possible crack in my plane?

[mickthetree]

evenin all

I had a mass sharpening session the last couple of days having got me new grinder and Norton 3x wheel. What a fantastic bit of kit that is!!

Anyway, all stropped and very, very sharp, I came to putting everything back together and found something that I hope is not going to be the end of my cliffy 5 1/2 plane!!

It definitely looks like a crack to me, in line with the corner of the mouth.

I have never, ever dropped or even knocked this. In fact I only really use it on my shooting board (for which it is superb!).

I'm hoping someone is going to come along and tell me its all ok, nothing to worry about.....

.....please :?

 

[jimi43]

I'm sorry Mick...but from that shot...it is either the dismembered leg of a daddy-long-legs or a crack.....

Use the edge of your fingernail to see if you can feel it or if you are passing this way...I can run it under the microscope.

Given the reputation of Clifton on here and if memory serves me correctly...they are superb on customer service....so all is not lost.

Cheers

Jim

 

[Racers]

Hi, Mick

The cracks usually extend from the corner of the mouth out, it would be strange for it to start in the edge.
How far up the side of the plane does it extend?

Pete

 

[TobyC]

Put a small drop of paint thinner on the inside and see if anything seeps through. If it's a crack it will wick through quickly.

Toby

 

[CHJ]

...It definitely looks like a crack to me, in line with the corner of the mouth.

I have never, ever dropped or even knocked this. In fact I only really use it on my shooting board ....

Yes I agree it looks like a crack, but possibly a stress crack from the time of original casting but only just letting go and showing up.

You say "I only really use it on my shooting board" those are some serious scores on the sole.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

From the photo, it does look like a crack would look, and if a stress crack was going to show up, it would probably do so near a feature like a mouth opening. That one doesn't seem to be running in the direction of the mouth, though.

It might be worth checking the side cheek of the casting to see if the crack (if it is one) extends up the side. If there's no signs of a crack on the side meeting the one on the sole, then I reckon it's not a crack at all. No idea what it is, though - it looks too irregular to be a scratch.

 

[mickthetree]

Cheers guys. It is odd. I would assume a crack would only appear after some sort of knock or stress, but I'm sure I would have noticed that when I took the blade out a few days ago and its been sat on the shelf since. I can't imagine a crack would just magically appear?!? or can it?

Yes chas, the scores are horrible aren't they. I put it down in the shed and didn't go in there for a few days after I did that. Couldn't bear to look at it. I grabbed the plane to plane some endgrain on a bench I was making from a recycled church pew (cos its so very good on end grain!). Didn't notice it till a few hours later and was gutted. Must have been an old bit of metal or similiar in there. I must say though it does mark very easily. I've since heard others say the same.

I do only use it on my shooting boards now and the occasional final shaving since then. It takes such a great cut when set fine and the mass carries it through. Little wax on the sole and it just loves to cut fine shavings.

I can definately feel it with my fingernail, but as far as I can see it doesnt go up the side at all. Certainly cant feel it up the side or see anything with a magnifying glass.

Mike (I think that was his name) at Clifton took it back shortly after I bought it as the frog had been drilled incorrectly. He was most helpful and I think I still have his details somewhere. Possibly on the letter that came with the plane when I bought it.

Don't want to use it now incase I make it worse! Maybe he can reassure me that it will be fine and not likely move anymore.

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

I've seen little 'cracks' like this before, and they have never amounted to anything. I have an old Record 05 with a similar thing and it does not cause problems, the sole is flat and remains so. The little 'crack' has not changed (not got bigger) in all the years I have had the plane. I think they are just very fine flaws in the casting, which reveal themselves when the rough casting is machined flat. I'll bet it has always been there and you only noticed it after a bit of dirt/oxidation has accentuated it now the plane is no longer brand new. Why don't you use the scoring on the sole as an excuse to re flatten the sole. It may well dissappear with the rest of the unwanted scoring. If you have never flatted the sole before, you may well find an improvement in performance, too, as Cliffies, as good as they are, still benefit from some tuning in this area. The tolerances are not as fine as LN or LV in the first place and cast can still move form when you had it new.

Mike.

 

[Modernist]

When you read these tales you are left wondering why anyone buys Cliftons at all

Cracks, soft sole, wrong drilling, sole flattening and that's just this thread. IMHO they are also excessively thick cast which makes them very heavy and have the two piece cap iron which is an acquired taste.

 

[dunbarhamlin]

IIRC Clico uses the same tolerances as LN/LV but just cite them differently.
Can't say I've noticed any significant difference in normal wear and tear of the soles of Cliftons/LNs/LVs/Records I have. I don't use the soles to shave in, so don't really care.
Trawl the fora and you will find just as many (or perhaps that should read just as few) tales of woe (and equally positive outcomes) in respect of LV and LN.
Folks buy Cliffies because they like the presence of a heavy plane, a top quality forged iron and a stayset cap iron. (To couch your antipathy to these feature as if they're a flaw seems a bit shoddy. Or maybe I'm just grumpy today.)
Better still they're British, backed by superb aftersales support and most importantly Green.

