Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
SW #7 tote breaking
Tim Caley - North Little Rock
>I've notice that the tote on my #7 Sweetheart plane is starting to crack. I don't think it is all of the way through yet. I didn't have time this weekend to take it off of the plane and check it out though. Any suggestions on what I should do?
Re: SW #7 tote breaking
Tom MacGregor
>The totes usually crack due to seasonal wood movement. Screw the tote down tight during a dry spell & a lot of pressure can build up if the humidity increases. I loosen the totes on any planes I'm not expecting to use for a while & loosened ALL of them last Spring when we got some water in the basement, including my shop. I'll let someone else suggest methods of repair.
Re: SW #7 tote breaking
William R. Duffield on the Cohansey
>Here are a couple of links to George's Basement that I think you will find helpful:
Re: SW #7 tote breaking
Steve knight
>thanks for the link I had been wanting to use a soft wateer for the job but those springs look good. I just ordered some and now the planes will ship with them.
Re: SW #7 tote breaking
Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA
>I've used yellow glue successfully on totes broken all the way through, clamping them with one of those "trigger ratchet" plastic-bodied bar clamps (off the plane).
If you've got a crack just starting, I'd get one of the high-grade superglues either from a Woodcraft or similar store or, if there isn't one in your area and you don't want to do mailorder, a really good hobby shop.
Re: SW #7 tote breaking
Tim Caley - North Little Rock
>Thanks everyone. I think I'll try the method described in William's first link.
Well ...
Clay Craig in Miami
>If the crack is just starting, that method with the poly glue will probably require you to 'finish' the break to get to the surfaces, because the poly is so thick - and I'd be disinclined to do that. I think CA (super) glue is the good bet here, used carefully (and thinned if necessary) it will 'wick' down far into the existing crack.
YMMV
Clay
Re: Well ...
Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA
>CA glue comes in several viscosities, and taking the handle to somewhere that sells the good stuff should result in getting a little tube of the right viscosity.