Stanley block plane and lateral movement

[RedShirtGuy]

In a fit of urgency I blew a seemingly obscene fat stack on a Stanley/Bailey Block Plane from the ganGREENous shed this arvo.

It's ok enough...nothing flash...needs a good going over to get mirror like surfaces on the sole and blade (as expected)...

But when I'm using the thing, fresh from the packaging, the lateral movement of the blade is very easy to "accidentally adjust" while planing as the surface you rest your palm on will merrily swing side to side with just a little "steering" pressure.

This is also an issue with my modern Stanley #4 plane...a tough bit of timber will fight back and change the angle of the blade.

Am I going mental or is there something I can do about this problem...particularly with the blocky...because "by design" it seems, I'm skewing all over the place with the thing mid stroke(s).

[TermiMonster]

Maybe you need to tighten the 'blade retaining screw' or whatever it's called, by just a bee's d**k. See if it improves things.
HTH,
TM

[IanW]

Yep, I'll second that. Sounds like you've got insufficient lever-cap pressure...

[ian]

could be the blade bed is so far from flat that the blade is pivoting on just one high spot

[RedShirtGuy]

Maybe you need to tighten the 'blade retaining screw' or whatever it's called, by just a bee's d**k. See if it improves things.

I don't have any anatomically accurate Bee measuring devices, but I did have an antique handed down by my Great-Great-Great-Grandfather that could accurately measure in gnat's farts, so with a quick measurement conversion I was able to tighten the screw accurately.

And it worked. Thanks muchly

It seems to be reasonably rigid now...how it holds up to shooting gnarly end-grain is another story, but that's for another day.



It's still a stupid design though