what you have for sale?

[@dannyhale7645]

Where did you find your very fine wire wheel?

[@DaveCorinth]

I bought a box of wire wheels at an auction a few years ago and there 4 in there that were the finest I have ever seen. I’ll find out who makes them and get that information on here.

[@dannyhale7645]

@@DaveCorinth , I would appreciate that. Have you ever tried the nylon bristle ones? I've heard they're easier on the metal.

[@DaveCorinth]

The wire wheel I use is an Osborne 604k, they are made for aluminum, brass and bronze. The bristles are stainless steel and very fine.

[@dannyhale7645]

@@DaveCorinth , thanks!

[@Expedient_Mensch]

Great vid, much more about identifying, cleaning and restoring than tuning. Certainly kept me interested.

[@robertmceuen3630]

I have a Stanley 60 1/2, but it has no finger cut outs in the sides. I read something about it being a pre war model. Put a Veritas blade in it; darn good little plane.

[@DaveCorinth]

Yours is a War Era, made during WW2. They are really good planes and usually have slightly thicker castings than the earlier or later ones. That Veritas blade is definitely an upgrade versus the original Stanley.

[@robertmceuen3630]

@@DaveCorinth Thanks for your reply and clarification. Much appric iui ated

[@tobiasfrancisco5879]

Dang, that end grain cut like butter

[@DaveCorinth]

I’ll tell you the secret, it works way better if you put a little water on the end grain to soften it up a bit. Almost every time you see end grain cut like that it’s been moistened a bit.

[@tobiasfrancisco5879]

@@DaveCorinth nice! Thanks 🙏🏼👍🏼

[@aldolajak1267]

Not sure how many block plane users there are out there, but I applaud you dedication. Technology is obviously giving way to the old tried and true methods of woodworking. Sad that high planing and high speed routing are replacing tried and true traditional methods.

[@DaveCorinth]

In the last 20 years traditional woodworking has made a roaring comeback. Good quality hand tools are in high demand and I hope that this video helps in setting up one of those tools for optimal use.