When to replace a plane blade? Do I need to no 4s?

[morfa]

My no 4 blade only has about an inch to go before it hits the circle in the middle of the blade. How close to the hole should I go with it?

Where should I get a replacement from? I see workshopheaven sell some from Ray Iles. Would they be good?

Also as an aside, I have a modern no 4, could I use that blade? Is it work having two no 4s? As I'm thinking of selling the modern one.

 

[Racers]

Hi, morfa

I would replace it if you can't get a good edge on it, I think modern blades are hardened throughout.
A modern LV, Ray Iles, Ron Hock, Rob Cosman etc blade and chip breaker will improve your plane.
I would keep two No 4 one with a cambered blade for hogging off wood and a finely set one for finishing.

Pete

 

[GazPal]

Blades/irons are normally hardened to accept a cutting edge within a half inch of the hole you find near the leading edge of slots in modern plane irons, so you should have a way to go before replacement is absolutely necessary, but there's never any harm in having one or two spare irons handy anyway.

I'd also keep the second #4 as a standby piece of kit, because "Sod's Law" has a habit of creeping up at the most unexpected time to crack your plane sole, handle, etc., and - just as Pete said - you can retain one plane for course and the other for finish work.

 

[Jacob]

My no 4 blade only has about an inch to go before it hits the circle in the middle of the blade. How close to the hole should I go with it? .......

I'd just keep going until it becomes a problem. 5 years? Unless you are a sharpening enthusiast in which case it could be only hours away!
I've got an old woody where there's only about 1/4" left and the bevel just touches the hole. Long past the point where the cap iron can be adjusted so it must have been used as a single iron for a long time.

 

[carlb40]

A no 4 is a no 4, so blades will be the same size and interchangeable.

I have a Ray iles blade in my stanley no 65 and it is a great blade, takes an edge well and holds it for quite a decent length of time. The blade has been used on all different materials while i was on ward refurbs. So mdf, laminate, plastics, beech - both long and end grain, pine and various other timbers. It stood up well to all of those. Well worth the money

In my 4 1/2 i have a Quangsheng blade and chip breaker. Also seems to take a great edge on it, but not used it enough yet to say on durability.

 

[bugbear]

I have two Record #4's.

One is setup and tuned as a smoother, with a (very) flat sole, ultra sharp blade, tight mouth and close set cap iron, and is used to take very fine shavings, aiming at surface quality.

The other is set up as a "handy" shaping plane, with a much wider mouth, generally less tuning, and is used to take substantial shavings.

BugBear

 

[AndyT]

I have two Record #4's.

BugBear

That surprised me for a moment - then I realised - two Record #4s - but you carefully omit to mention the number of Cliftons, Stanleys, Marples, Acorns, Millers Falls, Sargents, Sorbys... :lol: :lol:

 

[bugbear]

I have two Record #4's.

BugBear

That surprised me for a moment - then I realised - two Record #4s - but you carefully omit to mention the number of Cliftons, Stanleys, Marples, Acorns, Millers Falls, Sargents, Sorbys... :lol: :lol:

Bear in mind, if you ask someone if they have 2 quid, and they have a tenner, they can honestly say "yes".



BugBear

 

[morfa]

Ok, so set up the 'modern' one as a quick and dirty plane and the 'old' one as a 'fine' plane.

Jacob - I use oilstones (don't have a combi, cause I find it quicker to have two side by side) and your 'freehand' method, so there's no worry of going through it that soon. Just wondering really as I'd realised that it was closeish to the end of the blade and was thinking it might cause some issues.

 

[GazPal]

Ok, so set up the 'modern' one as a quick and dirty plane and the 'old' one as a 'fine' plane.

Jacob - I use oilstones (don't have a combi, cause I find it quicker to have two side by side) and your 'freehand' method, so there's no worry of going through it that soon. Just wondering really as I'd realised that it was closeish to the end of the blade and was thinking it might cause some issues.

As long as the cap iron seats properly and your plane iron takes an edge it's good to go. :wink:

Many of us used to/still carry double sided oil stones (If involved with site work) because the single stone is lighter and takes up less space in our tool boxes than the obvious two they replace. Weight and bulk are also behind variations in choice when deciding on which tools we use in a typical kit. No two carpenters/joiners/cabinetmakers use precisely the same tooling or techniques unless schooled in the same place within the same time frame. Hence the number of "discussions" we have regarding sharpening and tooling. :lol: