Plane Modification Question

[Lee Schierer]

Compared to modern planes like Lie Nielson and others, I've noticed that my 50 year old Miller Falls and Stanley planes have a lot of play in the lever that raises and lowers the iron. If you get it too far out, you have to back the thumbscrew up a long way before it actually raises the iron and basically you start over trying to get a precise depth of cut.

What would you think about:

a) drilling a larger hole in the frog and putting a larger pin through the lever so it fits tigher and doesn't have as much slop?

Or

b) would it be better to stay with the existing pin diameter and put a bushing in the hole in the raise/lower lever to take out the slop?

Or

c) leave it alone and just live with the adjsutment as it is?

[Bob Hallowell]

Lee,
Is that Mcean county, Pa
I am in bradford working today you round there anywhere?

Bob

[Lee Schierer]

McKean county is around you in Bradford. The town of McKean is where we live (actully in the township of McKean) We are about 1-1/2 to 2 hours away just south of Erie. Two miles south of the junction of I-90 and I-79. Would love to have you stop by if you get the chance. Email me for directions.

[Mike Weaver]

Lee,
FWIW, I'd leave it alone and deal with the backlash.

When you're adjusting the iron, always make sure that the "pressure" is keeping the blade "down", and it shouldn't be much of an issue.

In other words, back the iron up, and then adjust the depth of cut going deeper. Leave the adjustment knob so that it's keeping the iron down.

Clear as mud? :confused:

Seriously though, I haven't found it to be much of an issue as long as I always zero in on the depth of cut from "none" to "cutting".

Hope that helps,
-Mike

[Mike Wenzloff]

Like Mike Weaver, I would tend to leave it. Once adjustment is made, I tend to leave it as I have a couple planes set up for various coarse-fine cuts.

But...if you want to tighten it up, you can oh so carfeully knock out the retaining pin for the lever and braze the end to build it up and then file it down to a good fit over its range of movement. Done that, but I probably wouldn't--and haven't since--do it again.

Take care, Mike

[Tim Leo]

I wonder if a lot of effort tightening the pin will make much difference?

There is also lash in the fork that straddles the adjustment knob, and lash in the interface between the lever and the blade.

On my planes, I think the greatest slop is in the yoke / adjustment knob area.

[Mike Wenzloff]

Hi Tim, those areas can also be built up by brazing and filed to a better fit if one desires. But, as said above, for myself I find it easier to deal with it as is for the little amount a plane needs adjusted.

It doable, though.

Take care, Mike