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Stanley #2c

camarotoolman

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I picked this up for $7 last Monday at N. wilksboro flee market. About the nicest old plane I've ever found.
 

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skruft

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That is just amazing. I did find a 2 for a few dollars once but it was not a C and not in that kind of condition.
 

Jim C.

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Seven dollars? Really? That's unbelievable. What an incredible stroke of good luck you had. It's hard to believe that in this day and age, someone would actually sell that plane for seven bucks at a flea market, especially in that kind of condition. As a serious collector of old Stanley hand planes, I'd call that an absolutely amazing find at that price. How could the seller not know the true value of that plane? In nearly twenty years of searching for, and collecting planes, I've found my share of "winners" but in every instance, the seller had a reasonable idea of what the plane was worth. Like I said, you had an incredible stoke of good luck.

Jim C.
 
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camarotoolman

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Yea, you was in shock when to guy said $7 each, also got a nice 3 too. Needless to said, I didn't put them back down! He had several nice hammers, circle dividers, etc, for $1 each. Some I sold later for $10 -12 etc. I sure was thankful I over to his table and was 1st on it. It was only about 50 ft. from me. It was the night before that market. what is realy strange was that is the 2nd. 2c that I found this year!! But I had to pay $20 for it. and it wasn't that nice. Years ago I found a Blue grass #2 for about $20 in an antique shop of all places, they are usually over priced. I sure would like to get a #1 cheap but that would be like winning the power ball. Some of those antiques road show finds are amazing too.
 
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Joe B.

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For those of us that don't follow planes, what is one of those worth?
 

Jim C.

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In top collector quality condition, it's worth about $400 - $500.

Jim C.
 

bigcaddy

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Jeesus! I just took a look on ebay under completed listings for No. 2C planes. The highest price paid was for a minty looking piece and it sold for 800.00+!!

Nice score! It makes you wish you could find those on a more frequent basis. I'm still waiting for the estate sale where i find a crate of Wilton Baby Bullet vises, new in the box.
 

earlthegoat2

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Thats not primo collector grade but at 7 dollars you can easilly realize a 4000% profit margin or greater if you chose to sell.
 
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BWS

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Nice find camaro.2's and 3's see alot of use in our cabmet shop.Still using some of my G-dad's as well as all my father's old Stanley's(some are retired).I'm generally a "C" man......they just seem to glide better?Maybe mental.......
 
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camarotoolman

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After looking @ 2s on feebay, I figured at least it was worth $400. That sure was a lucky day! Pics are of some of my other tools I'm collected over the years.
 

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Bryan Burns

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After looking @ 2s on feebay, I figured at least it was worth $400. That sure was a lucky day! Pics are of some of my other tools I'm collected over the years.

Nice collection. It's addicting isn't it? Like this score...

Last Friday during an estate sale on my lunch hour, I picked up a rusty old plane as part of a ten dollar bundle, along with a Starrett combo square.

After cleaning the plane earlier in the week I started polishing the blade last night trying to find a maker's mark. I thought I wouldn't find one but then it started appearing-

ailey's
atent
Aug '67

It appears to be a Bailey's (not Bailey) with a patent date of August 6, 1867, which is the oldest thing I own by patent date.
 

Jim C.

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Nice find camaro.2's and 3's see alot of use in our cabmet shop.Still using some of my G-dad's as well as all my father's old Stanley's(some are retired).I'm generally a "C" man......they just seem to glide better?Maybe mental.......

I don't know, maybe it is a mental thing. In theory, the corrugated sole was actually designed to glide easier over resinous woods. With less metal on the wood, there would be less friction and consequently less drag making the plane easier to use. I've used both flat and corrugated soled planes and haven't noticed any appreciable differences in their performance on hard woods or soft woods. When using the average bench plane (#1 through #8C), I think that satisfactory or better results come from making sure the plane is properly tuned, the cutting iron is super sharp, and the throat is set to take a light to medium pass. Back in the day, when handplanes were being used by virtually all craftsmen and tradesmen, I think that Stanley, and other manufacturers, were trying to fill every conceivable niche in the market. I honestly think that adding corrugations to the soles of planes was the product of Stanley's overall consumer sales aspirations, and some "fertile minds" in Stanley's design department. I'm sure Stanley, and others, never dreamed that they'd be creating collectible planes by adding the corrugations. Over the years, Stanley produced many speciality planes and "gadget" planes that were designed to produce specific results and were marketed toward various trades. Some patterns were hugely successful, while others were complete and total flops. It was all about filling every real and "perceived" niche in the market. Although I don't think planes with corrugated soles are considered a flop, and actually may provide some benefit during use, I do believe they were mostly designed to fill a perceived niche and were a marketing gimmick employed to sell planes first, while the added benefit of less drag on resinous woods was probably minimal.

