Help with tuning a #92

[Richard Neel]

I have a new Stanley #92 rabbet plane that needs a little tuning.

I have sharpened the blade and given the bed area where the blade rests a light honing. The problem I'm having is the plane will not take a shaving across the entire width of the blade. The shaving always comes from the left side of the blade.

Sighting the underside of the tool, it appears that a consistent amount of blade is protruding across the full width. My assumption then is that the problem must be an inconsistency in the height/angle of the bed. Before I go removing metal, I thought I'd consult the experts on how to correct this problem. Here are some pictures.

[Mike Henderson]

Use a straightedge with the blade retracted and see if the sole if flat from front to back across the full width of the sole. If it is, just sharpen the blade at an angle until it takes a full width shaving.

On rabbet planes, you don't have much ability to adjust the blade (from side to side, like you can on a bench plane) when it is not taking a full shaving because of the need to keep the blade centered in the mouth. When I had that problem, I found that the only way to "adjust the blade" was by sharpening "at an angle". I put that in parenthesis because often the cause of the problem is that you have already sharpened the blade at an angle - you just didn't notice it.

The Stanley tools made in England right now are not that great.

Mike

[Jim DeLaney]

First, remove the nose piece and try using the plane as a 'bullnose.' Does it cut cleanly then? If so, the nose piece has some twist to it. You can remove that by lapping it.

If you have a precision straightedge, try laying it corner to corner across the sole of the plane, with the blade installed, but retracted. Do this in a darkened room, with a light behind the straightedge. Any light showing under the straightedge will tell you if there's a bow, or the sole needs flattened.

These newer 92's are pretty much 'kits' and usually need a lot of work to put right. I've seen some that were so far off that I doubt they could ever be made to work well.

You probably need to lap the sole of the plane body, too. You might also want to check to see that the sole is actually perpendicular to the sides. Often, they're not.

[Mike Wenzloff]

Jim is exactly correct. The most common issue on these is that the nose is twisted from the main body of the plane. So do try is as a bullnose.

From there it is judicious lapping, as long as that is the problem.

Take care, Mike

[Richard Neel]

Thanks for the responses guys. I failed to mention that I did try it in "bullnose mode" and the same problem exists. I have lapped the bottom flat by using some sandpaper on my jointer table - about the best I can do.

I'll check things with a straight edge and go back to the waterstones.

[Jim DeLaney]

Richard,
If the problem still exists once the soles are flat and coplanar, then you may need to sharpen the blade at a slight skew, instead of perpendicular to the sides.

BTW, another area that's often a bit of a problem with newer 90's, 92's and 93's is that the blade is way too wide for the plane's body. It should be maybe 0.002~0.003" wider than the body (only), but I've seen them nearly 1/16" too wide from the factory.

Like I said earlier, the new 92's are pretty much a plane "kit."

[Richard Neel]

Thanks Jim. Yes, my blade is as you describe. If you look at the first picture in my original post, you can see the evidence.

I was able to re-sharpen the blade with an ever-so-slight skew and correct the problem. The plane now takes a very nice, even shaving.

I should have spent the extra $60 and bought the Veritas. I think the plane is now workable though.

[Derek Cohen]

Richard

The problem appears to lie with the bed of the plane. It is canted slightly to one side, hence the blade is cutting at a skew. You can fix this by filing the bed square to the sides. A little engineers blue on the bed will help you keep track of where and how much you are filing.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Tony Zaffuto]

I found a similar issue with a #90 I received as a gift about 4 or 5 years ago. The plane was Enlish vintage.

Anyhow, the bedding of the blade was "askew" of the sole of the plane. The problem was solved by grinding of the sole to match the blade bedding. Fortunately I employ several machinists/tool makers that were able to do the job, but I still had at least 4 or 5 hours involved.

Items worked on included making the nose piece co-planar to the main plane sole; grinding of the sole to so that the blade, when properly sharpened, was square to the sole, and truing up one of the sides to be square to the sole.

I've posted these experiences a number of times on most of the handtool forums and basically would describe these Stanley planes as "kits". Quite frankly, it the plane hadn't have been a gift, it would have been returned or sold. With the cost of my employee's time, I got roughly one and one-half again in cost in the plane. The net effect is a beautiful little bull-nose and chisel plane, but, quite frankly, how much do you use a plane like this?

Tony Z.

[Charlie Mastro]

My record has an out of square bed and I had to grind my blade at an angle to get it to work.