Rebuild Stanley #220 Block Plane

With this Instructable I will be rebuilding a Stanley #220 Block Plane found buried in a box at a flea market. It has all the parts, just some dirt and surface rust from neglect.

Step 1:

The first step it to assess the piece, see what needs replacing and how square it sits. With this one I am in luck; everything is mostly square and in place. So I take it apart and clean off what rust I can, surface dirt and grease.

Step 2: Goo

I am using Naval Jelly to remove the rust on this tool. I brush it on liberally and let it sit for ten minutes.

Here are some warnings to pay attention to:

• Naval Jelly is a water soluble acid (Phosphoric acid). Yes, it is an acid. This means BSI (Basic Safety Insulation)
  • Gloves
  • Glasses
  • Don't lick it
• It is used for Removing rust from metal surfaces made of iron or steel.
• Use safety protocols and warnings on the label of the product you purchase.

Note the wire. I use it for holding up the plane body in the water stream for rinsing.

Step 3: Rinse

After ten minutes I rinse with fresh water and review only to find a bit more surface rust. I repeat.

Step 4: Edge Rebuilding

For rebuilding the edge I use water stones. Oil, diamond or sandpaper all work equally well. I also use an edge guide to hold a constant angle across all the grits. (220, 800, 1200, 4000, 8000). Once finished with the edge I repeat the process starting from the 1200 grit stone on the face of the blade. Once the edge and face have a nice polish I finish off on a chunk of leather primed with polishing rouge.

Step 5: Shavings Means Happiness

Once I have cleaned off all the Naval Jelly I rub beeswax on the bare metal and put the plane back together.