Vintage Union No. 4 Smoothing Plane – Restored Bailey Pattern Bench Plane

Fully restored vintage Union No. 4 smoothing plane from New Britain, Connecticut, tuned for fine shavings and ready for your bench. This Bailey-pattern smoother still wears its original hardwood tote and knob, retains honest dark patina, and features a pre-1917 “UNION MFG CO – NEW BRITAIN, CT, U.S.A.” iron that has been sharpened, mated to its chipbreaker, and test-planed. A solid user plane with plenty of character for either daily work or classic shop decor.

Detailed description

Tool details

Maker: Union Manufacturing Co., New Britain, Connecticut, USA.
Model: Union No. 4 smoothing plane (Bailey-pattern bench plane, ~9” long).
Iron marking: “UNION MFG CO – NEW BRITAIN, CT, U.S.A.” (earlier mark used before the plane division became Union Plane Co. around 1917).
Approximate era: c. early 1900s–1910s (Etsy decade selection: 1910s).
Original hardwood tote and low knob, dark reddish stain.

Condition

Sole has been lapped flat for user-grade work; no cracks or repairs in the casting.
Mouth is clean with a good, even opening for fine shavings.
Japanning is worn and flaking in spots but largely intact in protected areas; left as honest patina, not stripped or repainted.
Hardware intact and functional: depth adjuster, lateral lever, lever cap, frog screws, and tote/knob screws.
Tote shows normal dings and marks from a century of use but no structural cracks; knob has heavier wear and character dings, all tight and solid.
Iron has good remaining length; edge is freshly ground and honed.

Restoration work performed

Metal:

Full disassembly and detailed cleaning (brush/air + mineral spirits).
Rust removal from bare steel parts using Evapo-Rust, followed by 3M abrasive pads and WD-40; japanned/painted areas were not soaked.
Sole lapped on a flat reference surface, with edges slightly eased for comfort.
Chipbreaker underside lapped and fitted tight to the iron (no light leak) to control tear-out.
Iron ground to remove old chips, then sharpened and honed to a fine working edge.
All moving parts lightly lubricated with Ballistol and a micro-dot of Hoppe’s on the depth-adjuster threads; metal surfaces protected with paste wax, buffed to a dry sheen.

Wood:

Tote and knob cleaned with mineral spirits to remove grime while preserving color and patina.
Light hand-sanding with 320 grit to smooth without erasing tool marks and history.
Finished with Tried & True oil and a hand-buffed beeswax topcoat for a warm, low-sheen feel.

Performance

Plane has been test-tuned and set up for fine work, producing thin, clean shavings on test stock (see photos). Depth and lateral adjusters work smoothly, and the lever cap clamps firmly with no chatter.

Ideal use

Ready-to-use smoothing plane for hand-tool woodworking.
Great upgrade from modern budget planes—especially for someone who wants a tuned vintage smoother rather than a restoration project.
Also suitable as authentic shop decor or a gift for a woodworker who appreciates early 20th-century tools.

Shipping & extras

Ships carefully packed with the iron retracted and wrapped to protect the edge and sole.
A printed care sheet is included with every tool from this shop.
I’m happy to combine shipping on multiple tools where possible.

Bullet highlights

Early Union No. 4 Bailey-pattern smoothing plane
“UNION MFG CO – NEW BRITAIN, CT, U.S.A.” marked iron (pre-1917)
Fully disassembled, cleaned, de-rusted, and lubricated
Sole lapped flat and edges eased for comfortable use
Iron sharpened, chipbreaker tuned, and plane test-tuned on wood
Original hardwood tote and knob with refreshed oil/wax finish
Honest dark patina and worn japanning left intact for character
Ready to work on day one or display as vintage shop decor
Includes printed care sheet for ongoing maintenance