#3 plane

Re: #3 plane

David Weaver

glue, solder or pein tabs that fit in the iron slot on the underside of the cap iron and touch the adjuster pawl further down (it gets wider as you get lower on the pawl, so even with the same slot size as you already have in the cap iron, you'll get less backlash).

I'm not sure how free-spinning your adjuster is, but I've never found the backlash to be that big of a deal *unless* the adjuster wheel also doesn't turn that easily. If the adjuster wheel is coarse turning, then it's a nuisance to move it far. If it spins freely, you can pretty much stick your finger through the plane under the adjuster and spin it a turn or two just by pulling the web of your hand to the tip of your finger back out, or pushing in - whatever direction things need to go.

Generally, later planes with bigger wheels work better for this.

Alternate adjustments...

Jim Matthews

Could the blade be advanced with a light hammer?

Re: #3 plane

William Duffield

Jim's procedure is needed for all Bailey design or Norris design bench plane adjusters. (As an aside, the Bailey design is more robust than the Norris.) The better planes have less backlash than cheaper planes, but the lay in the adjustment mechanism is still there. If you tightened up the tolerances to take all of the play out, either the adjuster would freeze up just with changes in temperature, or the price of the plane would go through the roof. Backlash is a feature; get used to using it.

Re: #3 plane

Warren in Lancaster, PA

When I started reading this forum in 2005, I had no idea what people meant when they complained of "backlash". It took a few weeks for me to figure it out. The reason was that I had been adjusting my Bailey planes unconsciously for decades. The last time I would have given it any thought was around 1975. As you say, William, it is of little importance.

Spinning the wheel

Winston

The Bailey-style planes that I have all have adjustment wheels that spin pretty freely. I learned that if I give the wheel a good flick (instead of doing a controlled turn-turn-turn with my finger), it'll spin all the way through the "backlash range," and any further rotation will move the blade.

Not all planes will do this -- some may have gummy wheels, and older ones have smaller wheels which don't have as much inertia. In general, using a light oil might help the wheel to spin freely.

Re: Spinning the wheel

Jérôme

I have used padlock lube I had left, which is not greasy and not a dust magnet. Is that graphite?

Re: Spinning the wheel

William Duffield

Used to be. In some cases, still is. In other cases, the lock lube might be PTFE (Teflon) Both work. Sometimes it is a light weight oil, but depending on the viscocity the manufacturer chose, that may solidify in very cold temperatures, for example in a padlock on an intermodal freight container in a Wisconsin winter.

thoughts on the backlash..

David Weaver

..my favorite smoother has a stamped yoke and pawl, and it has a fairly tasteless amount of backlash. But the wheel spins easily and I also (at least for now) have a bronze LN 4. When I first started, I remember thinking how great the LN adjuster is (it has less backlash, it's smooth and the adjustment isn't abrupt).

Warren mentions not thinking about the backlash. In my case, same thing - I hadn't thought much about it and generally when I'm walking from one end of the bench to the other, I will finagle the wheel while I'm thinking about (or looking to figure out) what to do next. It doesn't interfere.

I bought the bronze LN a year or two ago (could be five now, I don't use it much) to have as a bar to meet and try to beat making infills. The few time I've used it in work, I recognize that it has almost no backlash but the slowness of the adjuster for anything other than the finest of smoothing is really annoying even compared directly to the undesirable stanley that I have (lots of backlash, but once engaged, the adjustment is fast and adjustment on the fly doesn't take so many turns and isn't so intrusive).

Re: #3 plane

Joe Rogers, North East West Virginia

I remember a suggested modification to a hand planes adjuster wheel. I don’t however remember where I read it. The adjuster yoke being smaller than the gap in the wheel is responsible for much of the backlash. It was suggested to twist the yoke to allow the contact to be closer when changing the wheel direction. Fine with a stamped yoke I guess but not a good idea if the yoke was a cast part. Then a suggestion was made to measure the diameter of the yoke gap in the adjuster. There are spiral spring steel retaining rings available for pins that can be sourced with an ID that fit in the adjuster gap. After winding the ring around the wheel the ring accepts the yoke contact in one direction of adjustment and closes the gap in the other by the rings thickness.

The spiral lock piston pin retainer for engine pistons is available in many sizes so that is where I would search first.

Joe

Re: #3 plane

Howard Pollack

Joe- That is a very interesting idea. Thanks. -Howard