Stanley #50 plough plane. Please measure thread size for part L slide adjusting screw

[woodhog]

http://www.tooltrip.com/tooltrip9/st...anes/50man.pdfHi

I have a stanley#50 plough plane missng a knurled sliding section adjusting screw. Part L
I am asking someone to check screw thread size for me as I do not have a internal thread gage or the old bolt / screw.
Thanks

[Chief Tiff]

Not owning a 50 I would guess that it will be a 1/4"; but if it was made in the USA it'll be a 1/4" UNF; and if from the UK it could be a 1/4" BSF.

[hiroller]

Hi, my English made Stanley 50 has a thread that measures a smidge under 7/32.
It's smaller than all the other threads on it which all look a quarter.
I'm pretty sure that they are something unusual like 20tpi which seems to correlate with Hans Brunner's guess.
Might be worth checking to see if he has something that fits.
http://www.hansbrunnertools.com/Stan...ey%20parts.htm

[hiroller]

After a second look with the Optivisor, it's actually closer to 30tpi.

[orraloon]

Mine is english also. 7/32 sounds about right and digital calipers show 0.208''. Thread is about 28tpi but cant tell what thread they used. As said Hans Brunner would be a good place to start looking.
The good news is mine works fine without that screw. Well I got it out of the box and it whispered ''go on take a few shaveings".
By the look of things that screw is handier at opening the plane up to remove a blade.
Regards
John

[Vann]

Mine is english also. 7/32 sounds about right and digital calipers show 0.208''. Thread is about 28tpi but cant tell what thread they used.

Yup, confirming 28tpi - measured with a Whitworth thread gauge (but I don't know if I could tell the difference between 55 vrs 60 degree threads).

On my Stanley USA No.50 the screw is 32mm long overall, with the threaded portion being 25mm long. The diameter of the threaded portion is 7/32" (actual 5.30mm). The head is 1/4" (actual 6.35mm) and is knurled.

On my Record No.050 the screw is 35mm long overall, with the threaded portion being 28mm long. The diameter of the threaded portion is 7/32" (actual 5.40mm). The head is 1/4" (actual 6.50mm) and is knurled.

HTH.

Cheers, Vann.

[IanW]

Why all the fuss - just order a new one from Stanley, the manual says it's only 20 cents, for goodness sake...!

If only, eh?

Cheers

[woodhog]

Why all the fuss - just order a new one from Stanley, the manual says it's only 20 cents, for goodness sake...!

If only, eh?

Cheers

I wish I could order from the mfg manual older than 20 yrs lol or drop into the hardware store to buy new BSW (britsh standard whitworth) fasteners. Apparently this is more important knowledge than expected for old hand tool and users. Other wise just skip overpriced auctions & buy a $35.00 electric router made in china & a $19 carbide router bit set on also from china. Then hope the cheap carbides are welded or brazed securely to withstand 25,000 30,000rpm

[IanW]

Yeah, jokes aside, it can be a pain finding some of these bits & pieces. I have a small lathe & can make some parts, but I don't have a big selection of thread pitches, so some things I can't copy.

I would love to know what was going through the minds of the folks at Stanley when they selected some of the 'orphan' thread sizes & pitches they used. I can't accept that giving or taking a tpi or two, or making a 32nd of an inch difference in diameter to get to a commonly-used size would have had a critical effect on function. You can theorise that some were a carryover from the days before standardisation, which only began in earnest in the 1860s, but why did they persist in using these oddball sizes half a century and more later? Then the real puzzler, the companies that started copying the American planes after the patents expired, & by which time standards were well established, chose to either copy the same oddball threads, or use different (non-standard) threads of their own!

I was going to add that tool users 100 years from now will bless Veritas for using bog-standard Whitworth threads on all their planes, but on second thoughts, it may be just as difficult to find Whitworth bolts, let alone taps & dies, 100 years from now....

Cheers,

[hiroller]

For those that are interested in a little more about the thread sizes chosen by Stanley, you can read all about it here:
http://www.tttg.org.au/php/tttg_Page.php?n=15&a=37

[IanW]

For those that are interested in a little more about the thread sizes chosen by Stanley, you can read all about it here:
http://www.tttg.org.au/php/tttg_Page.php?n=15&a=37

A fascinating read - thanks! However, the author only speculates why the oddball sizes were used, it would seem no-one really knows for sure. What mystifies me more, is why they never reverted to more simple sizes, once standardisation was more general, & it's an even greater mystery to me why later copycats didn't. Perhaps they were all taking retro-compatibility very seriously!

Cheers,

[hiroller]

Yes it's a surprisingly interesting read for what appears to be a pretty dry and esoteric subject.
Personally, I think the legendary Scrooge-ness of the Stanley management explains a lot of their decisions (or lack there of).

[woodhog]

http://www.gerardsgarage.com/support...ing_Tables.pdf
Thanks for all of the above help everyone.
Hopefully the additional references will help take th mytsery out of antiue tool collecting allowing woodworkers to repair or make parts at home even clean up (chase) rusty threads with a tap or die close to the origional thread.

[Vann]

What mystifies me more, is why they never reverted to more simple sizes, once standardisation was more general...

Never!!!??!!! They did actually - in the 1990s (to metric). Sure took their time though

...& it's an even greater mystery to me why later copycats didn't. Perhaps they were all taking retro-compatibility very seriously!

Yes I was surprised recently, when looking at a Falcon-Pope and a Turner, to find that they both copied Stanley's threads. And Record slavishly copied every aspect of Stanley's planes (initially anyway). I notice that WS Tools and Rapier used BSW & BSF threads, so somebody had the sense to standardise (for all the good it did them, now that even British Standard threads are like hens teeth).

Woodhog - As for getting a replacement bolt for your Stanley No.50: maybe you should try posting in the metalworking section of this forum. Someone might help out in return for beer tokens.

Cheers, Vann.

[IanW]

Never!!!??!!! They did actually - in the 1990s (to metric). Sure took their time though

OK, so I was wrong to say 'never' (never say never!), but since I don't own a Stanley or Record younger than the 1965 vintage, I beg forgiveness, m'lord!

I suppose it will make them easier to find parts for, if anyone ever bothers......

Cheers,