Thread: Where would I get a replacement handle for a Bailey #5?

Originally Posted by johknee

.....I'm after a Stanley 110 block plane handle and a tote toe screw for a Stanley 5 1/2....

By "handle" do you mean the lever-cap or the little wooden front knob? I reckon you'll be very lucky to find a usable knob, they are the first bit to go on these. My 110 was bought new in 1958. I can't remember how long it took, mybe 20 years or so & the knob started coming loose. I would tighten it up but it got worse & worse until eventually it wouldn't hold. So I glued it on with Araldite! Some years ago, I replaced it with a nice she-oak knob (it was a chore to get the old one off & clean up the glue!). I didn't have a tap to match the thread of the stub on the plane it screws onto, so I drilled the hole a bit undersized & worked the knob on slowly. I thought it would need glueing on too, but to my surprise it held very firmly & hasn't ever come loose. I guess she-oak is made of sterner stuff than beech...

If it's the metal lever cap you want, you might have better luck, the same cap was fitted to several models, and possibly caps from other models will fit, but I'd recommend taking the plane along with you so you can test the fit...
Cheers,

Originally Posted by IanW

By "handle" do you mean the lever-cap or the little wooden front knob? I reckon you'll be very lucky to find a usable knob, they are the first bit to go on these. My 110 was bought new in 1958. I can't remember how long it took, mybe 20 years or so & the knob started coming loose. I would tighten it up but it got worse & worse until eventually it wouldn't hold. So I glued it on with Araldite! Some years ago, I replaced it with a nice she-oak knob (it was a chore to get the old one off & clean up the glue!). I didn't have a tap to match the thread of the stub on the plane it screws onto, so I drilled the hole a bit undersized & worked the knob on slowly. I thought it would need glueing on too, but to my surprise it held very firmly & hasn't ever come loose. I guess she-oak is made of sterner stuff than beech...

If it's the metal lever cap you want, you might have better luck, the same cap was fitted to several models, and possibly caps from other models will fit, but I'd recommend taking the plane along with you so you can test the fit...
Cheers,

Yep, sorry, should have been clearer. I'm after the wooden front knob.
I've tried fitting a 220 front knob to the 110 and it seemed to fit. Are they interchangeable?
I have seen many 'knob-less' 110's . If I can't find something at the sale, I'll add a 110 knob to my list of plane and rasp handles/knobs that I'm going to make.
Thank you, Ian!

Originally Posted by johknee

...I've tried fitting a 220 front knob to the 110 and it seemed to fit. Are they interchangeable? ....

Don't know, jk, but I reckon if it screws on firmly, then it fits...

Originally Posted by johknee

...If I can't find something at the sale, I'll add a 110 knob to my list of plane and rasp handles/knobs that I'm going to make.....

Well, they have to be one of the simpler knobs as far as they go. I think I made mine a bit oversize & certainly gave it a more pronounced bulge. I like a decent-sized knob...
First plane 1958.jpg

Cheers,

Originally Posted by IanW

Don't know, jk, but I reckon if it screws on firmly, then it fits...



Well, they have to be one of the simpler knobs as far as they go. I think I made mine a bit oversize & certainly gave it a more pronounced bulge. I like a decent-sized knob...
First plane 1958.jpg

Cheers,

That looks fantastic! You've convinced me to make a knob rather than buy one!

Originally Posted by johknee

That looks fantastic! You've convinced me to make a knob rather than buy one!

Good decision, johknee. I also like knobs that shape - slightly larger diameter and slightly flatter top. That fits my fat fingers better!

Here is my favourite plane with Ian's knob and handle.

Thanks again, Ian.

Plane.jpg

Originally Posted by scottbr

Here is my favourite plane ......

Looks passable...

Actually, I'm relieved it fit without a hitch, there can be some variation in the stud angle & a handle that slips nicely on one plane may be a struggle to get seated on another of the same size & make. I don't know how they tapped the stud hole in the sole, but presumably using some kind of jig to try & get a consistent angle, which is not as easy as you may think when you are tapping such a shallow hole with a tap that can't have much lead or it would bottom out before it started cutting a thread. At some point they went over to a raised boss for the stud, which complicates fitting the handle for us amateurs, It involves some head-scratching & very careful setting up to drill the boss-hole (~16mm) and the stud hole & get them to meet in just the right place. I've worked out a few tricks for getting them right, but because I make the things sporadically, it always takes a lot of effort to remember them!

Cheers,