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I picked this up at an antique store today for $22.
Did I do alright? Is Miller Falls a good brand? I ask because the Stanleys that were the same size were double the price if not more, but I chose this one because it was heavier than the Stanleys and the main knob on the back on this one was easy to turn while the Stanleys felt a little crusty.
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>>1189631
As a tool, I'd say you paid about what it's worth. Is the blade sharp?
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>>1189635
Nope. It's butter knife dull.
What makes Stanleys so much better anyways?
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>>1189637
idk, but you can get a new Stanley, made of epoxy coated cast iron, for $20.
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Well at least you weren't retarded enough to buy a new plane. As a general rule buy the cheapest possible Stanley no4 and spend an hour cleaning it and sharpening the blade.
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You need a stone to keep it sharp
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>>1189631
It is not a bad price for a nice example of a decent plane. Stanley was the gold standard but Millers Falls were quite respectable. It looks to me that all it needs is an iron sharpening. Check YouTube for a how-to. Pual Sellers is pretty good. Also, make sure the bottom is flat.
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>>1189637
The old Stanley planes had a better quality of iron for the blades. If you go around flea markets, look for old wooden planes and check the blades for a mark like Peugeot, they are way better at maintaining their sharpness after dealing with all the corrosion. Newer stanley planes get dull way too easily.
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>>1189645
>as a general rule
>Stanley no 4
The 4 is only good for smoothing and little else. The 5 is certainly the most versatile.
Imho, the Millers Falls planes with the hinged cap iron are superior to all post-WWII Stanley Baileys. Only the Bedrock planes were consistently better.
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>>1189637
Sharpen it.
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>>1189631
Well it depends on the use ability. You're going to have to put some work into sharpening and possibly regrinding the blade.
The adjustment knobs look solid and in good shape.
What condition is the sole in? Check it on a piece of flat glass (with the blade in but retracted so it won't dull but the minor warping you get from tensioning the frog) to see if it's dead flat. It's awful to use a plane with a slight curve or twist in the sole.
But it's fixable, you just need a sheet of flat glass and sandpaper to polish the sole dead flat.
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>>1189816
This. there is nothing wrong with the old MF planes. They are sweet users.
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