Stanley J5 electric plane

[millforge]

Today I picked up a vintage Stanley J5 elecric plane from an online auction. It came in its original steel box, with some attachments, that must weigh 50 lbs all together. It has an 18,000 rpm dome-top router motor with grease fitting at both bearings and it sounds fine and smooth running, but there is no book with it. Can anyone point me to an online source where I can download an instruction book and parts list??
I think some of the accessories are parts for sharpening the blade, but I need the book to figure out how to use them.

 

[Stuart in MN]

The Vintage Machinery has some Stanley catalogs that show the J5 plane (I found it in both the 1954 and 1962 catalogs) but unfortunately no operator's manual or parts list. http://www.vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=1149&tab=3

 

[Corndoggeh]

I don't have the plane, HOWEVER, I have the router and router base with original box AND the manual and exploded parts diagram if that is what you are looking for?

I was thinking about putting them online for referencing on its own thread...

 

[kgschlosser]

If you are still interested I can provide you with the original documentation. There are no images or pictures to show the assembly. there were no photo copiers in hose days LOL. so the instructions are typed directions and you have to use your imagination to understand how the thing goes together.

You are missing the grinding wheel for the sharpener I can also provide you with the original part number and also the dimensions.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION to use this planer. There are adjustments for aligning the rotor to the stater if this is not done you will cook the bearings..

because of the age of these tools and them also having an aluminum housing I stringly recommend dismantling the tool. the wires inside of the motor that leads to the brushes are going to be cloth insulated.. This is one of the reasons why they no longer make metal housing hand tools. between vibration and age the housing can become electrically hot and with the feet being ground and your hands being the contact point current has to pass right through your heart. they did not ground the housings back then.

the other reason why is you are going to need to spend some times to defunk the bearings. the grease has long since dried up and hardened. it is really had to dissolve and remove. adding new grease helps but it will not get everywhere it is supposed to go.

I can provide you with copies of the exploded parts diagram with part numbers and original prices.. I can also provide the original brochures as well as the original warranty tags.

I picked up the J5 as well as the matching router at a recycle place
both are 100% complete all parts pieces documentation, steel boxes even the original wood blocks inside of the boxes with felt to support the tool. I called Stanley tools to verify they are complete.


I did want to note that the bench clamp you have it attached to the bench incorrectly.
it is supposed to hold the tool flipped over so the planing surface is up and horizontal. so you can use it as a hand fed planer. I would not do that without making a guide to hold the material down. they weren't big on safety back then so using your fingers to fold the material down as you go over the cutter was OK to do.. Not me!!! I have used mine setup like that and I planed 1400 linear feet of 1.25" wide white oak hardwood floor tng (60 years old). I used some large fixed casters and mounted them to a 2x4 built a frame over the top of the thing and used 1/2" shock cord (bungee cord) to pull the casters down onto the planer.. this way my fingers were safe.. couldn't do small pieces had to sand those.

The RPM's of this thing are enough to freak you out when turned on.. The j5 had no issue with taking off 3/32" of wood and poly had to sharpen the spiral cutter but that was a snap to do. took me a few hours to plane and sand the 1400 feet. I have another 1400 feet left to do and that will get done this spring..

also because of the high RPM and vibration I would recommend using some locktite thread locker on the screws. they do have a tendency to back out. probably because I didn't want to go nuts with tightening them into an aluminum housing in fear of stripping out the threads or the screws.

 

[ptross]

just got one of these planes myself. I am interested in copies of the documentation if you are still offering. I'll be happy to pay copy costs etc.
Peter

 

[adk_Mech_E_Tech]

I know it's probably a long shot, but if there is anyone still here that has any documentation on the J5/J50 plane it would be much appreciated.