recovering plane collector

[scottg]

80,000? You are kidding me, 80,000?  80 thousand is as much tools as you could ever stand.
 Somewhere right now, tools are trading hands at 80,000.
 I got a lot of my oldest (been in my possession the longest) tools from towns around 80,000!
  80,000 is where I used to travel to once or twice a year,  to look for tools!

Geeze, its a huge town!!
      I live in 2,000 or less, by the way. 
  And its the "big town" at least 75 miles in any direction.

I'd kill for the tool selection of 80,000.
  yours Scott
 

 

[Jim C.]

May have shot myself in the foot. Went back to Mon auction to see who bought the 130. First collector said "I didn't stay to see it sell";Second collector said"I didn't even see it." Ring man said "I don"t remember what it brought" Interpreted means it didn't bring a lot or He would have remembered it. Probably missed a bargain,but now I don't have to search for a blade for it.
I guess I have enough parts to search for;presentlly on hunt for fence for Stanley 378;knob and tote for Stanley No.2;lever cap(with B casting mark) for Stanley 104.
 I guess Jim C is right (buy complete planes)

Hi Jim,

You mentioned that you were looking for a fence for your Stanley #378.  That really could be a tough part to find.  The entire fence assembly includes several small parts.  Actually the entire plane is a "parts nightmare" if you're serious about putting together a complete example.  Along with the multiple fence assembly parts, the plane also came with four different depth stops, a couple cotter pins (for who knows what purpose?) , four nickel plated thumb screws and a couple washers.  It makes me wonder what the Stanley designers were thinking when they came up with this model?  They had to know that all those little parts were destined to be lost and separated from the plane.  Anyway, I've attached a couple pictures so you can generally see what you're looking for.  I know the pictures aren't great, so if you need some that are better, let me know and I'll try to get some close ups of the parts you might need.  Earlier I mentioned that I don't like chasing parts, and that still holds true, but I did have to track down one of the four depth stops for this particular plane.  Sometimes you just can't avoid it.  When I bought this plane, I knew it was missing that one part, but I had never seen another one in the same mint condition with nearly all of its original parts.  Anyway, I broke my own rule and bought it, although it was incomplete.  I ended up contacting an ADVANCED collector who was able to track the part down for me.  I hope you can also find the parts you're looking for and get that #378 back to good.

Jim C.   

[bird]

"Show off!!!!"  just kidding. Well, not about being jealous.
cheers,
bird.

Saw a type one Stanley 130 at auction yesterday.

One of these?....


I don't have a plane problem....I can quit anytime....yeah..... anytime.

....Rob (in plane recovery as well)

[gibsontool]

Rob. I was not trying to get into an arguement about where there are or are not old tools. I am not saying there are no tools up in my area I just saying there are lots more in bigger cities,it only makes sense. Right. I spent the last 40 years running a construction company that worked all over northern BC and Alberta, so up until I retired in late 2008 I knew the location of the majority of the 2nd hand stores, antique shops and auction yards in these area and visited them whenever I was in the area. I remember woodfibre with fond memories, my father was a Boilermaker and worked the pulp mill shutdowns. In the summers when I was out of school I would go with him and we would fish and hunt in his off time. We lived in Vancouver at that time and Woodfibre and Bowen Island were two of our favorite deer hunting areas. That No 1 you have is a beauty and for $3.50, a hell of a deal

[Brophy]

Hi Gibsontool,

I didn't mean to sound terse or short...sorry if I caused any grief. It wasn't my intent to pick a fight, just to offer an alternate point of view.

A lot of guys will swear there are no tools around here but they don't know how to look for them... they show up at a flea market in the afternoon or at a yardsale on the second day.

You are one of about a dozen people I've run into in my life who know about Woodfibre. We moved when I was quite young so I have no memories but it sounds like quite a place.

The $3.50 #1 was a once in a lifetime find. The funny part is, while I was buying the plane and running it back to the truck, my Missus bought a radial arm saw that she thought we needed for our home shop.

Sorry again for the misunderstanding.

