My dad gave me this plane that was my grandpa's. It was dirty and rusted and the blade edge had been ground off of 90 to the side at some point.
Cleaned it and got the blade set back to 90 (thanks WorkSharp!!).
I'm struggling with adjusting cut depth. Is this just by eye when loosening the "wheel" (sorry I'm not using the right terms I'm sure)? Seems like I am too light or too heavy with my cuts. If there's a secret to making final adjustments, I'm all ears. If it's just trial and error, I'll persist.
You can do it either way. I don't adjust my block planes with a hammer very often. I usually do it by feeling how far the iron is sticking out. That's a double end blick plane you can put the iron on either end. Looks like there's a chip taken off the one side though
So, when it's tightened in place, it can be nudged with a hammer?
What do you mean about putting the iron on either end? Do you mean to have the blade against one side or the other? Unfortunately the back corner was broken.
I do not have that specific plane but I do have block planes that have the basically the same type of wheel to hold the blade tight. I usually use something small like a tack hammer to tap if forward and laterally to get it straight. I back off the wheel slightly to loosen the blade a little and it only take very light taps. Retighten and test. Mine are not double ended so backing the iron out a similar light tap at the back end of the plane will back the blade out some. For yours, I would probably use a small wooden mallet to avoid marring the plane. You can use a wood mallet to move it forward too if you have one that is small enough.
--Nathan, TX. Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.
Barb, Grandpa had either a 130, or 131, Both are Stanley's double ended block planes. Also IMHO the hardest of all the Stanley planes to adjust, and keep adjusted. Patrick's talk about them will be found here, scroll down, until you hit Stanley 130, the 131 is just behind it. I have one of each of them, and soon will be looking to sell them off, as I am not a fan, however they do seem to have some favor with collectors, and being your Grandpa's given to you by your Dad, well, that is something to hang onto. As a user you are going to be 1000 times happier with a nice Lee Valley block plane.
The idea was to offer a block plane, and also a bullnose plane. Worked and failed at the same time.. Yes they could be functional, but only with a lot of fiddling, and almost constant readjustment in use. Many of Stanleys unending block plane lineage was like this. Like I said a modern day Block from a reputable maker like Lee Valley/Veritas is going to be a joy to own, and use. I highly suggest just holding off, getting on the Lee Valley email list, and next time they offer a "Seconds" sale, jump in, and get a marvelous plane for a portion of retail. They sell no junk, and 99% of the people getting a blem will never quite figure out what was wrong with it. Any of their trash is smashed to pieces, so no one gets a bad Lee Valley, from them anyhow.
Nathan - will see if i can figure out the tapping, and if not, will persist to adjust by hand. Corelz - find it interesting that they tried to do two-in-one plane with the two ends. This one is a 130, which is the more basic according to the article GeorgeWest provided (thank you for that).
If you do decide to make it work, look over Patricks piece really well, and anything else you can find on the 130's. That thin strap of metal on the bullnose side is easily broken. My suggestion is not to do any tapping, just adjust via the wheel, and use your firgertip as a feeler to check for blade projection. Careful when it's sharp.
Unless you figure out something I never could, it's an unending series of trial cuts, then it looks right for a few strokes, then without doing any adjustment you are making test cuts again. Sort of a maddening process is what I found. Why I switched to the Lee Valley planes for when I wanted a user of a block plane.
My Dads favorite block plane was/is a Sears with a broken sole, he could make it sing and dance. I think it's a huge POS, but mostly because he loved it, and I remember him using it, it has a special place in my shop, and will never leave me. So I greatly appreciate what you are trying to do. I have no less than 5 exact duplicates of that plane, and try as I have, can never find love for them as users though.
GeorgeWest - I'm pretty new to any real hand tool use. I tried flipping the blade this morning and think the regular rather than bull nose side will be my choice. I'm happy to use it as it is, and thinking how special it is to have Grandpa's plane in my hands now. He passed away when I was in high school, long before I started this woodworking hobby. Would have been awesome to learn from him.
I completely understand. Possibly if like I have done, and gotten a little more into it than just the early days, you will have opportunity to try other block style planes. Then if like I did, you just revered Grandpas plane, as I have done with my Dads, you will build a nice box for it, to protect it from the shop demons.
But I completely understand wanting to handle the tool your Grandpa did, and I had the pleasure of knowing my Dad for over 40 years, and spent many an hour in the shop with him. Still miss him every day, and would do much to have a few more hours along side of him. I completely understand.
