It was somewhere outside Barstow when miey wrote:

Rather than struggle trying to strip
lead based paint I was considering making replacements

Strip the paint !

Even if it's lead based, paint is easy to strip with modern chemical
strippers. There's a lead hazard if you do it with a blowtorch and
scraper or by sanding, but not if you do it chemically.

BTW - A Stanley #75 plane is almost useless for planing, but it's
perfect for getting the paint out of mouldings and rebates.