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Editor’s note: If you have a trick of the trade that we can share, email me at david.lyell@fwmedia.com! This one comes from Andy Rawls, a furniture maker in Texas. You can find his work on his website, YouTube channel and Instagram.
I recently shot a video for my Youtube channel showing how I restored a Stanley No. 4 hand plane. The process requires the clean up of several bolts and I’ve found the easiest way to polish a bolt or screw head is to simply chuck it up in the drill press and use sandpaper. In this video, you’re watching me polish the screw that holds the chip breaker to the plane blade. I’m starting with a 180 grit sandpaper, then a 220 grit and finally 320 grit. I use this technique often to polish brass screws for my furniture. It’s a simple and clever way to get the job done quickly. If you’re interested in seeing the full restoration of this plane head over to my Youtube channel. I discovered this technique on Clark Kellogg’s Instagram feed, so full credit goes to him, I’m just passing along the knowledge!
– Andy Rawls
