Thread: removing stuck blades from old planes

Hi Bannock,

Without being an expert on Japanese planes, if Canada Post hasn't by now freed the blades up you might try an hour or two in the freezer-the blade might shrink enough to break its bond with the wood plane body. Dry ice would be even better, with the added benefit of being a free cryogenic treatment for the blade*

*I'm told that cryo only works on some of the alloy tool steels, so this is a tongue in cheek comment.

Cheers

Greg

I'll have to keep you updated later....the planes didn't arrive after all, Canada Post still has them. Maybe I can wait for some -30 degree weather this winter and leave the plane outside....

Hi mate,

Am I too late for this? If not let me hear from you again, and I'll tell you the foolproof yet super effective way. Apart from this technique, it's likely to chip the corner of the dai.

Cheers~~

could you use the same method that I and a lot of others use to loosen old screws?
used a lighter to heat the blade , let it cool .
the heat expands the metal and "stretches" the timber or metal around the blade when it cools down it shrinks again and leaves a gap.

astrid

But if you heat the blade and the timber 'stretches', what happens when everything cools and settles and the blade will no longer stay in the plane? One ruined plane!! Nuh Uh! Sorry Astrid, but I'd be going with the freezer option personally! Or Soatoz's method.

Wendy

i've only used this on stuck screws. the timber only moved tenth of a ml or so just enough to break the screw free. timber should settle back.
but as i said ive never tried it with a plane
cheers
astrid

Oh, screws - yeah, definitely heat them (must remember that Thanks Astrid) but not plane blades.


cheers
Wendy


PS Soatoz - what's your method?

Well, the blade came out after a few months in Canada. Maybe it was the lower humidity, but I picked it up the other day and gave the back of the plane a wack with a wooden hammer and this time it came out. Now I need to get the rust off the blade...

Hi Bannock

Originally Posted by bannock

Now I need to get the rust off the blade...

My preferred starting point is always electrolysis. No doubt there is plenty of advice on this topic somewhere in these forums, but here is ready reference:

http://www.antique-engines.com/electrol.asp

Neil

This method is obviously for the future, since the blade in question is no longer stuck.
When all the usual methods had failed, I had luck by clamping the end of the blade in vice-grips and then clamping the vice-grips in such a way that the kanna dai was clear enough to hammer it. Worked like a charm. If you want to prevent the blade from being marked by the vice-grips you will have to pad the jaws somehow, but they may not grip as well. My blade was only slightly marked but was not particularly valuable anyway, but of what use is even a valuable blade if it can't be adjusted or removed for sharpening?
I suppose you could destroy the dai (cut it or split it open) so as to not risk damage to the blade. Not likely a problem I will have to deal with (all my valuable blades are still in somebody's store window).
Steve

what was soatz's method? i got a couple antique planes for xmas and boy are they stuck.

Originally Posted by macpiper

what was soatz's method? i got a couple antique planes for xmas and boy are they stuck.

This is an old thread and apparently soatoz never came back with the answer to the problem.

Sorry to post so late.

Stuck plane blade can be taken out by holding the plane upside down and hitting the head of the dai square to the kerb stone with towel over it. You need to make sure the head hits the kerb flat, and not hit the corner, otherwise the dai is going to crack.

You need to hit quite hard.

Thanks