Picked up an old Buck Brothers hand plane yesterday for $15.00. It looks to be in good shape. It needs cleaning up and the blade sharpened. The part that moves the blade toward the front, not the nut that advances the blade, but the part that has two screws under the blade looks like it should be moved forward some. Other than that, it seems to be a good one. Did I pay too much for it? I don't believe I have ever seen one made by them before. Any comments?

Edited November 18, 20178 yr by Ron Dudelston
tags added

2 hours ago, oldwoodie said:

The part that moves the blade toward the front, not the nut that advances the blade, but the part that has two screws under the blade looks like it should be moved forward some.

The "frog"..

https://www.popularwoodworking.com/american-woodworker-blog/troubleshoot-plane

2 hours ago, oldwoodie said:

Did I pay too much for it?

If it's complete and not a total rust bucket, price doesn't seem too bad...regional prices vary too. Most around here sell between $10-$20 in a condition you describe.

People tend to get caught up in brand names. Most people recognize Stanley but have no idea that there are other quality and very serviceable brands out there. Clean them up, tune them, and you have a usable plane that does the job you want it to do. You can find a lot of very good planes out there for little money. I've paid as little as $5 for some Stanley's. They may be rusty and nasty, but with a little effort they can be made into users, that you will be proud to own.

Just to give you an idea, this is what you can put together with a little patience and some sweat equity.

 

With the exception of the #7 (which was NIB) I didn't pay any more then $20 for any of the planes on my till. The 30" wood body on the left side is a Keen Kutter from ca. 1860-1870. I paid $20 for it and it is one of the best planes I have...a real pleasure to use.

 

47 minutes ago, schnewj said:

Just to give you an idea, this is what you can put together with a little patience and some sweat equity.

Impressive collection & storage display

Thanks for motivating me.

I really like that cabinet...

24 minutes ago, Grandpadave52 said:

Impressive collection & storage display

Thanks for motivating me.

Collection!? These aren't a collection of planes...these are all users, and just the ones I have out. I have several others cleaned up, fetted and packed away. Several #3, #4, #5 Stanley's, a Record or two, Great Neck, Buck, and even a Craftsman or two. I have a Stanley Liberty wooden body plane that I rarely use, but it is a "descent" plane.

23 minutes ago, Stick486 said:

I really like that cabinet...

Thanks, Stick. I built the saw till first. When I got tired of digging in storage totes to find the plane I wanted, I built the plane till to match the saw till. Both were made from material(s) left over from previous projects. Even the knobs were re-purposed from a garbage day, curbside, dresser.

36 minutes ago, schnewj said:

Collection!? These aren't a collection of planes.

Sorry

1 hour ago, Grandpadave52 said:

Sorry

...as well you should be...

@oldwoodie

 

Jim, you might want to read this post for some tips and tricks on cleaning up your plane. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask...

 

 

I cleaned the Buck Brothers plane up and found its body is aluminum, blade is pitted some, tightened up the handles, removed a good bit of rust, sharpened the blade, and shaved some wood! Personally, I would not want to buy any more of that brand though. It is made cheaper than the good old steel ones, but it did shave wood o.k.