Stanley #4 Cap Iron/Frog question

[Pete Hotard]

So I'm new to this whole, buy an old tool and bring it back to life thing. But a few weeks ago I bought a nice type 10 #4c at an estate sale. Cleaned everything up and it looks nice and goes together well. The only problem I'm having is that when I advance the iron forward the screw that holds the cap iron to the cutting iron bottoms out in its little hole in the frog before the iron comes through the throat. Now I can get it to take a shaving if I close the throat almost as tight as possible. I would think the iron is long enough as it is longer than the iron of my other stanley knock off #4 that is quite similar. Don't think in doing anything wrong....maybe the cap iron is short or something. Maybe I should just break down and order a Hock Iron set, but I would love to keep the original pieces in it if at all possible as it is the first plane I have ever restored. TIA

[Dave Paine]

I have an old No. 5, perhaps Type 8. The cap iron was thin and I did a test using a cap iron from a later type. I could not get the blade to protrude beyond the sole. What the heck!!!!!

I compared the original cap iron to later ones, and the hole placement was different. Big surprise.

I think your cap iron may not be original. A small difference in the placement of the hole in the cap iron can mean a replacement may, or may not, work.

So much for the Stanley parts being easily interchangeable.

[Jim Koepke]

So much for the Stanley parts being easily interchangeable.

It may be from a Millers Falls, Sargent or some other maker's plane.

Pete,

The problem isn't with the blade. The problem is with the chip breaker not having the correct layout to match your frog. I have also seen some of these with an much older screw installed. Some of the older screws were not knurled and the head was larger.

jtk

[David M Anderson]

I have a type 9 #4, your type 10 I believe was when the adjustable frog screw was introduced to the No. 4.

A few pics may help ascertain the problem..

Edit: You said you have another #4, have you tried the cap iron and blade from that one yet ?

[Pete Hotard]

I'll see if I can snap some pictures in a little bit. They are doing work on the street and the power is out at my house right now, so I don't have adequate light to take pictures.

Also, there is no frog adjustment screw on it. The other #4 I have is a cheapo from ACE hardware. It was the first one I bought...I now realize how crappy it is, but have actually tuned it up to be a decent user. Although the adjustment isn't fine enough to take a thin shaving consistently.

[Jim Koepke]

Also, there is no frog adjustment screw on it.

Unless the screw has gone missing, it isn't a type 10.

Pictures usually help.

jtk

[Pete Hotard]

My fault. It is a type 9. It's been a while since I looked it up and I misspoke. I will take some pictures of it in the morning after work. I'll be outside stripping the Japanning off of my new #7 getting ready to paint it. Thanks for all the help thus far gentlemen