What do you mean you don't have a Stanley plane Rusty?
You need one?
Yeah japanning
You lay it on, and it goes on like cold molasses. Its ridiculously thick.
Let dry overnight.
I usually do 2 coats over 2 days.
Then put it in the oven at its lowest setting. Bake 1/2 an hour and cool.
Now bump up the oven 75 or 100 degrees and bake again, an hour this time. Let cool
Another bump, another bake.
Keep going like this until you hit 350-375
Once you are done, the stuff is almost as hard as glass, but tougher. Thick black and very shiny.
Obviously you want to do a whole batch at a time, so do lots of tools to fill up the oven once you start.
It smells a little like asphalt baking, but even my wife will tolerate it.
Oh, you can lay down multi coats of decent enamel, and bake it the same way. Rustoluem etc.
Japan only comes in, "any color you want so long as its black", so if you want another color, try baked paint.
Same baking procedure and you can do it along with your japanning.
It comes out terrifically harder than air dried. But it does smell more, so better send the wife to the movies. :) Cheaper than the mall. :)
yours Scott