Stanley 4 Smooth Plane 2 Inch 1-12-004

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What ‘stones’/ technique are you using to ‘sharpen’? – Picture? Hand sharpening was good enough for Jesus Christ, so it should be good enough for the rest of us; in these cases, a bevel guide for honing can be a complication instead of a solution. They certainly introduce more work than they are worth. Stanley Type 7 (Stanley no 7 plane identification) Handplanes date from 893-1899. The number designation is spaced farther apart. Bailey’s name and patent dates are no longer on the brass adjustment nut and cap iron.

Faithfull FAIPLANE4B No.4 Smoothing Plane in Wooden Box Faithfull FAIPLANE4B No.4 Smoothing Plane in Wooden Box

Today I decided go a bit more in-depth with my rehab of this plane, and work on the cosmetics. The first thing I did was polish up the brass with toothpaste and a gray scratchy on the parts that needed it. After a sharp edge, the chip breaker is the most important part of the plane and can, if not fitted correctly, lead to some of the problems that you describe. I'd say the old stanleys look better.. but that's it. Put it on the shelf and use the modern one. As you've demonstrated, with an Illes Iron it cuts as good as the best of them.SUITABLE FOR: Removing very fine shavings from a variety of wood types to leave a smooth finish. When used effectively, the “No. 4” Sweetheart™ Smoothing Bench Plane from STANLEY® can produce a finish that equals or surpasses that made by conventional sandpaper. I used this plane exclusively on a recent project with great results. I think the number one thing in getting a plane to work is making sure it is sharp. In conclusion, I don't think one has to feel ashamed of their late model Made in England Stanley. This plane can definitely hang with the big boys. I only started using the plane a couple of weeks ago, and I used for a good few hours before I sharpened at all. I knew the blade was getting very blunt because I was getting a lot of tearout – and after sharpening I was amazed at the difference. But now it’s not particularly causing any tearout, I just can’t get a single smooth cut. It’s maddening!

Bench Planes - No. 4 Bailey | Cromwell Tools

Stanley Type 8 Handplanes date from 1899-1902. The “7-24-88” is the only patent date found on the lateral adjustment lever, and “STANLEY” is still there. The “S” casting marks are eliminated and replaced with “B.” A lot is said about the ribbed face vs. the flat face on the frogs and I see no benefit to the flat face. The lever cap only presses on the blade at the lever and the bottom of the cap iron. The middle has no pressure on it at all.Stanley Type 9 Handplanes date from 1902-1907. No patent date on the lateral lever. “B” casting marks are eliminated. The number designation is now cast just behind the knob. A smaller bearing surface is cast into the bed. The frog has a slot at its bottom to fit over the ribbed cast in the bed. Before writing this blog, I tried to do a little research on when this plane was made. There really isn't a proper type study of Made in England Stanleys like there is with the US versions. The best I could come up with was this link by Time Tested Tools which calls this plane an English type 3, produced from 1945-1972 (Stanley first started making planes in England in 1937). To my eye it looks newer than that, but I'm not an expert. Please comment if you know anything about when English planes were manufactured. I’d get an Eclipse sharpening guide and see what happens. My bet is sharpening. When learning Paul’s method, it is easy to give a little lift at the end of the stroke that causes the tip of the bevel to be at a steeper angle. You can make this error on the strop, too. The bulk of the bevel will be fine, but then the tip is too steep and there’s no clearance. If you use a protractor, you’ll see a bit of light at the tip.