Tight depth screw adjuster

[Luis Reyes]

Hi All,

I picked up Stanley plane today and noticed a couple of things happening that I'm hoping to fix.

1) The depth screw adjustment is really tight when the lever cap is on. With the lever cap loose I can adjust (not one finger but easily with two fingers). I've loosened the lever cap screw quite a bit and I seem to be able to go backwards ok but forward is tight (not sure if point 2 is also causing this)

2) I noticed the frog seemed to be too far forward (was set to the edge of the mouth when I bought it). I've pulled it back a bit (see pic below) but my cutting iron is still almost touching the opposite edge now to the point where if I move the iron forward anymore it'll hit the other edge. I'm getting decent shavings like this but I like having the flexibility of taking a thicker cut. Is this now at the point of user preference or is the frog in the wrong spot?

3) is it possible my chipbreaker is and blade aren’t right? It’s stamped Stanley (no other markings). I’m assuming no cutting irons were ever made longer than others? I should look that up.


Thanks in advance for any help!

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[Rafael Herrera]

Loosen the lever cap screw until it snaps on and off comfortably. See if that setting let's you adjust depth easily.

How thick is the iron you're using?

[Joe Bailey]

You may well have the "wrong" chipbreaker -- at least (2) versions of the Stanley stamped-steel chipbreaker exist. Each has a different "fork hole"-to-"threaded hole" distance.

What is the measurement between these two points on yours?

[Jim Koepke]

Sometimes it helps to remove the depth adjuster and use a wire brush to clean the threads on the bolt. If you have a small bottle brush or a tube brush cleaning the threads on the adjuster wheel is also a good idea. Then apply some oil to see if that helps. Your plane might be one that was put together from spare parts.

With the early 1" adjusters often have me using two fingers to adjust. Over the years many of my planes have been upgraded to the larger 1-1/4" adjuster wheels. This taught me the adjuster threads sometimes do not match well from year to year.

Does your plane have a frog adjusting screw under the depth adjuster?

The reason for asking is your blade is from ~1907-1909. Some type 10 planes may have been released with that blade, IDK.

This is an old post > https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?114373 < the tenth post in mentions how to set a frog. If your blade still hits the front of the mouth setting it so the face of the frog is flush with the back of the mouth, then you may need to do some filing.

One way to set the lever cap screw is to loosen it enough to allow the lateral adjustment to shift when taking a shaving at the side of the blade. Then tighten it a little bit at a time until it holds its setting over multiple shavings.

jtk

[Charles Edward]

Back off the lever cap pressure and get close on depth before you snap it down. You shouldn't need to wind the blade a long distance to working depth with the lever cap snapped down. Once you snap it down, you should be within a half or quarter turn of where you want to be on cutter depth.

[Luis Reyes]

Loosen the lever cap screw until it snaps on and off comfortably. See if that setting let's you adjust depth easily.

How thick is the iron you're using?

I don't have a good caliper but it's the same thickness as my millers falls #14 plane (Stanley 5)

[Luis Reyes]

Sometimes it helps to remove the depth adjuster and use a wire brush to clean the threads on the bolt. If you have a small bottle brush or a tube brush cleaning the threads on the adjuster wheel is also a good idea. Then apply some oil to see if that helps. Your plane might be one that was put together from spare parts.

With the early 1" adjusters often have me using two fingers to adjust. Over the years many of my planes have been upgraded to the larger 1-1/4" adjuster wheels. This taught me the adjuster threads sometimes do not match well from year to year.

Does your plane have a frog adjusting screw under the depth adjuster?

The reason for asking is your blade is from ~1907-1909. Some type 10 planes may have been released with that blade, IDK.

This is an old post > https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?114373 < the tenth post in mentions how to set a frog. If your blade still hits the front of the mouth setting it so the face of the frog is flush with the back of the mouth, then you may need to do some filing.

One way to set the lever cap screw is to loosen it enough to allow the lateral adjustment to shift when taking a shaving at the side of the blade. Then tighten it a little bit at a time until it holds its setting over multiple shavings.

jtk

I believe my plane is a type 11 according to the flow chart I found online. It's good to know the smaller 1 in adjusters are a little tougher so I'll keep playing around with that. How can I tell if the chipbreaker is a type 11 or even a stanley chip breaker?

[Luis Reyes]

517559
You may well have the "wrong" chipbreaker -- at least (2) versions of the Stanley stamped-steel chipbreaker exist. Each has a different "fork hole"-to-"threaded hole" distance.

What is the measurement between these two points on yours?

Looks like it's about 3/8 of an inch? Here's a pic

[Rafael Herrera]

Yes wanted to check if you were using an aftermarket thicker iron.

Set the cb even closer to the edge than shown in your picture. If you can extend and retract the iron edge through the mouth, you have a proper cb.

On a plane of this period you should have a decent gap for the shavings. Move the frog back as much as you can, sight down the frog bed to align it or use a small straight bar. Set the frog screws just slightly tight to make adjustments, then tighten when satisfied.

Is your iron sitting flat on the frog bed?

[Rafael Herrera]

The iron should look like this when installed.
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[Luis Reyes]

The iron should look like this when installed.
517568

Without the lever cap I can see a gap (see 1st pic) and with the lever cap on it looks like there is no gap (2nd pic). You may be on to something though. When I try to use the lateral adjuster without the lever cap I see almost no movement in the blade. I tried the same with my millers falls and it moves appropriately. The millers falls also has no gap even without the lever cap on.

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[Rafael Herrera]

Your lateral adj. lever is bent upwards.

Take the frog out and make sure all fits well.

[Luis Reyes]

Your lateral adj. lever is bent upwards.

Take the frog out and make sure all fits well.

You are right, I hadn't noticed that. I believe the frog is sitting well, I think maybe the lateral adjuster maybe is just bent? Here's a picture with a veritas ruler. Should I try to bend it back?

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[Rafael Herrera]

Since it's lifting the iron before you clamp it, it may cause the lateral disc adj. and/or the depth adjustment yoke not to engage/fit properly. Yes, try to straighten it so it doesn't interfere.

The suggestion to take the frog out is so that you can examine the iron and cb fit with the frog, not to check how well the frog is sitting on the body.

[Luis Reyes]

Since it's lifting the iron before you clamp it, it may cause the lateral disc adj. and/or the depth adjustment yoke not to engage/fit properly. Yes, try to straighten it so it doesn't interfere.

The suggestion to take the frog out is so that you can examine the iron and cb fit with the frog, not to check how well the frog is sitting on the body.

Thanks! I'll give this a try! Any tips on how to bend this back without breaking it?

[Jim Koepke]

Your first image looks like it might also be the lateral lever disk or the adjusting fork holding the blade off of the frog's face.


Thanks! I'll give this a try! Any tips on how to bend this back without breaking it?

Do you have a metal vise?

Even a drill press vise might be able to apply enough pressure to straighten the lever.

jtk

[Rafael Herrera]

Any tips on how to bend this back without breaking it?

You could use two pliers. That piece is not difficult to bend.
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[Jim Koepke]

Do not depend on the rivet in the frog to hold it against the bending pressure. It could snap off the top of the frog.

jtk

[Luis Reyes]

Thank you all! I managed to unbend the lever enough for it to work better. I could probably unbend it more but I'm too scared. I've also moved the frog further back to help the iron not hit the edge of the mouth and loosening the lever cap has helped with the depth adjuster. Thanks again!