Qustion about #45 Combination Plane

Clarification-Qustion about #45 Combination Plane

John Todd

>The distance behind the back skates is perhaps the width of a medium thickness screwdriver blade. That would be the distance that the nicker is "inside" the outer edge of the cutter on the main (handle) side. It seems like if anything it's the front skate that is slightly "bent" inward towards the opposite mating skate. Hope this helps.

Re: Clarification-Qustion about #45 Combination Pl

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>They should pretty near touch when pushed together. I got one with a bent skate - it turned out to be the sliding section - and the plane performed horribly. Take the tool apart, hold up a straight ruler beside the skate - if one is bent, you'll be able to see it pretty easily. I suspect, though this is wild unfounded speculation, that bent sliding sections are more common than bent bodies, simply because there's more mass to the body.

Fortunately, as far as I know, the sections interchange from type to type, and they show up not uncommonly on eBay, so if you do have a bent section, you should be able to replace it at not too much expense.

Let us know what you find.

Re: Clarification-Qustion about #45 Combination Pl

John Todd

>Upon further investigation I think I solved my own problem. The skates which are rivited on to the cast metal bodies actually seem to be pretty soft metal. I shoved the two pieces side by side as close as I could get then gently put them between the sides of a broad, smooth metal woodworking vice (without wooden faces on the jaws). I applied slow but strong pressure, checking frequently and seemed to have easily straightened them out. I rested the ridge of the body (above the skate) on the top edge of the vice, and tightened away. The nickers seem to line up "reasonably" well with the edge of the blade.

The metal seems quite soft actually on the skates... I suspect that they'll get out of wack with use again and I'll repeat the above steps.

If anybody else can verify what I've done, I'd be curious. The 45 seem to be a somewhat gimicky type of thing, probably not as precise a tolerance as the way a frog beds in a LN plane!

Re: Clarification-Qustion about #45 Combination Pl

frank shic (walnut ck, ca)

>john, CONGRATULATIONS! you are on the verge of having a GRAND old time plowing like a mad fiend, wondering what the big deal with ROUTERS are anyways?!? have fun!