Size Of Lever Cap Screw?

[Derek Arita]

Anyone know the size of a Stanley Lever Cap Tension Screw...the screw that goes into the frog to tension the Lever Cap? I've got a screw hole that's pretty clogged up with rust. I will derust, however I think I'm going to have to run a tap through it to clear it out.

[Jim Koepke]

Anyone know the size of a Stanley Lever Cap Tension Screw...the screw that goes into the frog to tension the Lever Cap? I've got a screw hole that's pretty clogged up with rust. I will derust, however I think I'm going to have to run a tap through it to clear it out.

Stanley used odd thread sizes. Finding the correct tap size may be difficult if possible.

If no one has answered by tomorrow I will try to remember to check one of mine to see what it is.

jtk

[Mel Miller]

Those threads look to be about .280 - 24 tpi. Typical non standard Stanley threads.
Normally, the hole for these screws doesn't have much rust as the screws are seldom removed from them.
Even if you had a special order tap made, you could end up with loose threads and the screw would tend to "walk" every time you took the lever cap on/off.
I would just clean out the hole with a dental pick or something similar. Then squirt some Kroil in the hole and work the screw in/out with a little tapping as needed and it should clean out enough rust so the screw is a nice snug fit in the hole.

[Hilton Ralphs]

I've found this tool (http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.aspx?p=62738&cat=1,43456) to be very useful for your application.

313109

[ken hatch]

I've found this tool (http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.aspx?p=62738&cat=1,43456) to be very useful for your application.

313109

Hilton,

The photo is so small it is hard to make out the tool. Forgive my Emily Litella moment (After starting the reply the tool link showed in the quote, I couldn't see it in the original post), Never mind.

BTW, thanks for the link....I hadn't noticed the tool in the LV catalog and it looks very handy.

ken

[Tom Bussey]

If you have more than one screw, Take one and grind a slot in it so it looks much like a tap. You will only need one flut. One sid should be flat and the other ground away. That way it will act like a tap and clean out the threadsand have a place for the junk to go. Remember you are not taping new threads just cleaning out the old ones so it doesn't need to be hard just square sharp corners.

[Derek Arita]

Tom, great tip! I'll have to try that. Also, nice tool, although a bit pricey. Might be worth it though.

[Stew Denton]

Hi Derek,

+1 on what Tom said. I have been working on restoring some old planes, and have thought about the same approach. That said, I did not have as good a grasp about the details on how to make the best tool, and would not have done as well as what Tom explained above. You probably have already thought of this, but a good way to accomplish the slot is to use one of the little cutter discs in a Dremel tool. I have used such for other projects and it does very well, is very controllable if you go slowly, and can cut a very precise slot.

On Ebay are a lot of the lever cap tightening screws for sale so you can get one there to make the clean out tool with. I am assuming you already planned such, but thought to add it anyway.

We are lucky to have Tom on this site to advise us. I had a plane that he flattened for me, and it also had a machine screw rusted in it that I didn't think I could get out with out risk of breaking it off. Tom also got that out for me when he did the work on the plane. I highly recommend Tom!

Stew

[Derek Arita]

I can't say enough about Tom and how much he has helped me and everyone else here. Reminds me of that old E.F. Hutton commercial...when he speaks, everyone listens!

[Jim Koepke]

On Ebay are a lot of the lever cap tightening screws for sale so you can get one there to make the clean out tool with. I am assuming you already planned such, but thought to add it anyway.

A thread chaser could actually be made from a 10-24 fastener filed down.

Using the same size fastener is best for a tap like approach.

Using a smaller fastener may make it easier to find something to clean the treads.

I have done this with pipe to clean rusted threads.

jtk