Replacement blade maker in UK?

[dunbarhamlin]

Hi folks

New here - I'm in the process of building up my (primarily tail-less) workshop for making mandolin family instruments, and have just landed a 'new' toy (Stanley 43) and was wondering if there are any British blade makers who you could recommend?

I'm after 'off' sizes - 3/16" and 5/16" particularly (grooved, like a #143, but 1/4" thick.)

If not, I'll try St James Bay and Mr Hock (bottom of the list for me - by all accounts unjustifiably, but I wasn't impressed with the two blades I've had before from his workshop - they were only gramil blades, but it wouldn't have taken me any longer to make my own that it did to prep these - must have been a bad batch, as I do here these are good now)

Cheers
Steve

 

[Alf]

Welcome to the forum, Steve. Nice new toy. Off the top of my head you could give Ray Iles a try or Jim Reed in the States makes all sorts and might be open to making a one off or two.

Cheers, Alf

 

[dunbarhamlin]

Thanks, Alf

The blades I have are from Jim, but doesn't look likely that he'll fill in the blanks in the near future, and just either side of the quarter inch would be real handy.

I'll give Ray a try.

Started on the hand tool route after my first truss rod slot route (a groove in an instrument neck under the fingerboard) - slow to set up, noisy, dusty... So now I don't have quite as many routers as Norm, but none of them plug in.

Saturday I pick up a hand bench drill as well. It's a wonderful view looking straight down the fall line of this slope Anyone want to help divert a stream by my shed so I can get rid of my other stationary tails?

Cheers
Steve

 

[Philly]

Welcome to the forum, Steve!
Alf has it covered but what about trying second hand? Or as a last option making your own from O1 tool steel. It's pretty straightforward to do.
Cheers
Philly

 

[dunbarhamlin]

Hi Philly

On the lookout for 'pre-owned,' but the last with this blade came off the production line around 1895 (not a typo) - so hopes are low. Am just getting up to speed with wood (18 months after a 30 year hiatus - and but one year at school before that) - now you want me to try metal? Give it a year or two...

These blades have a groove the length of the blade to fit onto a guide on the plane - I have neither metal working faculty nor facilty - wild guess I'd have to anneal, then groove, then retemper? How doesn't that kill my carbon content? (Mr Hoadley's opus was a revelation only a year or so ago - this is furrin speak)

Cheers
Steve

 

[JesseM]

Just a thought, but will other combo plane blades fit. From the looks of it, it looks like it can to adjust various thickness blades. 1/8" is common thickness for combo plane blades. I can't tell exactly but the 43 looks thicker than that.

Another option would be to take an old blade of appropiate thickness which is already hardened and cut it up to fit. I've heard those carbide abrasive hack saw blades work well, and I can atest to dremel tools with the carbide cutter working as well. You'll want to wear a dust mask though.

Opps, I didn't catch that bit about the groove. That might be tricky with a dremel, but I think doable. You may need some kind of holder for the dremel and a fence to keep it straight.

 

[Chris Knight]

Steve,
Tool steel comes ready to work - you do the hardening bit after shaping. It's really quite easy to harden the business end for an inch or so.

As to cutting a groove, anyone with a mill or a milling attachment for their lathe should be able to oblige. I wouldn't be surprised if some forum member with the requisite kit is not too far away, equally there might be a local machine shop who could do it.

However, I'd try Ray Iles first! :wink:

 

[Waka]

Steve

Welcome to the forum.

 

[dunbarhamlin]

Thanks for the info folks.

I will try Ray first, but then at least I know there are other options.

I could do with getting into this myself at some point, as some of my finger planes could do with blade upgrades too, and it would let me make better quality custom blades for my normal multiplane (hmm, OK, two at the mo, but am deciding which to ditch), fly cutters and scratch stocks, custom instrument furniture... OK, not now, though it is good to know there are always more toys that can be justified.

In the meantime I do have an homonymous Record for between sizes - a good little tool but be nice to retire it.

Cheers
Steve