plane body damage needs repair...

[rafezetter]

I bought a 5 1/2 jack plane today from Bristol Design, at a good price because the rear right (as you hold it) corner of the cast has been broken off.

What I'm thinking of doing is to straighten off the break edges then attach a brass section to replicate the missing section shape, but I don't know whether I should get it brazed on, or screws. As I don't really have access to either sort, which would be simpler to get done?

Screws and taps seems simple enough to me, but I don't know if brazing iron to brass is a simpler option.

Also as I've been cleaning it up I've noticed a crack across the left shoulder of the frog about where the lateral adjuster pad is and across to the edge; should I be worried about this, as in get it brazed sooner rather than later?

any advice on prices too would help, as it might turn out this wasn't quite the deal I thought it was...

If anyone is willing to help on making up the brass section I'd appreciate advice on that too.

 

[MickCheese]

Go on eBay and buy another.

Just not worth the effort in my opinion.

Mick

 

[MMUK]

Go on eBay and buy another.

Just not worth the effort in my opinion.

Mick

Whilst I agree in terms of investment, maybe this is something the OP wants to do and isn't thinking about cost or time.

Back in the day, you couldn't just throw your hand plane in the bin and buy another, a new one would cost several week's wages. So you had no choice but to repair and carry on working it.

Ah the good ol' days 8)

 

[Cheshirechappie]

As an alternative to hot joining processes (always a bit of a gamble with cast iron) something like Loctite 496 (datasheet here - http://tds.loctite.com/tds5/docs/496-EN.PDF ) might be a good option. It might be good to give the glue a bit of assistance by providing a mechanical element to the joint - a dowel pin, or a filed and fitted interlock of some sort - and a nice, close fit will work best too, since 496 isn't a good gap-filler. The added advantage is that you could make the repair piece from almost anything - brass, cast iron, cardboard (well, maybe not cardboard!) - and 496 will grab it.

It's fairly readily available. A quick check showed that Amazon and Cromwell Industrial Tools stock it, and I'm sure most good engineers' merchants will have it. It's not cheap, but then neither is silver solder or brazing rod.

 

[MMUK]

Or just use chemical metal putty?

 

[GLFaria]

Almost anything is possible! (not mine, found it somewhere in the net... )

 

[JohnPW]

Re prices, I would think a plane with that damage would be worthless as a plane, any price you pay for it would be for spares and parts.

 

[rafezetter]

hmm well the guy said the break wouldn't affect performance so I took him at his word, but I just had the thought it might give it bit of character (it was just a thought, don't shoot me!), but I have no idea if the frog crack is a serious thing - once my camera decides to co-operate I'll get pics.

for the price I paid it was about half the price of a stanley #5 1/2, but the same as an old (black) acorn #5, which I was also looking at as a simple user.

I could do the metal weld epoxy, but too crude for my tastes despite the ease of doing it. As for the brass with interlock idea, I like that, very characteristic and something I think I could do in brass.

 

[marcros]

I have never seen these repair plates in real life- are the pieces drilled and tapped, then the screws filed flush on both sides of the plate/casting?

 

[JohnPW]

A plane could have all sorts of faults that don't affect performance but they definitely do affect the price! Yes a plane with a broken off corner at the rear will still work and it's not as bad as a crack near the mouth, it would also depend on the size of the broken bit. You could cut off the rear bit straight across and end up with a shorter 5 1/2.

 

[rafezetter]

Having looked at it more closely, the break is actually just the last 45mm or so of the raised side, so would only need a bit of brass angle 5mm thick to do the repair, it's obviously been used a lot as is, because there's lots of gunk in the break area, but I'm a tinkerer who likes to have a go.

I was never thinking of the sell on price TBH, I just bought it as a cheap user, and if I didn't like it I'd sell it on just as cheap as a starter plane.

 

[AndyT]

I see GL Faria has saved me the trouble of finding an example of what can be done, by re-posting one of my pictures from this forum. I didn't do that repair but I do own the plane.

Rafezetter, if you want to get in touch, I have an assortment of bits of brass, screws and taps. I reckon I could help you do something similar.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

If the break is just the raised side, can't you get hold of a die grinder and smooth it off nicely then do the other side to match? It's only aesthetics, it doesn't affect the performance.

 

[rafezetter]

If the break is just the raised side, can't you get hold of a die grinder and smooth it off nicely then do the other side to match? It's only aesthetics, it doesn't affect the performance.

I had intended to do this in prep of the repair but wouldn't that cause extra stress at the rear on the sole? I thought that was one of the crucial areas that is supposed to be kept flat (as in special attention during lapping). I'm not heavy handed, but would it affect the overall life of the plane?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I wouldn't have thought it would make any difference - you're not going to knock the thing around, are you?

 

[GLFaria]

I see GL Faria has saved me the trouble of finding an example of what can be done, by re-posting one of my pictures from this forum. I didn't do that repair but I do own the plane.

Rafezetter, if you want to get in touch, I have an assortment of bits of brass, screws and taps. I reckon I could help you do something similar.

Sorry, AndyT. I did not know where I had got the picture (now I know... ), I just found it so interesting I kept it in my files on hand planes as a source of inspiration. It's been sitting there for some time, and I will keep it if you don't mind.

 

[AndyT]

I see GL Faria has saved me the trouble of finding an example of what can be done, by re-posting one of my pictures from this forum. I didn't do that repair but I do own the plane.

Rafezetter, if you want to get in touch, I have an assortment of bits of brass, screws and taps. I reckon I could help you do something similar.

Sorry, AndyT. I did not know where I had got the picture (now I know... ), I just found it so interesting I kept it in my files on hand planes as a source of inspiration. It's been sitting there for some time, and I will keep it if you don't mind.

Apology accepted; please do join in and show us some of your work, tools etc!

 

[rafezetter]

I'm thinking of just drill and pinning a brass section in, even though it sounds like it's not needed, as an introduction to doing this sort of thing it's about as safe as it gets.

Gotta start somewhere before I make my fancy dovetail jointed smoother eh?