Wannabe Stanley #40 Complete!

This was a long and complicated project, and at last, it's over. It's nice to be able to use this plane without getting blisters. It looks pretty and sits well in my hands, but only time will tell if this is the kind of tool I really need.

With the tote finished and the body restored, I only had to do something about the screw cap.

The quality of the casting was, of course, abominable. I was actually considering buffing it until it was shiny but abandoned the idea. I just could not get into all the tiny recesses with my tools.

I could have painted the cap, but the paint would take forever to harden, and would eventually rub off anyway. So instead I sanded the outside, degreased everything, applied cold bluing, and then covered it with oil. Same with the thumbscrew.

With that out of the way, I could finally assemble the plane.

As an experiment, I made the tote longer than usual.

I can comfortably hold it with all four fingers. As a trade-off, I've lost the ability to adjust the blade with a hammer. The tote is in the way. This is not an issue for a scrub plane, but if I am going to make custom handles for some other piece, this is something I need to consider.

The hole in the body looks ugly, but I'll cope with it somehow. Otherwise, the tool looks good, feels good, and is a welcome addition to my toolbox.