Upgrade Stanley Blade to a Quangsheng

[Prawn_Cracker]

Hi All

I know there have been a few how tos and information on the forum so please point me the right way if I have not be efficient in my searching!

I have a Stanley No.5 plane that I was hoping to upgrade the blade and iron with a Quangsheng model. I have posted a picture of the model number of my plane and also the old blade and iron side by side with the new one. The length and width of my new purchase seems within tolerances but the thickness (as I expect you a lot of you are all familiar with) is a few mm more on the Quangsheng blade.

I haven’t replced the yoke as it looks like I have enough protruding from the frog. Also, the width of the mouth in the sole of the plane looks adequate for the blade to pass through. The problem I am having though is that no matter how much I wind the frog back and forth I can’t seem to get a cutting edge successfully set! Quite simply the blade looks to be riding to high in the frog and can’t exit the mouth.

I thought it would be relatively straight forward to do this but perhaps not? Although there is a good chance I am just doing something daft! If anyone has some advice on how to succeed in this conversion then that would be greatly appreciated. Having read the favourable reviews on the Quangsheng blades I would like to try and make this work. I can’t afford a new plane right now and this looks like a economical way of substantially improving my plane...if it works!

Thanks in advance of your help

Andy

 

[Trafalgar]

The plane was simply made for the thinner cap iron/cutter combination of the original. I do believe that these retrofits are more successful, i.e. with less alteration of the plane, with later models of Stanley and Record planes most of which seem to have wider mouths than the ones made before WWII.

I would use the original parts knowing that despite what you've heard most improvements are marginal, at best.

I recently stuck the original Record cutter and capiron back into a 4.5 that had been carrying a Hock replacement iron and Cliffy StaySet (the Hock had a pretty deep nick that would need a session at the grinder to remove). Plane cut just as well, quite frankly. The edge didn't hold quite as long but I don't hold up quite as long either. Little honing breaks are the pauses that refresh.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Not quite sure what the problem is, but this might help to diagnose it. Take off the lever cap, and hold the plane at 45 degrees, so that the frog surface is horizontal. Put the original iron and cap-iron in place, and work the depth-of-cut adjuster to see what's happening between yoke and cap-iron, and the position of the cutting edge. Then do the same for the QS iron and cap-iron, and see what's happening. It might be worth trying the QS iron with the Stanley cap-iron. With a bit of luck, that should show what. if anything, isn't working as it should, and thus what needs doing to correct it.

PS Opinion is divided as to whether a slightly thicker iron and/or cap-iron improves the plane. All I can say on that score is that my Record 07 is a better plane with a Cliffie iron and stay-set cap iron in it than with the original iron and cap-iron. That's not an absolute proof of anything, just my experience.

 

[Prawn_Cracker]

Cheers guys, appreciate the input. Vann on this forum also mentioned that my plane was quite new so it seems that maybe my one is too recent to accept the upgrade.

I will have a look at it again this evening with the frog at 45 degrees and see if I can suss it out. Certainly the mouth is the right width, in that it can take the 2 inches ok but given the thickness of the cap and iron the mouth doesn't have enough length for the iron and cap to 'slide'out. Perhaps this is why people file the mouth out? I'm not keen on filling my plane.

I will have a more thorough go tonight and let you know how I get on. It was late when I had a go last night!

Cheers

 

[Racers]

It could be the chip breaker slot in the Quangsheng in a different position, try swapping them over and seeing if the Quangsheng blade can be set.
It doesn't take a lot to play havoc with blade adjustment.

Pete

 

[Prawn_Cracker]

Cheers Pete, will try that too!

 

[baldpate]

Another possibility :

you say you think the tongue on the adjuster yoke is long enough to engage. And it may well do so, but invevitably, since the QS blade is thicker, it will not engage so deeply into the slot in the cap iron. It may be that it initially engages sufficiently that turning the depth adjuster knob moves the bllade assembly as expected, but that whilst advancing the blade (deeper cut) the tongue disengages sooner than it did with the thinner blade - and as a result the blade won't advance far enough to protrude.

 

[Bod]

Do Quangsheng have a longer adjuster yoke as an option?

Bod

 

[woodbrains]

Do Quangsheng have a longer adjuster yoke as an option?

Bod

Hello,

Yes, try workshop heaven, they sell variations to suit Stanley, Record and variants.

Mike.

 

[Dovetaildave]

Do Quangsheng have a longer adjuster yoke as an option?

Bod

Hello,

Yes, try workshop heaven, they sell variations to suit Stanley, Record and variants.

Mike.

I've done this a few years ago and found I also needed ;
A fine flat file, Wet n dry paper, and quite a bit of Patience.....
The recall that the yolk pin knocks out from one side only, you'll need a drift for that also !

It works great now....good luck :wink:

 

[Prawn_Cracker]

Cheers for all the advice everyone. I finally got sometime to take a proper look at things and as per Dave's comment the mouth will need enlarging or the cutting edge cant clear the mouth without fouling. A longer yoke is needed too as whilst mine engages it isn't quite enough. I ordered a record yoke from a Clico distributor.

Dave, or anyone else, what side does the drift need to be applied to or rather what side should the pin exit from?!

I'll get 2mm skimmed off and report back!

 

[Trafalgar]

Not worth the trouble, but good luck anyway.

 

[JJ1]

A useful thread as I'm planning to do the same in the not too distant future.

Please report back when you've had a chance to use the new blade and let us know if you feel it was a worthwhile upgrade.

 

[Dovetaildave]

I've done 3 or 4 of mine and they are a mixture of smoothcut, QS 01, and Ron Hock A2, all with QS and RH chip breakers.

To tell the truth, I cant remember which way they drift out, but they do drift easily, tap it once and if I doesn't move come from the other side.

If you do get into a bother, let me know and ill fish them out and do it here and let you know.

Must admit, Smooth cut is really good, good space around the mouth.

Once done you'll never look back, Goodluck

 

[deema]

I looked at doing the same a year or two ago. However, after looking at the price of a decent replacement iron, cap iron etc etc, and considering the price of a new top draw plane, I decided to cash in my planes on eBay and save all of the hassle and buy some new planes.
I did do one plane in which I used a Veritas PM4 blade and Cap iron I bought on line from the Veritas WEB site from the USA. The blade just drops in and is perfect. If you are thinking of going down the upgrade route I would highly recommend looking at the Veritas PM4 sets that are designed for just this type of upgrade.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Dave, or anyone else, what side does the drift need to be applied to or rather what side should the pin exit from?!

On my Records, you knock the pin out from the left-hand side, so it exits from the right. You shouldn't need to hit it very hard - it comes out quite easily.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Prawn_Cracker]

Cheers Paul, I have now upgraded my plane blade and all is working well.

In the end I did not need to replace the yoke. It works fine with the factory fitted one.

The mouth did need modification and a kind friend milled it to 9mm.

With a few adjustments to the frog, setting the cap iron the right distance from the blade and all done.

The difference is very noticeable and it is very much an improvement.

 

[JJ1]

Thanks for the update. Sounds like a worthwhile upgrade.

 

[Dovetaildave]

"In the end I did not need to replace the yoke. It works fine with the factory fitted one. "

Excellent news, was quite a tricky job getting a longer one shaped just right.

 

[bugbear]

The mouth did need modification and a kind friend milled it to 9mm.

Sounds like a keeper!

BugBear