I just bought a Lie-Nielsen blade for my #4 & #5 Baileys since I’d heard the thicker blade is much better at preventing chatter. But there is a big problem; the extra thickness means it won’t fit through the mouth in the sole.
So, I assume I have to widen the opening, but I don’t want to screw up the plane. What is the best way to go about this and how much material needs to be removed to keep it from clogging?
I was bummed not to be able to see how this nice thick iron would work.
Jake
Replies
Hi Jake--did you purchase the replacement blade or the blades LN uses on their planes? If the latter, they probably don't fit. The link for the replacement blades is:
http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?cat=512
LN's text on that page is worth reading as well. Good news is they will gladly refund and replace it if you got the wrong one.
Take care, Mike
Jake,
I'm assuming that you have already tried adjusting the frog back in order to create the need room for the thicker iron. I have a pre ww2 #4 and the iron that came with my LN #4 slipped right into the opening on it without any problems. Other than that you will have to carefully file out the mouth to accomodate the thicker iron. The 4s and 5s are not really bringing big dollars these days, in fact that iron probably cost more than an older #4, so the risk is minimal and the reward in performance is considerable.
Ron
The normal L-N, Hock and Lee Valley irons won't work on a Stanley plane. The replacement irons are .095" and even with that, I had to open the mouth on both of my #7's and probably will need to on my #6C (if I can get the adjuster/chip breaker right) for the 2-3/8" iron.
Basically, you'll need to file until it's open enough for THAT plane. Yes, they were mass produced but they aren't totally consistant, so there are differences in the opening size. Done carefully, you won't ruin anything.
Once you get the .095" iron, if you still have chatter, try skewing the plane to the wood.
Jake
Before you file the mouth, try this:
Loosen the screws that hold down the frog enough that you can lift it up about 3mm. Into this gap and along the length of the edge place a metal shim - I have made these out of old saw blade offcuts, old jig saw blades, etc. A shim of 1mm may be all you need.
By raising the rear of the frog by 1mm you will increase the bed angle, probably to 46-47 degrees. This will be enough to now fit the thick LN Blade.
Be careful when you retighten the frog screws. Don't over-tighten and strip them. As long as the shim is even in thickness and all comes together firmly, the final fit will have sufficient rigidity. I have does this a few times and it works well. At least, if it does not work for you, there is no permanent harm done to the plane.
Regards from Perth
Derek
MILL files work great!
It is the thicker iron because that was advocated by some, including a FWW article. So I was disappointed to find it is not as simple as swaping it out.
In fact LN emailed me and said to use one of their specific replacement blades but I have already honed this, and besides, it defeats the purpose of fitting a thicker iron.
I'll give the shim idea a try. I did notice that increasing the bed angle would allow it pass through, but didn't think of a shim. If that doesn't work out I'll give the file a try. Indeed, I paid less for the plane than the blade, and that was for a plane that was in pretty good shape.
Jake
Two things to consider. Though you have honed it, LN will happily swap it out. They are that kinda people. Also, the thinner LN blades are still much thicker than a stock Stanley-type of blade. They are plenty stiff.
If the frog has been slid back, aligned with the opening and the frog tightened down and there still isn't clearance, there is still one issue to check. That is that the blade adjustment lever makes sufficient contact with the cap iron so that it will allow the blade full travel.
If it does, and I wanted to keep that blade, I wouldn't hesitate to carefully file the mouth open.
Take care, Mike
Mike raises a great point about checking the amount of adjustment lever travel. I fitted a LN standard blade (Iwanted all the thickness I could get) to a 4 1/2 smoother several years ago (using a Clifton chip breaker). And yes, I had to adjust the mouth opening slightly. I also had to effectively extend the length of the adjustment lever with a chuck of brass, gluing it and pinning it to the top of the lever where it engages the slot in the chip breaker. Otherwise, it was too short to allow me to adjust the depth of the blade. Although not pretty, my solution worked quite well for quite awhile.
Even if the lever is too short, all is not lost. Different models of Stanley pattern planes have different size adjustment levers, so some searching for "parts" planes at flea markets might turn up a longer one. You can also try different chip breakers. Some have slots cut at different lengths from the blade end. I changed to a different Clifton chip breaker and larger adjustment lever (after trying several combinations) and found one that let my heavy LN blade seat just perfectly, without the need for the brass extenson, and still have plenty of travel for depth adjustment.
Skip
Jake - I have replaced several stock blades on Stanleys with the LN 095 blades, and can attest that they are considerably heftier than the stock blades. Maybe send one back and try it? I think that you'll be pleased.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled