"45" Blade Question

Re: "45" Blade Question

Alan Hamilton

>Guy,

Some are, some are not.

The cutters for the #55, so far as I know, will all fit into a #45. The cutters for each are the same thickness, have the adjustment notch in the same place, and so on.

However, just because a cutter will fit into a #45 does not mean it will work. A Stanley #55 can do things a #45 cannot: a #55 can make ogees, ovolos, with various attachments can even make hollows and rounds, and more. For a few technical reasons that are obvious if you compare the two tools side by side, #45 cannot make any of those cuts. So even though the cutter will fit in a #45, it will not work.

Enough about that. So far as I know (others will correct me if I'm wrong--which I am distressingly often) so long as a #45 can make that particular profile, #45 cutters and #55 cutters are interchangeable.

Alan

Jim Reed

Jim in Burlington Ontario

>Those blades aren't worth sharpening unless your cutting and shaping butter. Give Jim reed a shout or make your own out of 01 tool steel. If you reeding this Jim give me a e-mail please thanks Jim

Some answers (long)

Jim Reed @Tallahassee

>There are two types of blades for the #45 (notched and unnotched), two types for the #50 (plain and grooved back), and one type of blade for the #55 (notched). Unnotched blades for the #45 are early and rare--most #45s use a pin adjuster to control depth. The notch is required to engage the #45 adjuster. Later model #50s have a lever adjuster and those blades have grooves in the reverse.

This means that most blades from a #45 or #55 will work interchangably. As has been stated, some of the #55 blades may give poor results in a #45. According to my experience, many also give poor results in a #55. Neither of these planes has a real mouth and that affects their usefulness.

You will find that a good set of blades for either of the planes will cost more than the plane itself. I started making my own blades because I found most vintage blades to be poor performers. Good luck with your woodworking.

45s can so too cut hollows and rounds

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>45s take hollow and round sliding sections with matching irons that work fairly well. I've got one set, the largest size, and use the hollow last year on my porch handrails.

Re: 45s can so too cut hollows and rounds

Alan Hamilton

>Bill,

As I said, it's distressing!

Alan

Question

Derek

>Do Stanley blades fit the Sargent 1080 or other 45 clones?