Heirloom restoration

Whilst putting the Christmas decorations back into the loft I came across a box containing some old woodworking tools that belonged to my grandfather - or did they actually belong to my great grandfather? That will have to be a question for my Mum! Perhaps they were tools that actually passed from father to son? Either way, I knew neither of them, one having died before I was born and the other when I was just 3 or 4 years old. I'm familiar with their faces from photographs but coming across objects that were clearly well used by them in their lifetime feels like a connection to be treasured.

The three objects that really took my fancy were the wood planes. Not because I'm a keen woodworker - I feel I need a proper workshop or large shed for such activities and I have no room for either - but because, as you know, I love the process of making stuff by hand and these are the tools that they used to do just that.

My projects list this year contains the need to make two new doorstops. All the doors in my house are on automatic closures but when you have a cat who needs access to outside (via the kitchen) and who you'd also like to give the opportunity of curling up on your lap (in the lounge), or the weather gets hot and you need to enable a through-draft, doorstops are essential. I'd normally make a fabric shape and fill it with sand or rice but the planes gave me a different option. I decided to clean them up and see what would emerge.

Before...

As you can see by the photo they were ingrained with a combination of what I imagine was sweat (surely, woodwork with such tools is an activity that would build up a modicum of perspiration?), dust and general dirt that anything living in a shed or loft would pick up. So, I stocked up on fine sandpaper for the wood and some wire wool for the metal and set about cleaning them up.

It soon became clear that much of the metal had originally be painted black and what I was removing with the wire wool was mainly rust. I therefore thought that a reapplication of some black metal paint may be the way forwards. I had just intended to paint the top, leaving the sides and bottom bare but a careless drip of paint down one of the sides soon meant I was amending my plans and all upper and side surfaces were duly painted, leaving the base and sharp-end of each blade as bare steel. Interestingly these were also the only totally rust-free bits of metal.

The wood was much easier to sand, not least because the wooden planes are really such simple structures. All they then needed was a couple of generous applications of wood oil of the sort that you would use on a wooden kitchen work surface or chopping board.

I have to say, I'm quite pleased with the results.

...after

I just now have to decide which rooms in the house deserve to have a family heirloom as a doorstop. There's also nothing to stop me from using them as woodworking tools at some point in the future. Perhaps seeing them every day will act as the inspiration I require?