Stanley Frog

[Greg Marquis]

336497Hello, can someone please help me out. I'm trying to clean up the Depth Adjuster threaded rod/post behind the frog. It's seems to have siezed up. I want to remove it completely from the frog. Any suggestions?
The owner at the hardware store here in town said to put it in a vise and give it a twist. I looked at him like he had three heads.

[Mike Brady]

Don't remove it. Just use a small welder's wire brush to clean it in place. The risk of removing it is not worth it. I have restored dozens of planes and have never once removed the adjuster threaded stud.

[steven c newman]

Seems every time I have tried to mess with that bolt.....something bad always happens.

You could try a wrap of leather, just enough to go around the bolt once, then grab the leather with a pair of visegrips. ( Good luck. Seems when I even do this, I can't get the bolt to stay in again.)

Is there some reasonit needs to come out? I have had better luck using a wire wheel to clean the threads off. Then, find a STEEL adjuster wheel. Make sure it matches the threads and size of the bolt. Thread it on a bit, back it off, then go a little father along. IF you get greedy, and take it all the way in, when you go to retrieve it, it will just turn the bolt out instead, THEN you would have to epoxy the bolt back in.

It the OEM heel is brass, once the steel one gets done, it should go right on. Really, there isn't any need to remove THAT bolt, just to clean the frog. More trouble than it is worth...DAMHIKT

[Tom Bussey]

The nut is left handed and it removes clock wise. I have had trouble when trying to remove the adjusting not, the screw come out with the nut. I made a couple of hex nuts from block plane nuts. . But my advise is just wire brush the threads and then leave it alone.

[Greg Marquis]

wow....from the sounds of it the threaded post behind the frog is not meant to come off. I guess my Dad was right. I only wanted to take it off to clean it thoroughly without removing any of the Japaning from the back of the frog. My Dad also said that if I do get it off and when I put it back on that I'm going to have to put some Lock Tite or epoxy so it doesn't come off when I'm adjusting the brass nut.
I thought it came off easily because I just cleaned and restored a Stanley no.5 1/2 but this one had no threaded post on brass nut so I just assumed that it comes off easily. Now I just have to find replacements parts the the Stanley no.5 1/2.

Thanks for the input guys. I'll just clean it in place the best I can.
Just so there is know confusion, the picture above and thread in question is for a Stanley no.5 plane that I'm restoring.
The Stanley no.5 1/2 has already been cleaned and restored. Now I just have to find the missing parts.

[nima hadavi]

If you are so inclined to remove the stud use a stud puller, like this:
https://www.zoro.com/facom-stud-extractor-knurled-12-in-drive-fa-286a/i/G2365072/?gdffi=047ada998cf641fa93e55ae8579df863&gdfms=1D6141BA802848B39348D546E873879A&gclid=CjwKEAjwxoG5BRCC7ezlzNmR8HUSJAAre36jFM0smbHr patQPZVBGfp3AAYxEwMO4Y88Byd6q8M2DRoCN2bw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

but it will likely mar the threads so you will need the proper left hand thread chaser or tap to clean the threads once reinstalled.

Personally, I would leave it be, no real need for removal.

[don wilwol]

I also suggest not removing it. It can be cleaned up with a wire wheel on a dremel or wire brush. If you must remove it, I have successfully removed them by locking the bolt in a aluminum lined vise. I typically only remove them from a broken frog to replace a bad or missing one though.

As said, some are left handed, so know which way yours comes out.

[Claus Keller]

Hi,

I have restored about 30 Stanley and Record planes and always removed the rod to derust it. Mostly its a left hand thread and should come off easily. Just line it with something soft like a strip copper sheet and turn with a pliers.

Claus

[Jim Koepke]

I guess my Dad was right.

Father knows best.

None of mine have needed to be removed whether to clean or even repaint the frog.

They are a bear to get out. Once out they are a problem to keep in.

jtk

[Bill McNiel]

Never had to remove one, just clean the threads.

[steven c newman]

About the only time I've done it, was when the frog was broken. Then, all the good parts come off. I save the parts in case another bolt is messed up, a yoke is worn off, or a wheel is stripped in the threads. Piece of an old leather belt to cushion the thread, and a pair of vise grips to get it moving. Have to watch out, though, as not everyone used the same size bolt. Same with that pin that holds the yoke, not all are the same size. Nor the hole through the yoke.

[Mike Holbrook]

Stanley 5 1/2's must just be a problem. I have one that I ended up replacing the knob and tote on. It took about three tries using heat to get the screw on the back of the frog loose, from the Loctite and rust. An Evaporust bath cleaned it up. I am still thinking about replacing the frog as the blade adjustment lever flops all over the place while planing. Then all I have to do is find a "new" 2 1/4" blade. I feel your pain.

[Kees Heiden]

When you mean the later adjuster, you can pinch down the rivet a little tighter. Support the bottom side of the rivet very well, for example on a corner of a machinist vise and peen over the top of the rivet with a small ball hammer. It's a 5 second job. You just have to get yourself to do it.

[Jim Koepke]

When you mean the later adjuster, you can pinch down the rivet a little tighter. Support the bottom side of the rivet very well, for example on a corner of a machinist vise and peen over the top of the rivet with a small ball hammer. It's a 5 second job. You just have to get yourself to do it.

That is likely how a lot of frogs get broken. DAMHIKT!

A lot of my lateral levers on my planes are a bit floppy. I have learned to live with it.

jtk

[Kees Heiden]

I just had a look in the workshop. I wrote that the wrong way around. Support the top side of the rivet (where the little wheel is) and tighten the rivet from below.

When you know how to use a hammer, there is no risc of breaking the frog. Unless of course you don't support the rivet from the other side.

[Mike Holbrook]

Must be a fairly common issue with Stanley adjustment systems. The 4 1/2 I ended up with in the same deal as the 5 1/2 had a nail holding the depth adjustment wheel on the frog. I guess we should not expect every one to take a licking for 100 years and not show a little age though. I learned to look at pictures closer and not to bid on planes that do not provide good pictures of all the working parts.

I believe I have learned enough about how the Stanley type planes work by restoring them to use them more effectively.

[Dave Parkis]

I have (luckily) only had to remove that post twice. I tried using leather wrapped around the stud, but it wouldn't hold. I ended up taking a small piece of aluminum siding and folding it over and then wrap it around the stud and clamping the bejeezus out of it in a vise. It works but you have to add a little Locktite when you out the stud back in. I also recommend this only as a last resort. Kroil will unstick/unfreeze 99% of problems like seized threads.

[Glen Canaday]

Floppy doesn't bother me. But having to find a 9/32-20 LH die (or whatever it really is on MF planes) to chase damaged threads on that post definitely does!

Seriously..just one more thirty-secondth and it could have been a 5/16, which I can find at an affordable price!

[Jim Koepke]

Floppy doesn't bother me. But having to find a 9/32-20 LH die (or whatever it really is on MF planes) to chase damaged threads on that post definitely does!

Seriously..just one more thirty-secondth and it could have been a 5/16, which I can find at an affordable price!

I have some Greenfield 'Little Giant' dies that are two piece adjustable die sets. I have had some luck running a larger one tight to work threads on a smaller size shaft.

jtk