I picked up this Sargent 5206 block plane at an Antiques center this past week end. I thought it was pretty cool and the price seemed good.
I decided to clean and tune it up to see how it would work. First I wire brushed everything.
Then I buffed what I could.
Then made sure the sole was flat
It had a little hump right behind the mouth, so I very gentle tapped it out a little.
Shined the sole up just a bit on the DMT.
Soaked it in evapo-rust to be sure I got all the “inside” rust out.
Hit the fine spots with the dremel.
The onto the blade. I gave it a good wire brushing.
Flatten the back as needed
Put it together
And put it to the test. It made some super fine shavings.
It is definitely a keeper.