Stanley 386 dimensions ?

**jimhanna** · 11th September 2019, 02:05 AM

Stanley 386 dimensions ?

I'm thinking about making a variable jointer gauge fence for my #7 jointer.
I was making a Donkey's ear shooting board as demonstrated in the recent link put up by Chris Parks (many thanks for that).

I have a fixed side fence for my #7 and spent a long time trying to get a 45° sub fence dead on, unscrewing it time and again to add some shavings as shims.
A variable fence would have been so much easier.

I've spent some time browsing pics on the web. I've found a lot of 386 pics (and the clones - Miller Falls 88 and others by Goodell Pratt, Norvell Shapleigh, Stearns and the St James Bay Co), but none with a ruler included.

I'm really interested in the length of the arm which juts out from the non-moving section ?

On the 386 this is where the quadrant locking thumb screw is located.
I know the clones use slightly different pivot locks but I imagine the distance out from the non-moving section to the lock will be similar.

If some kind soul could measure this it would be a big help.

Regards Jim

**clear out** · 11th September 2019, 10:31 AM

I’ve dug in the stash and here’s a few shots.
Then smaller is a Stearns from memory.
H.A1AA92ED-87CA-482D-8534-1FD9C91658B7.jpg 4699046B-47B1-4658-938D-1EBACA7C3E17.jpg 34AC8230-A4A4-4A54-8C09-B6A1450C594D.jpg 8DDB1238-43F5-4678-8FF9-1E1A5C238B3A.jpg DB0C7E5C-DCF8-472A-B1AC-F5FC058A8670.jpg

**jimhanna** · 26th September 2019, 09:20 AM

Thanks very much for the pics with the ruler. I finally got some time in the shed to look at this again.
The critical part of a swivelling fence seems to be the hinges, any play here would let the fence wobble in use. The best quality hinges I had in my parts box were some old rule joint hinges.
Together with a bit of perforated plate they form the bones of the fence.
B1.jpg

Once mounted on the plane I checked that everything was tight and swivelling uniformly before proceeding any further.
B2.jpg

I didn’t attempt the integral clamps which would be the most difficult bit a 386 clone build. I have a modern Soba #7 jointer (quick review, excellent) and a modern Record Irwin #5 (quick review, absolute junk) both of which I’d previously drilled and tapped for a side fence.
I did hold the fence on the plane with the two small clamps in the pic when marking through the existing holes, it seemed firm and rigid to enough to use with just these small clamps.
B3.jpg

I might be holding it wrong but the knob position on the 386 wouldn’t suit me. I prefer to hold the plane down on the fence, if I was adding a knob I’d probably put it here.
B3a.jpg

I did try to sketch the layout to make sure that my swivel locking arm wouldn’t foul the plane bottom and that the fence line (the dotted line in the pics) would always be inside the blade (the blue box). No hi-tech cad software, just a drawing package (Visio). I drew the bottom hinge part and fence as a single object and then rotated and moved it by eye just to see what fouled where.
Bvisio90.JPG BVisio20.JPG

My swivel locking arm is just a short length of ½ inch wide T-track with a fixed position bolt through a hole at one end and another in the track as a slider.
B4.jpg B5.jpg B6.jpg

Then just to add a wooden fence to the metal arm and try a cut. Easy to tweak to get the angle spot-on. Now for that donkeys ear.
B7.jpg B8.jpg

Certainly won’t win any prizes for appearance but it adjusts easily, locks solid and works well.
B9.jpg

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Stanley 386 dimensions ?

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