Craftsman #4 Hand Plane

Description

A very nice Craftsman #4 hand plane.  You can use her right out of the box or polish her up to be a little gem. I bought this plane from an estate where she had laid on a shelf for many years.   I decided to refurbish her as a good user plane.  First, I took her apart and degreased and cleaned the  dust and grime off her.  I found the original factory green finish was still good, so I left it original.  I polished and honed the blade (to 600 grit), cleaned the chip breaker and polished the chrome lever cap.  The handle and tote were in good condition with no breaks or chips, so I cleaned them with tung oil and 0000 steel wool and applied a coat of wipe on poly.  The sole and metal bearing parts on the frog had some pronounced tool marks from the factory so I sanded (to 320 grit) and filed until I got them out.  I put her to an old 2x4 I had in the shop. She took a very nice shaving across some rough grain and a couple of knots.  Functionally, she is in better condition than new.  Craftsman planes always had a bad reputation for chatter and rough cuts.  By honing the blade to 600 grit and removing the tool marks, I got the chatter our of her.  She isn't cosmetically perfect:  There is some light rust pitting on the lever cap.  There are still a couple of light tool marks on the side of the sole and very faint on the bottom.  They don't impact how she cuts, but you could sand them out if you like. Overall, I give her a solid 9 out of 10. ("10" being new in the box)  This is a good, honest plane that will give you many years of service.  I try to ship within 24 hours of purchase via USPS Priority Mail with a tracking number.  Thanks for looking.