Uses for Retired Plane Irons
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- This topic has 8 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 11 months ago by Dominik G-S.
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28 April 2015 at 11:16 am #126797
So, going over my planes again as I resume work on my workbench, I have discovered that one of my planes, a #4 1/2, has an iron that is very close to retirement. Getting a new one isn’t a problem, I don’t mind just picking up a modern day Stanley replacement. What does concern me, is what to do with the left over steel? I hate to let it go to waste.
I have done some cursory research which suggests marking knives are a good use. I am told the steel is too thin to make wooden plane blades with, which is kind of a shame, I was thinking I could make a matched pair of hollows and rounds.
I don’t need a marking knife, as I just had one of those Stanley flip knives like Paul uses arrive in the post. What else could I do? Has anyone tried anything before?
Why would the steel be too thin for wooden planes? Maybe because of the wedge stressing the iron too much? I’ve picked up and restored a wooden plane with a very old iron thinner than the one in my #4, Sandusky Tool Co. is the maker etched on it. The plane works very well, no chatter, nice shavings! I’d say go ahead and make a wooden plane for your old blade, if it doesn’t work you can always buy a new iron.
28 April 2015 at 5:01 pm #126805Can’t keep the cap iron on, it belongs with the plane. A new blade won’t come with a new cap iron, and even if it did, it wouldn’t necessarily suit the plane.
The problem is the iron is becoming too short to keep using in the existing plane.
I had thought that a good wedge would help considerably with the thin blade, but I’m specifically thinking of the old wooden rebate and fillister planes, and the matched moulding planes, not so much the old wooden body smoothers and jointers.
30 April 2015 at 6:01 pm #126896I do not have a plough plane. At some point I will have to get one, but hopefully it will come with all it’s own blades 😛
Any ideas on how to cut down the plane irons? I suppose I might try an angle grinder with a cutoff disc. Hopefully it doesn’t burn the steel too badly.
5 May 2015 at 3:17 pm #126994Angle grinder or Dremel should do it. I would lay a wet rag on the iron during the cut. Taking breaks during the cut helps too.
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