Plane crack

[Adam Cruea]

Getting down to brass tacks. . .while putting together my Veritas Twin Screw vise, I had a #4 smooth plane bounce off the floor.

I believe that it may have a tiny crack now near the mouth that runs toward the back. If you look on the plane's sole with the tote at the bottom, it's in the lower left corner, barely visible, barely able to catch a fingernail, and it runs toward the tote along the side. Maybe 1/4" long, if that.

Now, it's question time. How much is this going to fudge things up? Should I remove all hardware and send the sole to the scrap heap?

[JohnPeter Lee]

Hi Adam,

I am still using my grandfather's MF jack plane with a crack like you describe. I just sanded that area of the sole to make sure there was nothing protruding to scratch the wood surface. YMMV, though.

JP

[Kees Heiden]

I have Stanley #18 with a crack in one of the sides. Use it all the time.

[ian maybury]

Speaking not from experience of that situation in a plane, but more from a general engineering perspective Adam. It probably depends a bit on what's going on in the casting. If it's reasonably well stress relieved (which anyway happens naturally over time) then with a bit of luck it'll quite likely stay put. It's hard to think of any welding or brazing process that wouldn't worsen the situation by introducing more stresses, probably causing distortion and in the end possibly not stopping the crack anyway...

ian

[george wilson]

I agree with the other. Just try to not drop it again!! It will be o.k. if not further shocked.

[Jim Matthews]

Betcha a little call to Ottawa gets a replacement body sent your way.

They want your business - why not call?
The worst they could say is, "Sure, we can fix that. While we're chatting have you seen our new.....?"

[Tom Vanzant]

I have a Bailey #3 with a crack in the same location. Still produces .001" shavings. Use it and enjoy.

[Bill Rhodus]

Knocked my MF 8 on the floor and did the same thing when it landed upside down on the concrete. The bottom of the plane behind the mouth was slowly pushed down by the clamping of the iron or the forces imparted on the plane by using it. Several times I flattened the sole only to have the problem reappear. Finally fixed my problem by buyind a new (old) plane from Walt at Brass City.

[george wilson]

What make was the plane(he didn't say it was a Veritas).

If,as I gather,the plane was cracked near the front,and not at the mouth,I don't think it will be an ongoing problem. There's no real effective way to repair it,save brazing,which would cause warping and other problems.

[Mike Cogswell]

You haven't said what make plane it is, or how old. If it's a Veritas, Lie-Nielsen or Woodriver I would contact their customer service. I think any of them would be quite likely to replace the body.

If it's an old plane I'd just keep using it until it became unservicable. A quick flattening my be in order to ensure it doesn't make the wood.

[Adam Cruea]

Oh, this is an old Bailey #4 smoother I got at an antique store in Maine.

@George> The crack is starting to run just under the frog. It's maybe 1/4" long, if that.

And yes, I do need to quit knocking my planes on the floor. It's been a problem since I don't have a workbench to put them on that is well anchored and shock-resistant.

[bridger berdel]

here's one I picked up at a yard sale. someone repaired it and kept using it for I don't know how long. the toe was even out of plane with the rest of the body by probably 1/64" or so and it still pulled a decent shaving.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mefgc7T8R91qhrm32o1_400.jpg

[Sam Takeuchi]

here's one I picked up at a yard sale. someone repaired it and kept using it for I don't know how long. the toe was even out of plane with the rest of the body by probably 1/64" or so and it still pulled a decent shaving.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mefgc7T8R91qhrm32o1_400.jpg

That's hardcore.

[Prashun Patel]

Resharpen the blade, and give it a try. If it works, then the only thing broken is the resale value. ;)

[george wilson]

I see where the crack is. At least it isn't going up the SIDE of the plane from the mouth. I suppose the plane will be o.o.. Check the sole for flatness with everything(frog,blade) in place and as if you were going to use it,except retract the blade from the sole a bit.

Frequently old plane bodies are for sale on Ebay. I saw 2 not long ago.

[Dale Cruea]

The crack should not hurt anything.
If it looks like it is starting to grow.
Drill a very small hole at the end of the crack. Make sure the hole is at the very end of the crack.
.040" should be good enough.
The hole will not bother the plane and should stop the crack from growing.

[Zach Dillinger]

I've done that, drilling a hole to stop a crack, in cymbals. Saved a couple of very nice old Zildjian's that way, once upon a time.

[Chris Griggs]

I've done that, drilling a hole to stop a crack, in cymbals. Saved a couple of very nice old Zildjian's that way, once upon a time.

Hey same here. That's a very common way to stop a crack in a cymbal from spreading. Wouldn't have thought to do it in a plane.

[george wilson]

Once on a trip,the windshield in my wife's cargo van just started cracking. Every mile it kept getting longer. That night,I bought a cordless dremel tool and drilled the end of the crack down to the plastic interior. It stopped the crack so we could get home. I was worried the crack would spread all the way across,and the windshield might collapse.

[Don Orr]

I thought this thread was about planes being like crack-addictive.;):D

[Charlie Stanford]

When I read the title of the thread I though it was going to be about not being able to quit buying handplanes.

:)

[David Weaver]

When I read the title of the thread I though it was going to be about not being able to quit buying handplanes.

:)

I thought it was going to be anatomical and somehow be tied in with plumbing work.

[David Weaver]

Hey same here. That's a very common way to stop a crack in a cymbal from spreading. Wouldn't have thought to do it in a plane.

Standard procedure on old motors, or anything made of cast. Definitely a good way to stop one from running too far.