Jim C.
 
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camarotoolman

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Thanks for all the positive comments. woodworking tools has been an interested of mine for a long time, I guess because I was a wood shop teacher for a few years.
 

RivennHewn

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Thanks for all the positive comments. woodworking tools has been an interested of mine for a long time, I guess because I was a wood shop teacher for a few years.


If you like old woodworking tools, take a minute to check out my new album on my About Me page.
 

2oolhound

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Dec 18, 2010
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BC Canada
I like your collection of adzes and broad axes camarotoolman. When I was building log homes I had a lot of that type of tool. They've all disappeared from storage where I had them. I still have a few though. I had a lot of planes too but I never knew they this kind of value now. My brother recently sent me a few of my longer ones he had on his farm but they are badly rusted.
Roughhewn you have some very nice old tools there. I had a large 2.5" or 3" slick similar to yours that's gone missing with the rest of my log building tools.
 

BWS

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Watching paint dry......got a minute.

Was using my dad's #78 this am.Just an opinion but,I think hand planes in general have become more a matter of convenience than necessity?It took all of 15 seconds to correct a minor problem on some 1940 cabmet doors......And this is being taken place right next to 3 large shapers.IOW's,I could've taken a few minutes and set one up to....r.u.n.n.-oft the problem?But grabbing a 78,set the fence and clean it up was waaay faster.

Jim C,"less drag"...may be "minimal" but,I can tell the difference....blindfolded.Make mine a "C"....but good stuff,nevertheless.
 

Jim C.

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.....I'm generally a "C" man......they just seem to glide better?Maybe mental.......

Okay, which is it? Do they really glide better or does the theory behind the corrugations just make you think they glide better? LOL!!:D

By the way, I'm very happy to hear that you use hand planes regularly in your business. Sometimes, even with all the modern power equipment available, there's still no substitute for a well made, time tested hand tool. Many times just using a plane is so much faster, easier, and accurate than setting up and using a machine. There's a lot less dust and noise too. The #78 was one of Stanley's "bread and butter" planes for more than 100 years. There's a reason for that... because it worked, it got the job done well, and it was durable. I don't think they ever made that plane with a corrugated sole. Stanley did, however, make an aluminum verson of the #78. I think they were going for a lighter plane with less drag than the cast iron type. I'm starting to see a trend here (less drag)!! The problem with the cast aluminum version was that the aluminum itself tended to leave dark streaks on the work.

Jim C.
 
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BWS

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Allright....some serious plane talk,haha.

Speed......and how it apply's to or in the shop:The faster a job gets done,the faster we get paid.That there,is a forgotten or somehow....missed application in shop world.Yeah,yeah.....we "think" we're fast,in todays world,but we ain't hittin on chit compared to the craftsman of yore(thinking handtools).

Speed and handtools was the end-all,be-all back in the day.So,if Stanley made an aluminum 78.....which I didn't know(thanks)...then I can certainly see it's value.To wit:we'll give up a little durability because of speed?It boils down to how much $$ is this handtool gonna make me?

But going past pure speed for a second.....a grooved bttm gives more feel.And it ain't just on softwoods.......Just like racing tyres,planes operate at a "slip angle"..."C's" have more feel when used at an angle.Its each "edge",biting in at this slip angle that makes the overall pkg "quicker".Smooth bttms have this sort of slushy feeling.....you never get the "bite" that the C's have.This is all based on the premise that we're not planing directly parallel to bds axis.......they really prefer you to be at around 5 to 10 degrees.The smooth bttms tend to "fall off".

Another aspect of planing is to "lift" the plane.....just like a file...on the return stroke.So just like aluminum 78's.....a true craftsman will always utilize the lightest plane that gets the job done.Read that....2's and 3's(and to a lessor extent,"C's')over something larger.Its a nuance that again got lost somewhere...in the "bigger must somehow be better",world that we live in.
 

RivennHewn

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If memory serves me, most aluminum planes were war years planes.

More a product of available resources than shaving a few ounces.
 

Jim C.

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If memory serves me, most aluminum planes were war years planes.

More a product of available resources than shaving a few ounces.

I think Stanley made four different models in cast aluminum. Those models were the #4, #5, #18, and #78. They were actually produced just a little before WWII between 1925 and 1935. They were noticeably lighter than their cast iron counterparts, but were prone to leaving dark streaks behind as they passed over the workpiece. Unlike the corrugated soled planes, which may have some actual user benefit, and were sold by the millions for years, I truly believe that the aluminum planes were a gimmick which really didn't catch on with consumers. Hence their short production life span.

Jim C.
 
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