How to install an old wooden plane blade into a stanley.

[Jake Darvall]

This threads just a picture by picture process of how I rufly went about getting a stanleys laterial and depth levers to adjust an old wooden plane blade.

What I did today was modify this stanley #4 to take this blade whose origional wooden body was beyond repair.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/2uup.jpg
This is what one does when their stubborn and they get an idea:D ...I know you can get by fine with a thin blade, but I've noticed an improvement with these thicker laminated ones.. Its just a personal opinion.

I think some suspect its not worth the effort. Uno, just make do with the regular thin blade that comes with your stanley, or go and buy an aftermarket blade. (shrug)I don't know, leave that decision to you... but when I use a stanley with such a blade, it planes beautifully. Nil chatter. no splutter. Feel theres noticable improvement over a thin blade.

These old thick blades that came with wooden planes have characteristics that I find appealing.....

Firstly, I like their thickness. Somewhere about 4-5mm....in comparison to the thin 2mm blades that come standard with stanley bench planes and the like, which you can literially flex in your fingertips !...which makes me think -> chatter.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/1uup.jpg

Secondly, their laminated....hard steel on soft. I'm no metalurgist, but it sounds like a good combination. From what I've read the two steels resonate at different frequencys which tend to cancel each other out. Clinton put me onto a thread by Eddie the Eagle who definetly knows his stuff.

Thirdly, their cheap as chips, if not free. And generally seem to be good blades. I came accross a bad soft one once, but thats about it.

Also, often in the old rust bucket stanleys I come across the blades backs are so pitted, I can't even backbevel past them....I tried sharpening the origional blade from this plane first....no good. So theres an excuse to put a better blade in.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/31uup.jpg

Anyway, the woodie blade that I'm putting into this stanley is named "W.Butcher" cast steel. Pommy blade. Thats all I know.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/3uu.jpg

More next post....

[Jake Darvall]

Ok, there's a few problems to overcome getting this blade to work in this stanley. Mostly due to the plane being mean't to hold a 2mm blade not a 5mm one.

I'll go through them....
First problem.....Must be able to bind the chipbreaker to the blade.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/4uup.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/5uup.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/6uup.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/7uup.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/8uup.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/9uup.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/10uup.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/11uup.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/12uup.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/13uup.jpg

More next post....

[Jake Darvall]

Ok, thats done. Next problem......Have to be able to adjust the blade laterially. (what I've always called it anyway)

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/14uup.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/15uup.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/17uup.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/18uup.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/20uup.jpg

Thats done.....next problem ......have to be able to adjust the blades depth.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/21uup.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/22uup.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/23uup.jpg

More next post....

[Jake Darvall]

Just a couple more problems to fix and its over.....the blades too big for the mouth.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/24uup.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/25uup.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/26uup.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/28uup.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/27uup.jpg

So, its fully adjustable now. Probably a good idea to give the sole a flatterning, to smooth off the burrs around the mouth from your filing.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/29uup.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/30uup.jpg

Done...and here's it working.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/32uu.jpg

No flimsy flopsy blades for me that chatter up when the going gets tough. A waste of time ? ....A bit of fun at least. :D

Glad thats over...never copied and pasted so many bloody pictures in my entire life.

[Tyler Howell]

Interesting read.... but ist this a mortal sin:confused: .

[Mike Weaver]

Interesting read.... but ist this a mortal sin:confused: .
At the risk of upsetting some, I think it is. :(

Definitely a neat read, and kudos for the ingenuity, but I'd never permanently modify a Butcher iron (or any other) like that.

The Stanley mods are a *little* less troublesome for me as there are more of those around.

But, then again, I use my old tools "as is" WRT japanning too...

Please, don't anyone take this the the wrong way, as I certainly don't mean any disrespect.:)

Cheers,
-Mike

[Philip DiPaolo]

At the risk of upsetting some, I think it is. :(

Definitely a neat read, and kudos for the ingenuity, but I'd never permanently modify a Butcher iron (or any other) like that.

The Stanley mods are a *little* less troublesome for me as there are more of those around.

But, then again, I use my old tools "as is" WRT japanning too...

Please, don't anyone take this the the wrong way, as I certainly don't mean any disrespect.:)

Cheers,
-Mike

i agree about the ingenuity. thanks jake for the fun read + slide-show.

does the welding and grinding affect the temper of the steel in a negative way -- and if so, would the solution then be just to anneal and retemper? i wonder how well-crafted the steel was in those older irons, how hard, and how it compares to a new Hock or A2.

thanks,
-philip

ps. -- btw, this is my first non-purchase related post -- i have to say this is a very friendly place. i came over from that "other place" when things became a bit less fun.

