Thanks: 0
Needs Pictures: 0
Picture(s) thanks: 0
Results 1 to 6 of 6
-
2nd May 2020, 12:02 PM #1GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Jan 2009
- Location
- Australia
- Posts
- 1,222
Stanley Australia No4 plastic handle slight movement
Hello all.
I have a Stanley Australia No4 plane. It has plastic handle and tote.
I have had this plane since new for at least 30 years and haven't used a great lot.
Recently decided to clean it up.
I'm happy with the result. But the handle flexes a small amount. I've checked and flattened the base where it attaches to the base. But it still flexes. The screw through to the base only seems to screw in three or so threads.
Is it possibly:
The plastic handle,
The length of the brass screw flexing,
Combination of both?
Should I be concerned?
Would it be wrong to try and replace with wooden handle and steel bolt/screw (and tote).?
Lastly what age of manufacture would it be.
Am I on a slippery slope into the dark side of hand tools 🤣
Thanks LyleLast edited by Lyle; 2nd May 2020 at 12:06 PM. Reason: Add photo
-
2nd May 2020 12:02 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
- Join Date
- Always
- Location
- Advertising world
- Posts
- Many
-
2nd May 2020, 01:12 PM #2
Your on a slippery slope and starting with that . You have a lot of slipping and sliding to do
Nothing wrong with them. I have one. Works fine. Sort of thing I give to new guys to work with . I don't have to worry so much about it getting dropped onto concrete.
And . You had it since new .
So ! We finally get to meet a #@#@ing Hole Driller!! ha ha .
Rob
-
2nd May 2020, 07:45 PM #3
Hi Lyle - welcome to the Luddite section!
My first thought would be that the barrel nut is bottoming out on the stud before it tightens down, due either to wear in the bottom of the counter-sink, or because the plastic has shrunk (I believe this is a common aliment for plastic handles of that era). Easiest fix is to either take a few threads off the bottom of the stud or find/make some washers to put under the barrel nut at the top. Or better still, make a new tote out of WOOD (nasty stuff plastic, it shouldn't be allowed to despoil decent or even half-decent hand tools! )
Stanley Aus. didn't make planes for very long and quit in the mid to late 80s iirc, but someone will know the exact dates So your plane could come from a period that went from mid 60s to early 80s. I think the plastic handles narrows it down a bit as the earlier ones had wood - I had an early Australian-made #5 (~1964) that had wooden handles. It was was a good one, and with some fettling, became an excellent plane, so on the strength of that I bought a #5 in 1981. It was an absolute lemon - never could get it to work properly. I gave it to my son some years later - he left it out in the rain, which didn't improve it any - I think it now rests peacefully in landfill.....
Cheers,IW
-
3rd May 2020, 12:40 AM #4China
- Join Date
- Dec 2005
- Location
- South Australia
- Posts
- 4,475
Very common problem just shorten the bolt easiest fix or as said above new handle from timber.
-
3rd May 2020, 06:26 AM #5
An alternate for fixing the wobbly handle. I restored a Nr 4 and also had a couple of older planes in goodish condition. All with original but wobbly wooden handles. I didn't want to do something that was irreversible, so I cut packing pieces from 1.5mm ply for the bases of the handles. They worked quite fine just with the pressure of the handle bearing down on them. With a plastic handle I might consider finding a piece of black plastic to match the colour and gluing it on with araldite. Or maybe insertion rubber might work too.
Regards
SWK
-
20th May 2020, 02:24 PM #6SENIOR MEMBER
- Join Date
- Oct 2019
- Location
- Brisbane, Australia
- Age
- 43
- Posts
- 519
Hi Lyle,
You've had good advice but I'd add that you might want to plan to be able to replace the rear tote at least.
When I've screwed mine down hard... I've had a section simply snap apart into pieces. No fixing.
Similar Threads
-
Hercus Mill - Oiling Longitudinal Feed Handle and Huge Movement
By MWF FEED in forum THE HERCUS AREAReplies: 0Last Post: 14th April 2019, 09:00 PM -
Diston with Plastic handle
By DaveTTC in forum HAND TOOLS - UNPOWEREDReplies: 26Last Post: 20th March 2016, 12:20 PM -
Stanley Plane Plastic Rear Handle Shrinks; Why?
By mike48 in forum HAND TOOLS - UNPOWEREDReplies: 7Last Post: 8th February 2011, 02:29 PM -
How to get plastic handle off chisel
By Bodgy in forum HOMEMADE TOOLS AND JIGS ETC.Replies: 39Last Post: 20th September 2006, 01:41 AM