Stanely No 3 with nail under the frog
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Welcome! / Forums / General Woodworking Discussions / Tools and Tool Maintenance/Restoration / Stanely No 3 with nail under the frog
Hi,
I’ve been given a Stanley No 3 plane that is in need of restoration.
It all seems to be okay, although I found an oddity that I hope someone on here can help with.
There was a length of coarse wire (or a nail) under the rear of the frog, between the frog and the sole of the plane.
It was all clamped down tightly (the frog adjusting screw plate had been removed), and looked to me like a customisation as nothing else seems out of place. When I removed it the plane went back together as normal.
I am guessing that this was done to raise the angle of the frog. Everything else was standard.
Has anyone ever seen this sort of thing before? If so, do you know why it was done?
Thanks
Darren.
I haven’t seen this on any of the eighteen or so Stanley/Record Bailey-pattern bench-planes which have passed my way.
It sounds as though the nail was a quick & easy substitute for a steel spacer plate – to raise the frog angle and create a higher cutting angle.
I guess the owner had just the one iron and wanted to switch between high/low angles, or was trying to use the plane as a Scraper, or didn’t have access to a grinder to correct a very shallow grind?
The Adjuster-screw-plate was probably removed because it would no longer be square to the Adjuster-screw, and was no longer useable now that altering the Screw changes both the cutting angle and the Mouth.
I would definitely remove it, and be thankful the Frog-retaining-screws were unaffected and the Frog seats well and all works as it should.
Interesting to see other people’s solutions and workarounds!