[Don]

I just recently purchased a used Stanley 48 online.  The plane is in good shape and I have sharpened the blade.  The problem with this plane thus far is that even without the blades attached it is hard to push down the groove that it makes in the wood.  This gets worse as the groove depends.  I looked at  the plane but could not find any obvious problem.  Since the problem got worse as the groove deepened I thought of a possible friction problem.  I rubbed a candle on the suspect surfaces and it went down the groove very smoothly.  However a few more strokes and it reverted to sticking.  Rewaxed it and all was well until a few more passes were made.  What I am looking for is a surface  treatment that holds up a bit longer that wax.  Maybe there are better waxes out there for this purpose?  I am hoping there is some kind of aerosol product that will last longer than the wax.  Do any of you antique plane users have any idea of what may work.

Don

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[James Wright]

#2028834

Does this happen in the tong or groove set up or both?

 

Use a bit of oil instead of wax. (if you ask which oil you will get hundreds of answers) but I use olive or baby oil. but it sounds like the iron has been “thinned” a bit or the runner is bent. the blade should be slightly wider (by a few thousands)

[Mike in TN]

#2028835

Hi Don,

It sounds like the fence may be out of alignment or you may have a bad or wrong blade. Double check the stock to make sure it is flat on the face the fence is running against. If the blade was simply tapered (thin at the edge and fat further up on the blade) that would cause some binding in the cut but shouldn’t cause binding by the plane with the blade removed. Check to see if the swivel pin is bent, and also take a look at the pin that locks the fence in place to see if has been bent (probably by dropping it at some point) which might cause toe-in or out. I have one but mine works well even without any lubrication.  I would love to have a #49 to go with it. The other obvious thing to check, as James suggests, is the blade width. On most grooving planes  the blade does just sit a little proud of the skate but the #49 is set up a little different. The groove cutting side of mine measured 0.358 wide at the edge and the skate was only about 0.258 wide so there was lots of clearance on mine.

Have fun.

[Mike in TN]

#2028836

Sorry guys, I meant to say that the #48 is set up a little different.

Have fun.

[Author]

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