Thread: new stanley #5 - help to tune

Originally Posted by scooter

Squizz, I gather you use a ferrous blade for this...

Probably best to use a Grrripper (sp?) also, to be safe.


Cheers.............Sean, drawn and quartered

Oh Dear...sometimes I wonder ....Yes Sean its a special blade, contact Derek Cohen for details ........then check you medical and ambulance cover...Sean the Battlescarred isn't it?

Squizz the sarcastic cynic

Cheers

A very timely post....am about to tune a new Stanley #4 in a few minutes. Wish me luck.

Originally Posted by Studley 2436

My Plane is a Bailey which I reckon isn't as good as a Stanley although it did have a stanley clamp on it. Didn't work at all when I got it. So I began going through the list here to find out what to do about it.
Stevo

Steve I thought most Stanley bench planes were Stanley Baileys.... was there a a non Stanley Bailey???

Please explain (with Pauiline Hansen voiceover)

oh yeah and Clinton, ditch the new one and as Derek said get a nice old one, then after you have spent a day redoing it it will be much better than the old one.

Having said that, if you have the money get a Veritas plane, I have used one for the first time last week (I dont own one yet) and they are much better than even stanley old ones... and I should know... my old ones have multiplied in the shed to 8 now!

Originally Posted by Studley 2436

About Veritas does anyone know the no6 low angle that they do. It looks really good for planing and smoothing hardwoods such as the Tallow Wood and Yellow Stringybark that came from E.Maculata.

Stevo

Got a veritas low angle smoother (think its a bit smaller than a 6). Most of the planing I do is working spruce/cedar guitar soundboards down to thickness but I do work (Indian) rosewood sides and the grain can be a bit wild...the veritas handles it well. All other planing work I do is with a Vertias low angle block plane..another lovely hand tool.

Cheers

Martin

Originally Posted by kiwigeo

A very timely post....am about to tune a new Stanley #4 in a few minutes. Wish me luck.

Have you been getting tips off ApricotSeed? He's the only one I know who can tune a Stanley in a few minutes!! :eek: :eek: :eek:

Out of interest, let's know how long it takes, and the tolerance in the result.

Cheers,

P

It's sad that Stanley feel able to sell such an inferior quality product but nearly all their planes can be resurrected.

If it's too far out then the best thing to do is take it to your local engineering firm and have them surface grind the sole and sides. I've done it and it sure beats sitting there for hours with wet and dry paper.

Cheers

Dave

Originally Posted by routermaniac

Steve I thought most Stanley bench planes were Stanley Baileys.... was there a a non Stanley Bailey???

Please explain (with Pauiline Hansen voiceover)

Must be I had no idea at all really, I was just telling you all what I had.

The sole says Bailey and has a made in england on it too. There is only one screw to adjust the frog back and forth to vary the mouth opening. This is different to others I have seen which have two screws for this adjustment.

Studley

The Stanley Rule and Level Co. of New Britain, Connecticut, was something like the Microsoft of their day. Any competitor with a good idea, they took over. This included Leonard Bailey & Co. in 1878, when they came up with a neat way of holding a blade at a fixed angle relative to the sole. Hence the Stanley "Bailey" line of planes. See http://www.davistownmuseum.org/bioStanley.htm and http://www.antiquetools.co.uk/stanley.html which states:

in 1906 after Bailey's death, [the Stanley Company] commemorates Bailey by casting his name in their standard line of bench planes

"Bedrock" is a later designation of Stanley planes, referring to another, purportedly superior, design of plane, having a frog that was adjustable without removing the blade.

Originally Posted by davo453

It's sad that Stanley feel able to sell such an inferior quality product but nearly all their planes can be resurrected.

If it's too far out then the best thing to do is take it to your local engineering firm and have them surface grind the sole and sides. I've done it and it sure beats sitting there for hours with wet and dry paper.

Cheers

Dave

dave out of interest how much did the surface grinding cost?

Thanks all for your replies.
I think that I am cool with flattening the sole - but Studley 2436 is spot on about the frog and the way it is 'mated' to the plane body, and what about the way the mouth is ground. This is just rubbish.
I'll have a go with returning it to Blackwoods - the retailer, and I sent a nasty-gram to Stanley outlining my dissatsifaction.
I got a Mujiingfang No 4 and an antique Trying plane off Ebay, and I have a very old "Falcon No4" that is collecting rust. I cannot afford a LA plane, although I will probably have to go for a HNT Gordon, which fits my buy Australian policy. I am having a think about a retro-engineer "kit" for the Stanley - but I do not have a metal mill to do this - I'll post my results (even if its just a plan and cost) when I finish.
Thanks again - It is just dissapointing to spend $120 (thats a lot of pocket money for me) on something that is so poorly designed/made. DO I now add English made to the same category as Chinese made???
Again, thanks for the input, you guys are a wealth of knowledge, hope I am able to add something one day rather than just post questions.
Cheers

I'll get some pics together of my plane so you can see the work I have done.

I don't have a camera with me today but perhaps monday or tuesday I can get something up for you all to see.

Studley

Clinton,

As per previous posts, what you got is a typical new Stanley handplane - made in UK but the quality of manufacture is :mad: .

You can tune it properly - within reason. This exercise will also help you to understand the working of these planes bit better so it will be handy in the future.

First remove all the bits except the knob & handle and start flattening with P80 wet & dry. You can see the high spots after a few laps, use belt sander with P120 grit to remove the high spots & back to lapping.

Work through the grits 120, 180 & 240; that is enough for a No5: IMHO but you may go as high as you want to. It is a jack plane, so not meant for fine work.

The whole flattening exercise may take a few hours.

Now, check the frog & its seating area. Level them the best you can, including the blade seating area of the frog. The reported symptoms indicate problems associated with this area.

Derek posted his method of fixing these problems a while ago. You may want to look it up.

Older Stanly planes are as expensive as LN & LV .

One day we all will by LN & LV planes only, till then it is a good idea to learn to tune a Stanley .


Good luck.


Regards,

Theva

Originally Posted by bitingmidge

Have you been getting tips off ApricotSeed? He's the only one I know who can tune a Stanley in a few minutes!! :eek: :eek: :eek:

Out of interest, let's know how long it takes, and the tolerance in the result.

Cheers,

P

I like you mate.....your definetly cheeky......and obviously love apricots too....you and me....we know how to eat them eh ?.......we don't worry about the fruit....like why bother ? toss that......we go for the kernals.......something very wicked in those kernals.........

But even when your off the kernals it strangely still seems possible ......or hang on .... maybe thats just the magic mushrooms talking.... ? :confused:

Anyway what are you talking about......I never said just a 'few minutes',,,that implys like.... say.... '10 minutes'........it more like takes anywhere between 1 to 2 hours....... even faster when I'm sniffing turps......