Adding a front knob to a Record Duplex Rabbet Plane

[Jon the Bodger]

Hi,

I have a hankering for a Woden style front knob on my Record 778 Rabbet plane, and the obvious method of attachment is to use the existing front cap-screw to hold it. However, this only a 4.5 mm screw and looks a bit puny to hold a handle, even though it will be used for guiding rather than serious pushing.
Would some kind Woden owner say how the front knob is held on their rabbet plane – just by the cap-screw, or something more elaborate?

 

[DaveL]

Hi Jon,

Welcome to the forum.

Good question, I have a beaten up Stanley 78 and could use a front knob, so look forward to the answer. :roll:

 

[Waka]

Jon

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Smudger]

Hi Jon

I've got a Record 78 with a knob - I think the knob is probably Woden. I'll go and take some pix.

I think it works quite well, but may tempt you to over-enthusiasm!

 

[Smudger]

Hi again Jon.

This is how mine looks:

As I said, I think it might be a Woden knob, or copy thereof. It seems to be made of a light-coloured hardwood, thickly varnished.

It is held on by a screw from the front, threading into the front cap-iron screw hole:

This is the general profile:

The profile allows it to be used as a thumb hook, and it makes the plane very comfortable to use, but perhaps not as precise as a finger grip at the front end, when the fingers of the left hand can keep the plane into the work better. If you see what I mean...

I have seen similar knobs on Woden planes, and they are pretty much identical. Should be fairly easy for a turner to knock a batch up?

Hope this helps.

 

[Jon the Bodger]

Thanks Smudger, that really is helpful .

Looks like problems are avoided by keeping the length of screw projecting from the plane body into the knob as short as possible to limit any leverage on the screw.

Thanks again!

 

[Smudger]

The way the plane works you won't use a lot of force on the knob - after all, it isn't usually there!

Had another look - the screw is short because it is the same part as the cap iron screw.

 

[bugbear]

Hi,

I have a hankering for a Woden style front knob on my Record 778 Rabbet plane, and the obvious method of attachment is to use the existing front cap-screw to hold it. However, this only a 4.5 mm screw and looks a bit puny to hold a handle, even though it will be used for guiding rather than serious pushing.

With proper seating for the knob, the bolt is under pure tension, and 4.5 mm of mild steel will stand A LOT of tension...

Fixing a front know to other planes was discussed a while back on the OLDTOOLs list, but the archive is down at the moment.

Try searching for +woden +knob when it comes back up here:

http://swingleydev.com/archive/search.php

edit: the DB is up;

http://swingleydev.com/archive/get.php? ... =1#message

BugBear

 

[ydb1md]

I added a knob to my no78 like this.

I modified a knob from a no4 to fit the casting webs.

 

[jonbikebod]

These are some shots of a woden

[/img]

As you can see, there is a steel tube lining the screw hole in the handle.

It does make the plane considerably more comfortable to use.

[/img]

The L-N blade is a very worthwhile upgrade on any #78/#778 rebate plane. The Stanley 78 blade fits the Woden as you can see.
Jon.