Odd thread

[bollie7]

G'day All.
This is a bit long winded but please bear with me.
The story, I have a "made in the UK" Record wood plane that was recently given to me by my FIL. Its not very old, maybe 10 - 15 years.
Anyway I'm giving it to my nephew (14 yo) who is showing an interest in building things. The plane hasn't been very well cared for and I thought I'd sharpen the blade for him before I gave it to him. The whole thing needs a good clean up but thats something he can do. Sharpened the blade no problem but when I was putting it back together I noticed the main handle was a little loose. No problem, I'll just tighten it up.
Couldn't turn the short screw any further so I removed the screws and the handle to find the the short screw is a bit chewed up on the end of the thread. On closer examination the tapped hole in the base isn't very good - doesn't appear to be very deep or been tapped oput to full depth of thread. The end of the screw has been filed down in diam to get it to screw in but its bottoming out when it reachs full diam. No problem I thought, I should have a tap that will do that, looks like 3/16". But when I measured it with the rule it wasn't 3/16" so out come the mics and the pitch guages.
It measures up at .214" dia and 20 TPI. I've looked at my charts and my Machineries Handbook and I haven't found anything even close to that size. Unless its some really obscure thread that I haven't spotted.
No I'm not going nuts (at least I don't think so). I have re measured the thread several times over an hour or so and I get the same size every time. It not a metric either.
In the end I put a washer under the head of the screw so I could get the handle tight.

Any thoughts anyone? Am I going nuts????

bollie7

[morrisman]

It might be BA .........Mike

[Gerbilsquasher]

Story of my life- try to do a good deed, get screwed by the past deed of an imbecile

[Clubman7]

Found this link to Record plane specs.
Good luck.
Record Hand Planes
Says 7/32 whitworth 20tpi

[bollie7]

I thought that as well at first Mike, but according to Machineries the closest BA thread in dia is a No1 which has a major dia of 5.30mm and a pitch of .9mm
Mine has a major dia of 5.46 and a pitch of somewhere between 1.25 and 1.5mm ( my pitch guages go from 1.25 to 1.5 with nothing in between) At a guess I'd say its probably closer to 1.3mm than 1.5.
I dunno, I'm really tired atm so maybe I'm just not thinking to well
bollie7

[bollie7]

Story of my life- try to do a good deed, get screwed by the past deed of an imbecile

This thing doesn't look like very good quality. If it didn't say "made in England" on it I would have thought it was cheap chinese.
Maybe there is a manufacturing area in China called England.
bollie7

[bollie7]

Found this link to Record plane specs.
Good luck.
Record Hand Planes
Says 7/32 whitworth 20tpi

Thanks for that Clubman7

Typical of the poms. Why use a std size when you can make up your own odd ball.

7/32" 20 tpi isn't on any charts I have. Jeez, why not just go out to 1/4"
Even the "frog adjusting plate screw" is an oodball size. 7/32" 24tpi ????

From your username would I be right in assuming you have or have had a Clubman 7?

I had a Bolwell Mk7 for years.

bollie7

[gawdelpus]

7/32" X 24 TPI BSW

Dunno if this helps Stanley (and all the other USA Plane Makers) used their own non-standard threads. (Except for the Back Iron Screw which is 5/16 – 18 tpi). Australian Plane makers such as Turner, Falcon and (I think) Carter used the same screw sizes and threads. Front Tote Screws (#4 ½ - #8) from early Stanleys were 7/32 – 20 tpi (#12-20) but later screws had a finer thread and the early ones are not available any more. However, the screws from a “Junker” Aussie will fit – as well as the Frog Screws from Falcons which had a round head same as the Tote screw – may be a bit longer but that is no problem to an enthusiast. Or, if you haven’t got a “junker” take a new Stanley Frog screw, convert the “cheese” head to a round head, deepen the slot and you have something very similar to the original. A rusty old “junker” is worth a few dollars, (maybe up to 10), just for the screws which are often missing in other, worthwhile purchases.

I don't know bugger alla bout planes, but found this on the web , cheers ~ John

[Michael G]

7/32" 24 tpi is a standard but obscure W/W size. It's listed in my 1927 machinery's handbook, but not in the later one I have (28E). How they get 7/32" 20tpi as a Whitworth thread is beyond me. I don't even know where you would start looking to find that tap.

Michael

[Abratool]

7/32" 24 tpi is a standard but obscure W/W size. It's listed in my 1927 machinery's handbook, but not in the later one I have (28E). How they get 7/32" 20tpi as a Whitworth thread is beyond me. I don't even know where you would start looking to find that tap.

Michael

Michael
I just went & checked my Stanley woodplanes & they are all 7/32" 24 tpi.
I do know that the plane manufacturers used different & odd ball threads. A while back I was restoring a Stanley no 5 for my son & had to turn up a replacement screw & screwcut it in the lathe to 7/32" 24tpi.
If there is a problem with the internal thread a threading tap can be easily made out of Silver Steel screwcut in the lathe & cutting grooves milled before hardening & tempering.
I have made a few taps this way for odd ball one off jobs, & they work well.
For a shallow damaged thread depth as in a Stanley or Record Plane, 4 flats ground on the hardened & tempered Tap would probably work OK if care was taken.
Photo shows the Screw from the plane & a couple of homemade threading taps.
regards
Bruce