Need help with a block plane
Welcome! / Forums / General Woodworking Discussions / Tools and Tool Maintenance/Restoration / Need help with a block plane
- This topic has 6 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 5 months ago by George Fulford.
-
AuthorPosts
-
9 November 2014 at 6:12 pm #120751
Hey everyone 🙂 I’ve got a block plane that is giving me some trouble. I googled setting up block planes, but not one (that I’ve found anyway) refers to this particular one. The only marking on it is DEX220. I got the plane from an antique store and gave it a good cleaning, flattening and sharpening, but the problem I’m having is getting it set back up properly. It chatters like mad no matter how much or little tension I put on the blade. I don’t know if maybe it’s missing a piece or two or what, but I can’t seem to get it quite right.
Attachments:
You must be logged in to view attached files.10 November 2014 at 12:12 am #120769Not sure, George. Looks like a copy of a stanley 220, and from that it appears complete.
A few possibilities…The back of the lever cap looks to be in pretty sad shape. Making sure it has a perfect fit with the blade at the point of contact between the two may help. This is a common problem with this style of block plane.
Check your bevel angle on the blade. Around 20-25 degrees is what you want, not as steep as on a bench plane. If the angle is too far out from this range, it will definitely affect performance.
Make sure the blade is bevel up not bevel down as in common bench planes.
I know you said you flattened, but did you mean the blade or the sole? If the sole is not flat –and these planes are commonly hollow on the sole directly behind the mouth– chatter is a common problem.
hope this helps. Let us know if you still have problems, maybe one of the others can offer better advice.
10 November 2014 at 5:59 am #120772I would do a little more diging on this.That type of number is the way mfg. Would code preproduction modles. You my have somthing more than a five dollar plane. Its worth looking into.
Frankj10 November 2014 at 4:04 pm #120783cpetersen1970 – Thanks for the suggestions 🙂 I went back over the plane, making note of all the things you described.
First, the lever cap. You’re right, it doesn’t fit quiiiite perfect.
Second, I flattened the sole and the blade according to Paul Seller’s bench plane instructions. Should the block plane blade be sharpened differently than a bench plane? And regarding the position of the bevel, the blade can only go in one way with this model, so I know that part’s ok at least. It has little indents on one side of the blade for the depth adjustment part to ride on. Speaking of which, I think I may have had that part (see photo, I’m not sure what the technical term for it is) in backwards this whole time. After I reversed it this morning, the chatter was still there, but not nearly as bad.
Frank – I searched for about an hour and found only one other plane that’s exactly like mine. All the guy said about it was that he inherited it from his aunt in Texas. I thought about contacting him, but it looks like he hasn’t updated his blog since 2012.
Attachments:
You must be logged in to view attached files.10 November 2014 at 8:03 pm #120799Progress!! I spent about 3 hours working on this plane, and it was worth it. I re-flattened the sole, lever cap and the blade. sharpened the blade using a honing guide set to 25°, and just gave the whole thing a good going over to clean it. Works like a dream now 😀 😀 😀
P.S. While sanding the blade, I found out the blade is a Norvell-Shapleigh. Opinions?
Attachments:
You must be logged in to view attached files.11 November 2014 at 10:20 pm #120855Glad you got it figured out! Shapleigh was a famous and very large hardware company in the early 20th…Saunders Norvell, who was one of the driving forces behind the success of the E.C Simmons (another famous hardware/tool maker company) and who would go on to be president of Remington Small Arms took over the company after the death of its founder and it became the Norvell-Shapleigh Co. in 1901. It was renamed the Shapleigh Company again in 1918. Diamond Edge and Keen Kutter, two very well known and well respected brands were among the nameplates manufactured by their company. I’d say that the plane and blade are probably of pretty good quality, comparable to a contemporary Stanley and the name dates them to the 1901-1918 period.
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.