Jarviser
Established Member
This is not so much a "how to" as a "one way to" reduce backlash after fitting a thicker blade to a bog-standard 1970's bench plane. There are other ways but this is the one I chose. I thought you may be interested.
I have recently fitted a Ron Hock blade and chipbreaker to my old Record No. 6 Fore plane. The depth adjuster backlash was already a full turn, but when adding the thicker blade it increased to almost two turns of the adjuster wheel. This is due to the modern two-piece pressed steel Y-lever's nose being tapered, (well actually shaped like a gear tooth). The mod involves Silver-Soldering a brass "crown" to increase the effective size of the lever's "Tooth".
NB. This is an expensive one to cock-up if you are not confident of your metal bashing abilities!
STEP 1.Drive out the 1/8 " pin holding the Y-Lever using a suitable 3mm drift, such as an old jewellers' screwdriver with a ground-off end. If it does not budge one way, try from the other end. It may be tapered or rivetted over. It may even be a roll-pin. If it will not budge - abort the repair!
Clean up the pin with emery if damaged to make it easier to replace.
STEP 2.
Gently file off enough metal to remove any plating or rust where the shim will be soldered - i.e. round the end and flanks of the "tooth". Don't overdo it!
STEP 3.
Clean up with abrasive a suitable piece of shim stock - in this case 0.4mm brass sheet. For good soldering it should be shiny and slightly rough. Cut with tinsnips or even old scissors. If I had any steel shim I would probably have used it instead.
STEP 4.
Cut and shape a piece about 50% wider than the lever using needle nose pliers. It should fit closely on the flanks, but the nose can be slightly rounded and should fill with solder.
STEP 5.
Place the lever in a vice with hardwood jaws to insulate from the vice, and fit the brass "crown" in place. Clear the bench and have your fire extinguisher ready!
STEP 6.
I used SILVER SOLDER, which is harder than electricians solder, but softer than braze, and melts well below red-heat. Apply plumbers or similar acid resin flux. Heat the lever gently with a butane torch. The flux will bubble first. Keep touching the silver solder to the lever until it starts to run. Back off the flame. Apply to both sides of the lever.
STEP 7.
Allow to cool, wash off any flux, place in the vice and file off the protruding brass and solder...
....down to the steel.
STEP 8.
Carefully file off the upper and lower faces until a zero backlash fit is achieved with the chipbreaker slot.
STEP 9.
Refit the lever using the drift in place of the pin to allow for removal and refitting whilst final fettling takes place.
Step 10.
When you are happy with the fit, replace the proper pin in the plane's frog.
After all this bashing about, the frog will need to be checked for alignment so that the blade fits squarely in the mouth.
P.S. this treatment is not available on the NHS.
I have recently fitted a Ron Hock blade and chipbreaker to my old Record No. 6 Fore plane. The depth adjuster backlash was already a full turn, but when adding the thicker blade it increased to almost two turns of the adjuster wheel. This is due to the modern two-piece pressed steel Y-lever's nose being tapered, (well actually shaped like a gear tooth). The mod involves Silver-Soldering a brass "crown" to increase the effective size of the lever's "Tooth".
NB. This is an expensive one to cock-up if you are not confident of your metal bashing abilities!
STEP 1.Drive out the 1/8 " pin holding the Y-Lever using a suitable 3mm drift, such as an old jewellers' screwdriver with a ground-off end. If it does not budge one way, try from the other end. It may be tapered or rivetted over. It may even be a roll-pin. If it will not budge - abort the repair!
Clean up the pin with emery if damaged to make it easier to replace.
STEP 2.
Gently file off enough metal to remove any plating or rust where the shim will be soldered - i.e. round the end and flanks of the "tooth". Don't overdo it!
STEP 3.
Clean up with abrasive a suitable piece of shim stock - in this case 0.4mm brass sheet. For good soldering it should be shiny and slightly rough. Cut with tinsnips or even old scissors. If I had any steel shim I would probably have used it instead.
STEP 4.
Cut and shape a piece about 50% wider than the lever using needle nose pliers. It should fit closely on the flanks, but the nose can be slightly rounded and should fill with solder.
STEP 5.
Place the lever in a vice with hardwood jaws to insulate from the vice, and fit the brass "crown" in place. Clear the bench and have your fire extinguisher ready!
STEP 6.
I used SILVER SOLDER, which is harder than electricians solder, but softer than braze, and melts well below red-heat. Apply plumbers or similar acid resin flux. Heat the lever gently with a butane torch. The flux will bubble first. Keep touching the silver solder to the lever until it starts to run. Back off the flame. Apply to both sides of the lever.
STEP 7.
Allow to cool, wash off any flux, place in the vice and file off the protruding brass and solder...
....down to the steel.
STEP 8.
Carefully file off the upper and lower faces until a zero backlash fit is achieved with the chipbreaker slot.
STEP 9.
Refit the lever using the drift in place of the pin to allow for removal and refitting whilst final fettling takes place.
Step 10.
When you are happy with the fit, replace the proper pin in the plane's frog.
After all this bashing about, the frog will need to be checked for alignment so that the blade fits squarely in the mouth.
P.S. this treatment is not available on the NHS.