Stanley No 78
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Hi Can anybody tell me how to adjust a cutting blade in a Stanley no 78 plane to reduce the depth of cut I have adjusted the depth of cut with the lever in maximum position but the blade still protrudes out too far
Thanks
David
Wigan, Lancs. England :
The 78 plane blade has two adjusters. There is the lever that moves it in and out. And there are also depressions on the under side of the blade. These depressions engage the adjusting mechanism. As the blade gets shorter from sharpening over time, you change its location so that the adjusting mechanism can engage other depressions. If the blade is too far out when it is withdrawn by the lever, you need to remove the blade and reset it to engage other depressions. Once you realize this adjustment is there, it is pretty obvious how to do it. Good luck.
Hi Thanks for your quick response I will give it a try when I get back into my work shop.
Do you know of any youtube videos that show the setting of the blade depthRegards David
Wigan, Lancs. England :
When i set mine i set it on a flat surface and install the blade with the lever down so the blade is not cutting wood. Then move the blade down until it takes a shaveing. If too thin mine will clog if too thick it will clog but it seems to do good with a med thick shaveiing, whats medium ? Enough it doesnt acordian in the mouth and thin enough to easily clear the lever cap. On pine it usually comes out as chips. It will clog though. No matter what so just expect it.
Hi Guys
Thanks for your helpful suggestions
I have now been able to set the blade depth on my Stanley plane and have got it working wellWigan, Lancs. England :
I always set my iron as close to flush with the sole of the plane as I can with the slots of the back of the blade. move the adjuster so that you have plenty of room to advance the iron to the desired depth. I have a block plane with the same type of slots and set it the same way. Works for me!
I hope some of you with more experience can help me with the issue I have with this plane. Paul’s video on the Fillister Plane was very helpful to me but as I practice on a scrap piece of wood I run into some trouble.
As Paul suggest’s I begin at the far end of the piece of wood but as I move back to the near end I notice my cut are not perpendicular.
Also, I notice the depth stop has two slides to fit the body of the plane. However, the body itself has only one guide. This misaligns the depth stop and if I try to take an accurate measurement my ruler does not securely butt up to the stop. Why is it designed this way? Do people file away the unnecessary slide?
One last thing is the adjustment for the iron. Here, on the first notch, I take off two much or not at all. There’s no in between. I would like to get a thin shaving just like I can with a smoothing plan. Also, too much shaving means too much force and I think this adds to the problem I have keeping the plane secure to the side of the piece of wood. When I switch to the next notch I have no engagement with the wood, meaning the iron never goes through the sole. I’m wonder here if people widen the notches to allow for more adjustment or is this a mistake?Thank you all. –John
Dripping Springs, Texas
First met Paul when he lived is Texas. So happy he is active online. We are all blessed for his generosity.
Would be happy to meet anyone in the Austin area who also follows Paul's work.@EOINGROGAN It’s really easy to unintentionally tilt a rabbet plane. Lightening the cut means you can use a lighter hand, which can help. See if you are inadvertently keeping the plane tight to the work in a way that tilts the plane over. Also, you may be twisting the handle without realizing it. You could try not wrapping your fingers through the handle but just keeping your hand like a “U” with the fingers and thumb all pointed forward, just as an experiment. Also, is your clamp getting in your way as you move back and causing you to twist?
As Ed says,
push hard with the left hand on the fence to keep the plane body parallel to the edge (vertical) and use your right hand just to move forward without a tight grip on the handle.Paul’s video on the #78 is adequate for me. I have on occasion made a wooden fence that is longer and wider than the factory fence. I set my iron flush to the sole and use the lever for all adjustments. The light hand approach while planing works well for me. And, as Paul would remind us, your iron should be as you can get it. And I find Paul is correct to remind us to start the far end of the rabbet and work toward the back. Fifteen minutes of practice on scraps before you use your project piece is always a good idea. If you place your off hand properly you can insure that the fence square to the edge, it can also hold the plane flat to the surface and insure that you are perpendicular . It is truly a matter of practice and muscle memory. Poplar and pine scraps a great test pieces.
Thank you all for your suggestions. I’m definitely trying a lighter right hand and practicing on scraps.
Below is my fourth scrap for practice which I’m pleased with. Note, my original settings were 5/8″ wide by 3/8″ deep. I reversed this (3/8″ wide and 5/8″ deep) and found I have more control with this setting.
Thank you again, John
Dripping Springs, Texas
First met Paul when he lived is Texas. So happy he is active online. We are all blessed for his generosity.
Would be happy to meet anyone in the Austin area who also follows Paul's work.My Woden (so not Stanley, but very similar) 78’s depth stop has two vertical ridges, but one of them is thicker than the other. The thicker one fits in the groove, the other one has no groove to fit in. Even if the ridges were the same I don’t think slight rotation around the vertical axis when tightened would be a problem in this part, the other axis are the critical ones.
The notches on the blade are intended to account for sharpening so one or maybe two of them should be usable at any point in time. If none seem to work perhaps there is a problem with the adjustment lever?
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