Replacement no. 4 plane bed

[Clay Parrish]

I have a Stanley no. 4C type 9 plane with a big chip missing on one side of the body. It is functional, so no rush, but I want to keep an eye out for a replacement bed at some point. I think I can replace it with either a type 9 or 10 body, but I am not sure. I would rather go with a smooth bottom, but I don't care that much. Is there a difference in the type 9 and 10 beds?

[Jim Koepke]

Is there a difference in the type 9 and 10 beds?Yes, the type 10 body was made with a provision for a frog adjusting feature.

If yours is a late type 9 it should fit. It may need some slight modification. At the bottom of the frog on late type 9 and after there is a necking of the opening to fit over the central rib. Some are fatter than others. I just fit a type 11 frog to a type 13 base and had to give a few light swipes with a file for it to fit. If you have an early type 9, then you will need to get an early type 9 base.

Here is a little information on this:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?131234-Type-9-variations

Notice the area at the bottom of the frogs in the image. The two on the left are early type 9 with no necking at the bottom. The two on the right have a neck in the casting. The top of the frog around the lateral adjuster is also different. Not sure if that might have carried over on the first later type 9s or if both differences were changed at the same time for manufacturing/identification reasons.

OMG! Have to read the whole thread again. It seems I found a crossover frog with the later lateral and the earlier bottom.

jtk

[Clay Parrish]

It appears that my 4C is an early type 9. It has the patent date on the lateral adjuster. I have another plane, a no. 5 that is the same.

No. 4C:
332216

332217

No. 5:
332218

332219

[steven c newman]

Might go to nhplaneparts.com over on that auction site, and see what Eric has in base castings.

[Tom Vanzant]

Clay, the rib between the screws one a type 10 base is taller and arched, and is incompatible with your early type 9 frog. All other changes work fine. Type 10 frogs are back-ward and forward compatible with most types.

[Jim Koepke]

It appears that my 4C is an early type 9. It has the patent date on the lateral adjuster.

For all the modern manufacturing procedures, I think Stanley and likely others had a pretty good hand on what is called FIFO inventory handling.

FIFO is First In First Out.

The patent date is 1888 if my recollection unit is working. That patent expired in 1903 and the type 9 features have a 1902 patent. So there are stages of earlier and later.

Knowing all of this and having $5 can likely get one a cup of coffee.

jtk

[Clay Parrish]

Thanks for all the great information, y'all!

[Chris Hachet]

Thanks for all the great information, y'all!

Pics of the plane in its final restored state would not hurt our feelings in the least, by the way....

[Clay Parrish]

Pics of the plane in its final restored state would not hurt our feelings in the least, by the way....

The no. 4 type 9 I was talking about was a rusted up POS when i got it from my stepdad, but aside from a badly chipped cheek and a buggered up cap screw it had good bones. Sorry, I forgot to take 'before' photos, but it was pretty rusty. I felt pretty free to attempt my first restoration on it; given the damage, it would be hard to make it worse.


332359
Chipped cheek


332357
Cleaned up nicely and works fine. I think danish oil and wax might have been a mistake on the rosewood. It feels very smooth and is nice to touch, but it made the wood very dark.


332358
The no 4 is on the left. The no. 5 on the right is also an early type 9, coincidentally.