another thought , on the subject of cheap planes

[Smudger]

Yes, set sizes.
Record:
03 = 1¾"
04 = 2"
04½ = 2 ¼"(early) 2⅜" (late)
05 = 2"
05½ = 2⅜"
06, 07, 08 = 2⅜"
T5 = 2"

Pretty certain Stanley is the same, but I just happened to have 'Planecraft' in my hand when I saw your post!

04½ was always 2⅜" wasn't it? But the 05½ changed from 2 ¼" to 2⅜", in line with Stanley. And the 8 is 2 5/8". All the same as Stanley, as far as I recall.

You're right about the 08 - bloody old eyes and small print!
I wasn't sure about the 05½, but that is logical.
The T5 was originally going to be 2¼ I believe, but it is unlikely that any ever hit the market at that size, just prototypes. Which would be odd, because it looks very dinky next to an 05½.

 

[big soft moose]

BSM

I would be careful. Clifton blades are often (but not always) too thick to go into Stanleys and Records.

The Yoke peg may not be long enough to go through these thick blades and engage the cap iron or chipbreaker.

This is why Hock and L-N produce blades at 2.4mm thick. Ray Iles has similar. The Axminster Japanese blades are very good but thinner.

David Charlesworth

good point - i'll ask roy for his advice about that tommorow - the mouth shouldnt be an issue as these have been opened up , but yoke peg etc i hadnt considered.

 

[Smudger]

Huh. I should have checked. My 05½ is a 2¼"...
Anyone know when the change was made?

 

[big soft moose]

BSM

I would be careful. Clifton blades are often (but not always) too thick to go into Stanleys and Records.

The Yoke peg may not be long enough to go through these thick blades and engage the cap iron or chipbreaker.

This is why Hock and L-N produce blades at 2.4mm thick. Ray Iles has similar. The Axminster Japanese blades are very good but thinner.

David Charlesworth

good point - i'll ask roy for his advice about that tommorow - the mouth shouldnt be an issue as these have been opened up , but yoke peg etc i hadnt considered.

for info this is how roy described the planes when he first offered them

I've two No 4s, a 41/2 and a No 5 in search of a good home. All have had their mouth widened to take thicker irons than standard.
All without irons as I'm keeping them to put in a new round of woodies!

 

[Smudger]

Huh. I should have checked. My 05½ is a 2¼"...
Anyone know when the change was made?

Answered my own question - 1937. I thought it was a good 'un.

 

[Digit]

I was about to confess that I've nicked 'em. And yes, I find that the laminated irons from old woodies are brilliant. One I have here is easily five mil thick and is laminated to something second only to diamond I think!

PS. Yokes extended to suit BSM

Roy.

 

[big soft moose]

I was about to confess that I've nicked 'em. And yes, I find that the laminated irons from old woodies are brilliant. One I have here is easily five mil thick and is laminated to something second only to diamond I think!

PS. Yokes extended to suit BSM

Roy.

in that case i'll probably put clifton irons in the ones i'm getting from digit , and japanese laminated irons from axminster in my grandads records and stanley

i've actually found the blade for the big woody - in a bag i thought contained only screwdrivers . doh - all i have to do now is sharpen it and make a wedge and big woody will be back in buisness

with the new acquisitions and grandads planes back in battery i will have gone from no planes to 12 in about 4 months - guess i better think about a cabinet to house them slope what slooooooope

 

[Digit]

And for his next step he'll be collecting cabinets! :lol:

Roy.

 

[Vann]

..with the new acquisitions and grandads planes back in battery i will have gone from no planes to 12 in about 4 months - guess i better think about a cabinet to house them slope what slooooooope

Welcome to the slope. Over the past 18 months I've gone from 3 to over 40* planes (I've stopped counting - it's too embarrassing). Beware of the next 14+ months.

*Many suitable for parts only.

Cheers, Vann.

 

[Alf]

with the new acquisitions and grandads planes back in battery i will have gone from no planes to 12 in about 4 months

Ah, I remember those days. The heady rush down the first few metres of The Slope. The wind in your hair, the WD40 in your nostrils... Vann has taken a left down the Black Run, I think. :lol:

****, ooo, you have a 2 1/4" 05 1/2? Nice. I have a Stanley and it's just a lovely plane (Hock O1 iron). The proportions are simply right. I regularly curse LN/Clifton for choosing the commercially sensible route that Stanley ended up following and wish they'd gone with the 2 1/4 size. Heigh ho.

 

[Smudger]

Not only nice, 24 quid nice. There were two, I'm back down on Saturday with a lickle ruler to see if it's still there. The other one was cleaner but had a patch of rust on the sole, near the foot, like it had been standing in a mini puddle.

Funny thing was, as soon as I cleaned it up it felt like a good 'un, a bit like a Stanley #5 I've got of the same sort of age. Needs a good sharpening, though. The previous owner had a very liberal definition of 'freehand'.

 

[Alf]

Not only nice, 24 quid nice.

I say, that is nice.

 

[Smudger]

I'll put this in a separate post, but about an hour ago I emailed Ray Iles (who makes a replacement 2¼" iron) to ask if it would fit a Stay Set - not that I have one yet, but it's a plan.
I got a reply within minutes, and not only that, he tells me that the iron will be too thick to use without modification, and that they can widen the mouth and fit the iron properly for me, free of charge, I just have to pay postage.
I reckon that's service!

Has anyone ever used his lapping service?

 

[JohnCee]

I had Ray regrind the sole of an early 20th century Stanley No 6 for me, and fit one of his thicker irons. Result: a plane I prefer to my Lie Nielsen 5 1/2.

 

[jimi43]

I had Ray regrind the sole of an early 20th century Stanley No 6 for me, and fit one of his thicker irons. Result: a plane I prefer to my Lie Nielsen 5 1/2.

I was ok until the last bit...oh dear...oh dear....ANOTHER option beckons...

Decisions decisions!!



Jim

 

[Smudger]

I didn't ask - how much did he charge for regrinding?

 

[JohnCee]

I can't remember the exact cost, but in the region of £20 for the sole and the sides.

 

[Smudger]

That's good!

 

[big soft moose]

with the new acquisitions and grandads planes back in battery i will have gone from no planes to 12 in about 4 months

Ah, I remember those days. The heady rush down the first few metres of The Slope. The wind in your hair, the WD40 in your nostrils... Vann has taken a left down the Black Run, I think. :lol:

****, ooo, you have a 2 1/4" 05 1/2? Nice. I have a Stanley and it's just a lovely plane (Hock O1 iron). The proportions are simply right. I regularly curse LN/Clifton for choosing the commercially sensible route that Stanley ended up following and wish they'd gone with the 2 1/4 size. Heigh ho.

in total ive got two blocks , three no.4s ( two record and one stanley all currently without blades) , a no 4.5 record (sans blade), two record number 5s (one without a blade - tho the one ive just got from roy although definitely a record five is exceptionally long - more like a small 6), a QS no.6 on order , a old but unbranded no.7 (found in a junk shop) , and a big woody which is roughly the same length as a 7 - and one of those tidly model makers efforts from hamlet.

With this mighty collection is there anything else i need ? - for example is there anything i need a no.3 for which i couldnt also do with a 4 - and given that i have one or two power routers is there any point in geting into rebating etc planes

 

[Digit]

As regards the rebating planes BSM I would say a very definite yes! For fine adjustments I find them vastly superior to routing, no setting up required and you can remove thous.

Roy.