[Alice Frampton]

At the risk of upsetting some, I think it is. :(

Definitely a neat read, and kudos for the ingenuity, but I'd never permanently modify a Butcher iron (or any other) like that.

The Stanley mods are a *little* less troublesome for me as there are more of those around.
It's probably worth remembering that blades like this are pretty common in the UK and colonies 'cos we all stuck with wooden planes a lot longer. Decent Stanleys of old vintage are in fact probably rarer. :)

Jake, you are of course crazy, but if it makes you happy... Not a rare iron, you'll be relieved to know, albeit a little bit rarer now. ;)

Cheers, Alf

[Ken Werner]

Jake,
Thanks for your effort of sharing this project. Great read, and lots learnt.
Ken

[Dave Anderson NH]

Alice, Those irons are certainly far from rare. Chapin woodies made by the Union Works in Connecticut used them for many of their offerings as did a number of other American makers. Remember that up until the Civil War when US steel manufacturing really took off, much if not most of the best steel for tools was imported from the UK. Even after American made steel became equal in quality and cheaper in price, some makers still imported and used it as many of the old timers felt that Brit steel was better, held an edge longer, and was more consitent. Old habits die hard and naturally there was just as much marketing hype back then as there is today.

[Bob Smalser]

Great job, and hang in there, Jake. I'd like to see your 78 tuneup and this one as permanent articles somewhere.

It's all about making beautiful things out of wood...tools are there to fit your woodworking needs, not the other way around. Your components are common as mud, but I wouldn't care if you modified even the rarest tool, if you felt the need.

[Clinton Findlay]

Great stuff Jake, a mortal sin to a collector but so is hoarding old tools so I can't get my hands on them nice and cheap, IMO. :D

When I saw the pic of the profiled piece being ground I though you might be going for a profiled blade as well....
I'll bet you can turn a No 4 into a moulding plane that allows you to swap blade profiles and a 'swap on' wooden sole. How about it? ;)

Its always great to see you coming up with a better way to get your tools working the way you want them to.
Thanks for thinking outside the box, its interesting reading and it keeps me from getting caught up in "this is how it is done" habits.

After reading your posts I'm in the process of adding a second rod to a 78. Good stuff.

[Ian Gillis]

Great stuff, Jake. I like your "damn the torpedoes" approach to these last 2 projects. Seems to me that once you set out to do a thing you won't let any obstacle stop you.

I'm glad you only use your angle grinder for peaceful purposes.

Is it true that your next project involves a Norris smoother, a plasma cutter and a Commodore64 ??? ;)

Keep the ideas coming !


IG

[Ed Harrison]

I'm with the group that thinks its ingenious, Jake. That post just got better and better as it kept going. I particularly liked the part where you used the cutoff wheel to widen the mouth of the plane. Good on ya!

[Jake Darvall]

Sorry I haven't responded earlier... couldn't get on this site.

Thankyou for all the comments. Glad its been of interest, and hope it breeds ideas.

I can understand how it may look a little off putting to some.... but I want the thing to work uno.

From Phillip
does the welding and grinding affect the temper of the steel in a negative way -- and if so, would the solution then be just to anneal and retemper? i wonder how well-crafted the steel was in those older irons, how hard, and how it compares to a new Hock or A2.

I too was concerned about the welding heat tempering the steel when I first tried it.....so I tried to compensate by covering the good end with a puddle of water....but since found, I didn't really even need to do that. Where your welding is far enough away. The good end doesn't even get warm from the little welding you do the other end. ( I know, because I've got this stupid habit of testing temps with my finger :D )

As for the comparison to hock or A2.......couldn't tell you. I've never owed either........ Generally, I've found these old blades wear slower than the thin ones. A difference,,,but not a huge one mind you.....just as I'd imagine there to be not a huge difference between it and a hock or A2. (but thats just a guess)..

Its really just the sturdyness of these old blades that I find appealing. I suspect its something to do with their thickness and lamination, but thats all I know.

In use, when they start to blunten, the plane just slides along... No, jumpy heavy resistance feelings if that makes sense. Don't feel any flex going on. Its not till I started using such a plane that I realised how much chatter goes on in a lot of planes.......