Reply To: Stanley Router Plane foot, what is it for?
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The original Stanley 71 didn’t have the arched opening on it and was instead exactly like the 71 1/2 router with the closed base. The new style with the arch was touted as an improvement that allowed you to see where you were cutting. It did not come with a provision for a shoe. It also didnt come with holes to attach a wood sole
One of the major tasks carpenters used the plane for was for routing uniform hinge gains (the recess the hinge fits into). The new 71 wasn’t so good for that as the plane wouldn’t ride on the edge of a narrow door without the plane falling into the recess you were trying to rout.
One thing Stanley did was reintroduce the old version with the closed mouth and new 71 1/2 number.
The other thing they did was introduce a shoe to close the gap for those who had purchased the new style 71 and complained about the problem. You bought a shoe and a new collar that had an arm that supported the shoe. Later, they redesigned the plane with the support for the shoe in the arch and holes for a sole like your model. Of course, you lose the supposed added visibility when you install the shoe.
The shoe can also act as a depth stop (depth indicator, really). You turn the shoe and rod upside down so the skinny end is down and leave it loose in the hole. By adjusting the shoe, it will tell you when you have gotten to your desired depth. It does NOT prevent you from routing deeper, so it really isn’t very exact.
Details here:
http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan10.htm
You can instead use a small stop collar on either the threaded adjuster rod or on the cutter itself. I found one from a doweling jig that fits quite well. Just be careful you don’t bugger the threads if you put the collar on the threaded rod. I use a soft brass bolt in the collar.
Paul doesn’t use the shoe for either purpose. He either puts a wooden sole on the plane, or uses a Preston or Tyzak plane. Both of those models have a closed sole like the 71 !/2.
When veritas came out with their plane, they designed it with a closed mouth. Lie Neilsen first came out with an open arch design like the 71 (without the shoe) they later came out with a closed mouth plane also. The new planes come with depth stop collars.