...Rob

[gibsontool]

No problem Rob, sounds like you got a damn good woman there. Cograts. Jim

[clovis]

I know what you mean about finding tools, gibsontool.

I've been going to estate auctions all my life, and I still have never found a Stanley 45 or 55 in my area. It is rare to see wood molding planes, and the very few of those that I've seen were in awful shape.

Sure, a person can find #4's, #5's, and quite a few #110's, but finding anything different from that seems to not be out there in my area. Wrenchs, though, are plentiful and very common, but you just don't see wood planes every day. 

[Jim C.]

I know what you mean about finding tools, gibsontool.

I've been going to estate auctions all my life, and I still have never found a Stanley 45 or 55 in my area. It is rare to see wood molding planes, and the very few of those that I've seen were in awful shape.

Sure, a person can find #4's, #5's, and quite a few #110's, but finding anything different from that seems to not be out there in my area. Wrenchs, though, are plentiful and very common, but you just don't see wood planes every day.

That's probably true for several reasons.  The basic bench planes and simple block planes like those you mentioned were probably all that most home owners and DIYers ever needed.  I've had similar experiences.  All I see is mostly the common stuff, and it's often in rough condition.  Back in the day, a #4 or a #110 was cheap and they got the job done.  Spending the money on a complicated plane like the #45 probably didn't make sense for most people, unless one was a cabinetmaker or finish carpenter.  The average homeowner probably didn't buy those planes and that's why they don't show up at estate sales, garage sales, etc.  They're out there, but you have to keep hunting, and hope for some luck.

Jim C.               

[clovis]

I think you are right on the money, Jim C.

You would think though, that after all of these years of going to estate sales, at least one or two #45's, or even parts of those, would show up once.     

[bird]

One thing is for sure.....  we're a bunch of passionate persons about tools!  I'm glad I have this community!

Hi Gibsontool,

I didn't mean to sound terse or short...sorry if I caused any grief. It wasn't my intent to pick a fight, just to offer an alternate point of view.

A lot of guys will swear there are no tools around here but they don't know how to look for them... they show up at a flea market in the afternoon or at a yardsale on the second day.

You are one of about a dozen people I've run into in my life who know about Woodfibre. We moved when I was quite young so I have no memories but it sounds like quite a place.

The $3.50 #1 was a once in a lifetime find. The funny part is, while I was buying the plane and running it back to the truck, my Missus bought a radial arm saw that she thought we needed for our home shop.

Sorry again for the misunderstanding.

...Rob

[bird]

I wish I were around when the average person/ DIYer had planes!
cheers,
bird.

I know what you mean about finding tools, gibsontool.

I've been going to estate auctions all my life, and I still have never found a Stanley 45 or 55 in my area. It is rare to see wood molding planes, and the very few of those that I've seen were in awful shape.

Sure, a person can find #4's, #5's, and quite a few #110's, but finding anything different from that seems to not be out there in my area. Wrenchs, though, are plentiful and very common, but you just don't see wood planes every day.

That's probably true for several reasons.  The basic bench planes and simple block planes like those you mentioned were probably all that most home owners and DIYers ever needed.  I've had similar experiences.  All I see is mostly the common stuff, and it's often in rough condition.  Back in the day, a #4 or a #110 was cheap and they got the job done.  Spending the money on a complicated plane like the #45 probably didn't make sense for most people, unless one was a cabinetmaker or finish carpenter.  The average homeowner probably didn't buy those planes and that's why they don't show up at estate sales, garage sales, etc.  They're out there, but you have to keep hunting, and hope for some luck.

Jim C.               

[clovis]

By the way, and for what it's worth, and as a side note, I attend a bunch of estate auctions and sales, and try to average about 2 per week.

I've literally...no kidding...have attended hundreds of auctions, and I've still never found a Stanley 45.

[scottg]

They're out there, but you have to keep hunting, and hope for some luck.
     

 No matter where you are, there were always the unwanted Christmas gifts!
Giving a relative you didn't particularly like, a tool he couldn't use, or maybe not even know what it was?? Is a really really old joke.
   Many tools we desire, were --all-- probably unwanted gifts once.
  Never used, thrown in the attic and forgotten?