 

[Racers]

When you read these tales you are left wondering why anyone buys Cliftons at all

Cracks, soft sole, wrong drilling, sole flattening and that's just this thread. IMHO they are also excessively thick cast which makes them very heavy and have the two piece cap iron which is an acquired taste.

Channeling Jacob?



Pete

 

[Modernist]

IIRC Clico uses the same tolerances as LN/LV but just cite them differently.
Can't say I've noticed any significant difference in normal wear and tear of the soles of Cliftons/LNs/LVs/Records I have. I don't use the soles to shave in, so don't really care.
Trawl the fora and you will find just as many (or perhaps that should read just as few) tales of woe (and equally positive outcomes) in respect of LV and LN.
Folks buy Cliffies because they like the presence of a heavy plane, a top quality forged iron and a stayset cap iron. (To couch your antipathy to these feature as if they're a flaw seems a bit shoddy. Or maybe I'm just grumpy today.)
Better still they're British, backed by superb aftersales support and most importantly Green.

In fact the soles of both LN and Veritas are softer than their Stanley/Record equivalents as they use similar raw material and both mark more easily as a result. I didn't mention the blade as I have no experience of them but they appear excellent from other's reports. The stay set is what it is but must make using a honing guide difficult which, from the comments, would be a problem to the majority of members here.

My own preferences are for primary use LN (bevel down) Sizes 4-6 and Veritas (BU) for smoothing, LA Jack for end grain and the excellent skew rebate range, with a mix of Record, Stanley and QS for other purposes. I use a mix of blades materials according to usage. I suppose it is personal preference but I have never felt that a Cliffie offered anything extra to the above, and are over heavy IMHO which is not always a good thing

 

[mickthetree]

Even after what I have said of my experiences, I LOVE this plane. I love its mass, I love the two piece cap iron and I love to use it. Thats probably why it has marks on it, because its a user. The blade also takes a wicked edge. I don't intend to use it on recycled wood anymore, even if it does look clean as it did in this case. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another.

I spoke to Alan at Clifton yesterday and he assured me it should not be an issue, but it has been recorded and if it becomes an issue I will be well looked after.

Thanks for the advice Mike. I lightly flattened the sole after hitting that debris, just to remove the worst of it. The sole shows as very flat with my straight edge. I guess its possible that in flattening the sole I revealed the crack that was just below the surface, but I really didn't remove much at all so I would be surprised if it had.

I shall continue to buy British if given the option and the product feels right.

 

[Jacob]

When you read these tales you are left wondering why anyone buys Cliftons at all

Cracks, soft sole, wrong drilling, sole flattening and that's just this thread. IMHO they are also excessively thick cast which makes them very heavy and have the two piece cap iron which is an acquired taste.

Channeling Jacob?



Pete

Did somebody call?
I like the SS cap iron but sometimes I wonder if they work better just because they are polished and fit well - which is possible with any old cap iron. They certainly do speed up sharpening.

 

[DTR]

When you read these tales you are left wondering why anyone buys Cliftons at all

Just a theory, but perhaps Stanley and Record also had their fair share of bad eggs, but over time they've been weeded out?

I like the SS cap iron but sometimes I wonder if they work better just because they are polished and fit well - which is possible with any old cap iron. They certainly do speed up sharpening.

I must say I've also bought a couple of Record Stay Set cap irons to speed up my sharpening. Not had enough experience yet to say whether it was worth it or not.

Is it a sin to put a Record cap iron on a Stanley plane?

 

[woodbrains]

I like the SS cap iron but sometimes I wonder if they work better just because they are polished and fit well - which is possible with any old cap iron. They certainly do speed up sharpening.

Hello,

You mean you haven't fettled your standard cap iron to be smoother and fit well? The simple solution is to do the same and then see if the two piece is better. It still will be though, for reasons we have mentioned ad infinitum, but still ignored by a few.

Mike.

 

[Modernist]

When you read these tales you are left wondering why anyone buys Cliftons at all

Just a theory, but perhaps Stanley and Record also had their fair share of bad eggs, but over time they've been weeded out?

I've got one of the weedings. A very nasty 1970 s No 5 with grinding so bad it could pass as a corrugated base :evil:

 

[Vann]

Is it a sin to put a Record cap iron on a Stanley plane?

It most definitely IS :!:

Use your Record SS parts to upgrade another Record, and buy a Cliffie SS cap-iron for your Stanley (hammer) :wink:

I had a Record SS set in a USA type 14 Stanley No.7 until I sold the plane (with the original Stanley cap-iron re-installed). And I've bought a Clifton SS set for my Record No.08 (also a sin :mrgreen: ). Clifton no longer make the No.8 size irons and cap-irons so I had to import old stock from Germany (and I've since bought a Clifton No.8 iron for it, which I had to import from the States) - no stock left in UK :roll:.

Cheers, Vann.