Bailey #3 question

[George Summers]

I am not normally a neander but I picked up a Bailey #3 at a flea market last weekend in pretty good condition for $10. I took it apart to clean it up and sharpen the blade and flatten the sole. The blade was installed with the bevel down. My couple of cheap planes and the Bailey #5 that I got at a flea market a year ago all have the bevel up. Should the bevel be up or down in the Bailey #3?

George

[Jim DeLaney]

The bevel is always down on Bailey-type bench planes.

Only block planes, and low angle smoothers, like the #164, have the bevel up.

[Pam Niedermayer]

A good guideline is to place the label side of the blade up so it's readable.

Pam

[Roy Wall]

Also remember that the chip breaker has to fit very tight to the blade....it is usually snugged down to around 1/16" - 1/32nd" within the end of the blade. It won't fit tight if the blade is bevel up, it would actually be resting against the bevel & a no-no! So use this as a reminder to keep bevel down, and a nice tight fit between the blade/chipbreaker!

[George Summers]

Thanks

George