Restoring Stanley #3, Questions

[Glenn Kotnik]

Recently my wife and I went on a 30th anniversary driving trip. Our plan was to eat at as many BBQ joints in southern states as possible in 5 days. We ate at BBQ joints in Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama. Lunch and dinner were Bbq for the whole trip. While in North Carolina we stopped at a Saturday flea market and of course I couldn’t resist checking out the tools, mostly junk. But I did manage to walk away with a beautiful old Craftsman version of a Stanley 161A block plane and a very well preserved older Stanley #3. Almost no rust, Ten bucks each. I decided to do a bit of restoration on the #3 so I disassembled it, cleaned it and put in a new Ron Hock iron. The knurling on the brass adjuster knob was pretty worn so I decided to make a new one on my LeBlond Regal lathe out of some 1” brass stock that was laying around. All went well until I realized to my horror that the thread of the stud was not 1/4-28 LH as I has assumed but is 9/32-24 Left Hand. Whose idea was that! So my question is, has anyone else dealt with this problem, is there anywhere I can get a 9/32-24 Left Hand tap, or should I try to replace the stud with something else like 1/4-28 or 5/16? My preference would be to find a 9/32-24 Left Hand tap but so far no luck.

[Richard Hutchings]

I believe what you have is a 5/16 thread that's been worn down. There's plenty of those left hand taps to be had.

[Mike Brady]

Why not just get a replacement adjuster knob? These should be easy to find on eBay or a forum sales site. I doubt that the steel stud is worn from having a brass knob run on it.

[Richard Hutchings]

I doubt that the steel stud is worn from having a brass knob run on it.

Yeah I didn't think that through but I'll still bet it's a 5/16 thread.

[michael langman]

Why not put a new knurl on the old knob?

[Greg Wease]

It is 9/32, not 5/16. Why not just get a replacement knob? Try Eric at NHplaneparts.

[Richard Hutchings]

I just looked these up and you can get them on amazon but you'll pay dearly. I was really surprised to find such a thing. I spent a lot of years in a machine shop and never came across it. I learned something new today and the bet is off.

[Jim Koepke]

The adjusters are easy to find.

jtk

[Pete Taran]

A better coarse of action is to turn a shaft you can mount the old knob on and reknurl it. If you've got the chops to turn a new knob, I'm sure that you can make that happen.

[Glenn Kotnik]

The threads don’t look worn at all and the old knob threads are too small to take a 5/16 screw. My first thought was to turn a new knurl on the old knob but that involves making some sort of shaft to mount it on to chuck it. So I noticed that piece of brass stock sitting there and figured why not just turn a new one with a new bigger knurl on it and thread it 1/4-28 LH which I thought it was. But it ain’t. Besides I like the nice shiny new one I made and I’d rather make it work rather than buy one someone else made.

[Jim Koepke]

The threads don’t look worn at all and the old knob threads are too small to take a 5/16 screw.

Stanley seems to have always used odd size threads for everything. They are standard sizes, just not sizes that were used much at the time. In recent years there has been a move to get away from so many different 'standard' sizes.

Your best choice might be to purchase one on ebay from a later model plane that is 1-1/4". It makes for a lot easier adjusting.

If you want to do it the hard way, are you able to take a short stud of the proper threading and use it as a tap?

Surely there are a lot of members that are likely to have one or two of these laying about in a junk drawer somewhere. Who knows, one of them may even be in your area.

jtk

[Richard Hutchings]

Along that line, maybe you could use the stud from your plane as a tap.

[lowell holmes]

A friend with a lathe or a neighborhood machine shop might help.

[Jim Koepke]

Along that line, maybe you could use the stud from your plane as a tap.

There is usually a problem getting them out, without causing damage, or other problems when it comes to putting it back in place.

jtk

[Glenn Kotnik]

I can see a problem getting the stud out of the frog without damage. I think I could buy a 9/32-24 LH machine screw from McMaster-Carr, cut some flutes in it, taper it a bit on a grinder like a tap and then harden the heck out of it. Then I’d drill the proper size hole in the adjuster and I should be able to thread the new brass knob I made to the proper thread. That way the only thing I have to loose is the new adjuster knob I made. If that fails I’ll buy a new knob.
‘Thanks guys