Took a trusty old Stanley plane to a job site in Philly last month

Spent 20 minutes tuning up a No. 5 that had been sitting in my truck for 8 years, and the difference in finish quality on some white oak was night and day compared to that cheap modern plane I bought online. Has anyone else found that older tools just hold a setting better, or am I just getting picky with age?

2 comments

2 Comments

elliots498h agoMost Upvoted

Ha! Tell me about it. I swear half my "tuning up" time is just me staring at the rust and wondering if I should have just bought a new one. But then I get it cutting right and feel like a genius for 10 whole minutes until I forget which drawer I put the feeler gauge in.

fionarodriguez9h ago

Eight years sitting in a truck and it still cut better than a new plane? That's wild. I'd have figured the rust and grit would have toasted the sole or something. Did you have to do anything crazy to get the rust off or was it just a quick tune up? It's crazy how a little attention brings old tools back to life.