Rant: That $80 'antique' hand plane I bought was a total scam

I picked up this old Stanley No. 5 at a flea market near Portland for $80 because the guy said it was 'ready to use.' Got it home, the iron was pitted to hell and the sole wasn't flat by about a 16th of an inch. Spent three hours trying to lap it on sandpaper and it still gouged every board I ran it across. Anyone else get burned by a seller who just polished the rust off and called it good?

3 comments

3 Comments

mila_murphy2121d ago

So did you actually check the sole for flat before you walked away, or did you just take his word for it? I always carry a straightedge when I hit up flea markets now after getting bit once. Most of those "ready to use" tags are just code for "I scrubbed the rust off and sprayed some WD-40 on it.

adamthompson21d ago

I gotta say, I kinda see it the other way. In my experience, $80 for a No. 5 in Portland is about average even for a project plane, and nobody's gonna lap it for you. A pitted iron and an out-of-flat sole are pretty standard on a flea market find, and a couple hours with sandpaper usually gets it close enough to work. Your mileage may vary, but I think the seller was just being optimistic about what 'ready to use' means.

murphy.abby20d agoTop Commenter

I bought a "restored" level once that was still warped.