Adjusting Stanley 92 Shoulder Plane

[Richard Goodwin]

I recently purchased a Stanley 92 shoulder plane on Ebay Does anyone know where I can get instructios on adjusting it, Or can you give me instructions yourself?

Thanks in anticipation...

[Bob Smalser]

Real simple planes.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/9139397/170480909.jpg

It's a bevel-up plane. The top screw removes the entire front of the plane, making it a chisel plane if desired (below), and serves as the method for adjusting the mouth.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/6791366/85653808.jpg

The lever cap holding the plane iron in place is the casting with the screw in it shown above. The back of the iron is serrated to ride in an adjusting dog controlled by a larger screw at the rear of the plane.


Dismantle the plane, clean and inspect for cracks, sharpen cutting edge and insert iron bevel up and reassemble so it looks like the top pic. Finalize by testing.

[Mike Henderson]

One difference in a shoulder plane, compared to a bench or block plane, is that the blade must be sharpened "square across". On a bench or block plane, if you don't sharpen it straight across, you can adjust with the lateral adjustment. The problem with a shoulder plane is that you have to keep the blade properly adjusted on the sides (usually with just a small amount of blade sticking out each side) which doesn't allow you to make much of a lateral adjustment.

What I would do is sharpen the blade, put it in the plane, then see if it was cutting evenly across the plane. If not, I'd remove the blade and hone it slightly to try to get an even shaving. Repeat until the plane cuts properly.

But in the end, I quit using shoulder planes and just use chisels. I find that I can trim as well as I need to with a chisel. I still have a couple of shoulder planes, but almost never use them.

Mike

[Richard Goodwin]

Thanks guys, - my first post, and 2 replies within a day, - not bad! I will follow the advise given, but after buying the plane in England (on Ebay) and having it shipped to New Zealand, I would be sorry if I found it wasn't useful. By the way to those who are interesetd in purchasing old tools, the new Zealand auction site www.Trademe.co.nz (http://www.Trademe.co.nz) has plenty. With the NZ/US$ exchange rate being what it is, you might get a bargin or two.