Upgraded no4

[Dangermouse.]

I was lucky enough to buy a new old stock Stanley No4 a back in September, box and all. Even more lucky it was the heavy weight type with the thick castings. So its a very nice plane, but thinking It might be made into a superb one, I remembered I had a spare blade and cap iron from Workshop Heaven in a drawer......... So after a bit of fettling the sole and sides, I filed out the mouth enough to give clearance to the new thick blade and cap iron. I'd done this to a No5 a couple of years ago and its not rocket science. Well after giving the blade a good honing I fitted it to the No4 and goodness didn't it just make that plane sing ! Now as good as a Clifton plane at a fraction of the cost. Isn't it nice that lots of people like to pay hundreds of pounds each for new planes, leaving the good old stuff for people like me to buy.

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

Funny, but I have replaced nearly all my planes irons for thicker ones, and never had to file the mouth on any of them. I think there is enough frog adjustment to avoid this. Usually, the mouths are gaping with the original irons and a thicker one closes it to a more acceptable aperture. It can't just be me who has found filing plane mouths to be generally unnecessary.

The heavy cast Stanley's are very good with a better iron though. My 4 1/2 is like an anvil! I did have a heavy Stanley 5 1/2 as well, but let it go, as I have a Record one. Two 5 1/2's was unnecessary? :roll:

Mike.

 

[bugbear]

I remembered I had a spare blade and cap iron from Workshop Heaven in a drawer.........

That's a bit like Nigel Slater "finding" half a cooked chicken and some parma ham in his fridge and "throwing together" a snack.

Neither my workshop drawers nor my fridge are like yours or Nigel's, mores the pity.

BugBear