Cleaning up hand planes - Video 1. Focusing on cleaning the body (aka: sole) of Stanley hand planes 

Hey mate, love ur videos, im a woodworking beginner but am fascinated with planes, unfortunately in my country Colombia there is no much market and is hard to buy an old one in good condition, so i've bought some of them in USA, what kinda cleaner u used first?

Awesome information, and I look forward to browsing through some of your other videos. I heard you mention the type 11 planes often, and it appears that you had a number of them on the bench in front of you. Is there something special about the type 11 planes that you like or dislike? Is there a particular type of the Bailey & Stanley planes that you prefer to collect and/or use?

I just purchased a very nice 604 It has 3 lines imprinted patd,apr2-95,apr1910 Can you date this bedrock? Thanks Leo

I just got a type 11 5 1/2, has 70 % japanning w minor rust in the voids. I cleaned that w a dremel wheel. Not sure if i should get a sharpie paint marker or just put some light oil on those spots. I could repaint it but then the plane gods might not be happy lol.

Brass brush or wheel has been something I’ve had good luck using. Started with my grandfather’s jack and spent way too much time with a rag and wax trying to preserve his touch, but I learned about steps of aggression very well in that process. Really cool video; thank you

Can you rinse off the simple green by water? Thanks Leo

I'm a noob and used vinegar a couple years back. Whoops. Is the damage done or should I do something to neutralize it?

Used PB Blaster or WD40 with razor and 4/0 still wool to loosen rust. Leaves patina as you shown. Also used the above solvents with Orange sticks (wood) to clean the body and frog where japaning areas are, to loosen grime and pick out corners with Orange sticks. Minimal intrusion is key as you pointed out. Waxing plane bed nice and oil on the frog mating and iron contact surfaces👍. Nice vid sir. Your approach for a newbie is straight forward. Thank you If you have an Ebay store please provide.

Rewatched again, I like to wash up in kerosene. I think it does the steel good. After a good clean in kero, wash down in metho, dry and see what you have, I wax the steel all over and polish off. This gives me time to think about where I am going. I prefer to buy uncleaned as is. My thoughts to others whom sell item please dont clean I will do that, all I want from a seller is to send me my item really well wrapped and packed. cheers from Tasmania. like the videos.

Simple green is pretty awesome stuff. I was getting it cheap at Costco for a while but they stopped selling it by me. Another good video, looking forward to part 2. Thanks👍👍

Very helpful! I have a #7 type 4 that came to me in very good condition, and I wanted to go the lightest touch on it as possible to make it a user. I have a much later #6 (made in England, possibly as late as 1970s) that I've cleaned up already, and I know I went pretty hard on it, but it came out ok. Much appreciated!

This is a great video…introducing a novice (like me) to wood plane restoration. I promise….I won’t crucify you! Question #1. Why the dislike of vinegar bath. I have already broke that rule….but it was just for less than two hours, and all it did was “gray out” the steel….and it was a fairly rough Defiance N.1244….not necessarily a “collector”. But the blade sure took an edge nicely! Question #2. I know it’s just the “Navy” in me (37 years, if it’s salt, we wash…if it’s dirt, we scrub…if it’s rust, we chip and/or grind, red lead and haze gray. But a wood plane is not a ship in a salt-spray environment. I plan on using it…none of mine (except my old Bailey wood body planes)…have any value. Hell, I’m even considering stripper, clean, prime and paint. Your message is valid….and I’m rethinking….because I like what you said about the fact that we are simply the “current custodians” of these tools. Not far from the Chesapeake Bay….while I miss fresh blue crab….I don’t miss that humidity! But up here in New England, we get that humidity too….just not with the high temps! Bravo-Zulu, brother….I enjoyed your video!

Good content as always MJ. I was wondering what’s your take on the Sandflex? Have you ever used it?

Great video! I have a couple questions... First, any tips for cleaning the rust off a corrugated sole? Second, have you ever tried the WD40 Specialist rust remover soak? I bought a bottle a while back after watching a restoration video but haven't used it yet.

I live about a mile from the Delaware Bay, and I am struggling with the same humidity problem!

Excellent video , very helpful wish more people with experience would post videos like this ; I'm fairly new and there is so much to learn , thank you taking out time to do this video

Very informative and interesting video. What would you recommend using instead of SimpleGreen or EvapoRust if those two are not available to you?

“Trial and error” was my nickname in high school, and my motto was “Never use Vinegar”. I HATE the way acids and liquid removers tarnish the raw steel. I am not a metallurgist so I don’t know the molecular reasoning behind the dark finish, but I do know that it is not my goal to save time and effort and be left with a rust free user that’s tainted by a dark gray sole. $0.02 -Castor

Well done video. Helpful for someone getting started like me. I am just down the road in Richmond.

Hi, really enjoying your videos. what are you thoughts on the CITES restrictions and how they have effected the vintage tool sales/market? I'm finding it extremely hard to find nice pre-war planes in Canada.

Thanks for the advice MJ....my toothbrush oily taste was really starting to get tedious....now I use a seperate one for cleaning tools thanks to you. :-D

Thanks for the razor blade idea. I would have never have considered it. I do use Simple Green all the time.

Thanks for the vid and running through the levels of restoration up to refinishing. Definitely giving me good ideas.

Goo gone works pretty good for that gummy stuff

You keep bring up video is to long , no it isn't if you have good stuff to say and don't fwd all the time then things are good, yes some people do not have long attention spans, but they are deficient in brain cells. have a look at Thomas Johnson antique furniture restoration on you tube, long videos have been good for him cheers.

How would you go about getting the rust out of a chip in the japanning? After the simply green for example, you find a single 1/4” chip in the middle of the japanning, what do you do?

Thanks for the indepth video on how to clean them up properly.

I’m new to plane collecting and have used vinegar to clean up all my planes including a 4,5 1/2, 10 and a record no 78 and have seen no pitting form vinegar I’m slightly confused could it be a different vinegar or I pull them out before it starts pitting. I also think it leaves a nice patina on the planes

I have used Evaporust on a plane with no issues. it cleaned up real nice.

Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge and experience!!

I really do like those shiny totes on that type 11.

Why is evapo rust “bad” for rust removal on these? It’s not like vinegar

Wish I would have seen this year's before destroying a couple nice pieces in harsh chemicals 😢

Muchas gracias .

So why do you suggest not using vinegar?

I personally want to restore the plane back to it once came out of the box

what's rong wid vinagar ?

I never would have thought of using paste wax with steel wool to remove rust like that. What is the best way to get the rust out of the corrugated groves on the sole? Steel wool with paste wax?

6 min in to video, yes all the way, thank fuck you don't soak shit in vinegar and salt.