The tools that got used are well, used.
  Any 100 year old tool you see in good shape now?
Well 8 out of 10 it was something nobody particularly wanted in the first place.
  From never to hardly ever used at all.

People now, in this day and age,
  mostly collect the "white elephant tool"  given to Uncle Jim,
 and snickered about for some years,  around the family fireplace.

I own two of these tools I can guarantee were unwanted gifts.  A Stanley 605 and a Stanley #65 low angle knuckle cap block.
 These two belonged to a friend of mine Milton Kevershan.
 Milt was about as likely to start a working workshop, as a rhinocerous is to dance the hully gully.
 Milt had a long life and a lot of relatives though. Between them, they gave him tools as presents for years and years. I saw them all. A whole lifetime of Sears or Wards or the corner hardware.
  Milt had a little more money then some, so he got a little better presents and the better brands or at least the midline brands, were represented.
  I worked on Milts workshop. A shop he had built in his latter years.
 Someone else built it,  (at 37 cents an hour most usually, Milt was someone you did business with -very- alertly)
  but I made it work in the end.
 Usual thing. He'd sucker in some schlub to do most of the work and then after they bailed, he paid me strict cash, buy the hour, due at every days end......  to finish up.
 
  yours Scott

[Brophy]

I've literally...no kidding...have attended hundreds of auctions, and I've still never found a Stanley 45.

I wanted a Stanley 45 for years. Searched antique shops, flea markets and hundreds of garage sales for one at a reasonable price. And where do you think I found my first one? Four houses away at a yard sale. It wasn't out on the table but I bought a common #4 or 5 or something and the fella asked 'so....you use those things?' And after a brief conversation, he went to his basement and came out with a nice 45 and a box of blades for fifty bucks. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Then, on the very next saturday, at another garage sale I found another 45 in pieces on a table...I held up the bits and the owner said 'ten bucks'. Ten bucks was paid and he chased after me as I was leaving to give me a jar of blades (and wouldn't take any money for them).

After that, 45s and 55s seemed to pop up regularly.

I strongly suspect that your first 45 is the most difficult one to find.

...Rob

[Jim C.]

I wish I were around when the average person/ DIYer had planes!
cheers,
bird.

I tend to think that "WE" are the average people.  There are still many, many user quality planes, including 45s, out there for US to find, use, and then pass to the next generation of average people who want to find and use them.  I admit that the top collector quality planes are much harder to find.  I think those types of planes are in limited supply, and they get buried in "collections" for years.  Depending on the collection a particular planes goes into, could potentially mean that it's off the market for decades.  Literally.  I'm in my fifties, and have had some collector quality planes for twenty years already.  My dad is thankfully still living.  If I make it to his age, some of my top quality collector planes will have been in my collection for more than SIXTY years!  When an old timer passes, his/her collection is usually dispersed among other collectors, and once again, those top notch planes are held in private collections for decades.  Collector quality planes are out there, but one really must stay on top of things in order to find them and acquire them. 

Jim C.     

I know what you mean about finding tools, gibsontool.

I've been going to estate auctions all my life, and I still have never found a Stanley 45 or 55 in my area. It is rare to see wood molding planes, and the very few of those that I've seen were in awful shape.

Sure, a person can find #4's, #5's, and quite a few #110's, but finding anything different from that seems to not be out there in my area. Wrenchs, though, are plentiful and very common, but you just don't see wood planes every day.

That's probably true for several reasons.  The basic bench planes and simple block planes like those you mentioned were probably all that most home owners and DIYers ever needed.  I've had similar experiences.  All I see is mostly the common stuff, and it's often in rough condition.  Back in the day, a #4 or a #110 was cheap and they got the job done.  Spending the money on a complicated plane like the #45 probably didn't make sense for most people, unless one was a cabinetmaker or finish carpenter.  The average homeowner probably didn't buy those planes and that's why they don't show up at estate sales, garage sales, etc.  They're out there, but you have to keep hunting, and hope for some luck.

Jim C.