Clifton – Shoulder Plane No. 410

woodguy51 | Posted in Hand Tools on October 25, 2022 11:05am

Hello:
I have a Clifton 410. It is lovely to hold, but the opening at the mouth is so slight that it is not very useful. If I retract the blade to create a larger opening, then the blade is unable to contact the surface to be planed. If I advance the blade it closes the opening as the blade then makes contact with the lead edge of the opening. I guess that if I filed the leading edge of the mouth I could advance the blade into the larger opening. That means this plane was machined incorrectly. Could I do this myself or would I risk ruining it further? Any ideas on how to make this plane functional would be appreciated. Thanks

Replies

sparkyII | Oct 25, 2022 11:39am | #1
Is the frog adjustable? moving the frog back will open the mouth a little.
woodguy51 | Oct 25, 2022 12:50pm | #2
No Frog on this plane.
oxmach | Oct 25, 2022 01:03pm | #3
Do you have the blade bedded with the bevel up? If it is bevel down that would be the problem.
woodguy51 | Oct 25, 2022 01:18pm | #4
Bevel is up.
john_c2 | Oct 25, 2022 01:29pm | #5
There is no adjustment for the throat opening on those. The Lie-Nielsens have a screw on the top that loosens the front of the sole, allowing you to close or open the throat. If you need a wider opening, you'll have to use a file.

Make sure the iron is bedded well first. You don't want tofile until you're sure it's your only option.
joeleonetti | Oct 25, 2022 01:42pm | #6
Clifton is a top notch tool producer. If you are uncomfortable making the modifications yourself to get it to work properly, I suspect if you call Clifton, you might be able to send it back to them for them to take a look at it. I know Lie Nielsen does this, or, back when they had touring shows, you could bring in your LN tool and they would adjust/fettle it for you.
jharveyb | Oct 25, 2022 03:30pm | #7
For what they sell for, I'd assume that Clifton will give good service. Give them a chance to deal with it before you attack it.
raynewman | Oct 26, 2022 12:02am | #8
How old is the your #410?

My Clifton #410 is going on 35+ years old. What I found is the blade needs to be very sharp and well honed and polished to work well. "Good enough" sharpening and honing/polishing will not "cut the mustard." A very light cut is all it will take.
cyclehead | Dec 21, 2022 11:02pm | #9
A Clifton (even/especially one from the prior Century) should be (is?) State of the Art. Perhaps it is a Counterfeit! Worth it to pack ‘n ship to Clifton (after insuring). Let us know what Clifton comments about the 410. All those Flea Markets and Crafting Faires ! Bah, Humbug.