Fore plane depth adjustment problem

[Prashun Patel]

I have a rehab'd Sargent 418 (#6 Stanley-ish). I'm having problems with the depth adjustment though:

When I try to advance the blade (increase the depth) the screw that secures the blade to the chip breaker hits the bottom of the frog recess. That screw acts like a brake essentially, and causes the depth pin to slip from it's recess in the blade when the depth knob is turned deeper.

The only way I can solve this is by retracting the chip breaker vis-a-vis the edge of the blade so there's about 1/2" space. This moves the mounting screw 'up' in the frog recess and hence gives it more room to move so the blade can be fully lowered.

It works, but my shavings are rough and hard to control.

Has anyone experienced this? What's the solution? The frog can be adjusted front/back. That doesn't seem to make a diff.

Is this just par for the course on a #6? Hard to believe.

[Sam Takeuchi]

Wrong size cap iron perhaps? There is really no remedy for it except for getting a proper sized one. Or see this as an opportunity to buy a replacement cap iron from Hock or LN. Not sure if they fit on Sargent, though. Maybe some others know better.

[Chris Friesen]

Are you sure that it's the proper chipbreaker for that plane?

[Prashun Patel]

I can't tell for sure; there's no markings on it.

[Jim Koepke]

Shawn,
Check this thread:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=109710

You may at least be able to determine if you have a Stanley chip breaker. Check down around post #10. There is a .pdf with measurements taken from different Stanley chip breakers. The 4-1/2 to 7 size is what would be used for a Stanley #6. If yours matches, then someone in the past may have switched parts around.

Other thoughts are that the chip breaker screw may have been changed for one with a larger head. This is not highly likely, but I do have a few large cap screws in my junk that did not fit in planes later than type 4. I also have one chip breaker that is not for a Stanley. I will try to look at it today to see if it might have the screw mounted a bit higher than a Stanley.

jim

[Prashun Patel]

Thanks, Jim. I'll check tonite. However, is it conceivable that if the 418 is supposed to mimic the Stanley #6, then the dimensions might match even if my cap iron is indeed a 418?

[Jim Koepke]

Thanks, Jim. I'll check tonite. However, is it conceivable that if the 418 is supposed to mimic the Stanley #6, then the dimensions might match even if my cap iron is indeed a 418?

I am not familiar with the Sargent planes. During the time many of these were made, the manufacturers often made parts so replacements could not be bought from another maker. This is supposedly one reason for proprietary threads used by Stanley on their tools.

A change in the chip breaker could allow a little bit more useable blade. This could have been a selling point when listing advantages of one maker's planes over another.

Of course, one company was touting their thicker blades causing less chatter where the maker of thiner blades was touting how they took less time to hone.

Some people could sell steer manure to a cattle rancher.

jim

[Richard Niemiec]

Incorrect chipbreaker. I had the same issue with a Stanley #4, it had, IIRC, a Fulton chipbreaker.

[Dominic Greco]

Shawn,
I had the same plane and experienced tha exact same issue. A previous owner installed a Stanley Chip Breaker. Between the Sargent and Stanley planes, there is a difference of about 1/8" in the position of the rectangular hole in the chip breaker. This makes a big difference when you try to use the wrong one in a plane.

I ended up getting a Sargent Chip Breaker and Iron fron Clint Jones and that 418 became one of my favorite users. It had nice thick castings and (for some reason) one of the most comfortable tote I've used. When I got my 606 I sold it off and Ive been told from the purchaser that it has been working well.

[Sam Takeuchi]

By the way, I think LN can make custom cap iron if you provide the desired dimension.

[Stu Gillard]

You can still get an original if that's what you wanted.

There's one available here... (cap and iron)

http://www.toolexchange.com.au/stanley%20parts%203.htm

(no affiliation with website owner)

I'm pretty sure Stu will ship to the US