Stanley 4 Smooth Plane 2 Inch 1-12-004

Product Information

Stanley Type 11 Handplanes date from 1910-1918. The APR-19-10 patent date appears with the other patent dates cast behind the frog. There is a new trademark adopted, where “STANLEY” “NEW BRITAIN” “CONN.” “U.S.A.” forms a v-shaped logo. In conclusion, I don't think one has to feel ashamed of their late model Made in England Stanley. This plane can definitely hang with the big boys. When using this plane, I would have to say that it works just as well as my type 11. The original blade and chipbreaker were in nearly new condition, so they weren't messed up and I didn't need to replace them. The original blade, however, does tend to need sharpening more frequently than my Ray Iles aftermarket blade. My time in the Army taught me that raw brass needs to be polished every day or it will start to tarnish and look muddy in a very short time. I thought I'd try an experiment and dip the newly polished brass in shellac to see if it would prevent the brass from oxidizing. I'll report later if it works or not. I only did this to the knob and tote nuts, not the blade adjustment wheel. I figured it was more important for me that the wheel felt right. Stanley Type 12 Handplanes date 1919-1924. The knob is taller than the previous style. The taller knob is called a “high knob.” The brass depth adjustment nut is measured at 1.25″ in diameter, which is larger than the previous one. There are logo changes.

No. 4 – what am I doing wrong? - Woodworking Topic: Stanley No. 4 – what am I doing wrong? - Woodworking

Please get familiar with the names of the multiple parts of the tool using a Stanley diagram which I will summarise below. Look for the bed of the plane behind the frog. If you can see any patent dates cast into the bed, note how many are there. Stanley Type 8 Handplanes date from 1899-1902. The “7-24-88” is the only patent date found on the lateral adjustment lever, and “STANLEY” is still there. The “S” casting marks are eliminated and replaced with “B.” If the word STANLEY is on the lateral adjustment lever in a vertical script, the plane Type is 19 and dated between 1949 and 1961. Stanley Type 14 Handplanes date 1929-1930. It is from the USA and is now cast into the bed at the toe. A raised ring is cast into the bed to act as a receiver for the knob, and it prevents the splitting of the knob. The chances of splitting are high due to the raised ring and greater leverage capable of being placed on them than on the low knobs.A lot is said about the ribbed face vs. the flat face on the frogs and I see no benefit to the flat face. The lever cap only presses on the blade at the lever and the bottom of the cap iron. The middle has no pressure on it at all. SUITABLE FOR: Removing very fine shavings from a variety of wood types to leave a smooth finish. When used effectively, the “No. 4” Sweetheart™ Smoothing Bench Plane from STANLEY® can produce a finish that equals or surpasses that made by conventional sandpaper.

Bench Planes - No. 4 Bailey | Cromwell Tools

Before writing this blog, I tried to do a little research on when this plane was made. There really isn't a proper type study of Made in England Stanleys like there is with the US versions. The best I could come up with was this link by Time Tested Tools which calls this plane an English type 3, produced from 1945-1972 (Stanley first started making planes in England in 1937). To my eye it looks newer than that, but I'm not an expert. Please comment if you know anything about when English planes were manufactured. Also, the mouth on the type 11 is finer. This doesn't really make a difference to me, though. Since I've learned to set the chipbreaker farther forward on the blade for fine shavings, I've not noticed a need for a fine mouth. It might just be sharpness of the blade Kirsty. You should be able to push the blade into the edge of a sheet of paper and have it cut cleanly or do the thumb nail test and see if the blade bites if you touch it to your nail (be gentle!). Make sure everything seats – mainly make sure that the slot in the blade/chip breaker is siting down over the tab and the lateral adjuster pin. Don’t worry too much about the lever cap being perfectly centered. There’s a fair amount of slop in all of that and you can twist those lever caps around quite a bit. Just make sure the cutting iron is razor sharp. If it isn’t, you’ll dig holes instead of cutting shavings.

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This plane comes with a new and improved Stainless Steel yoke installed in the Frog. The Steel is stronger than Bronze and will be more resistant to wear over time.

Plane | An Easy To Follow Guide How to Date a Stanley Plane | An Easy To Follow Guide

Materials and workmanship are guaranteed for the life of your tool. Call for repairs or replacement parts. We are available for advice if you ever have a problem using your tool. Proposition 65 Notice: Stanley Type 7 (Stanley no 7 plane identification) Handplanes date from 893-1899. The number designation is spaced farther apart. Bailey’s name and patent dates are no longer on the brass adjustment nut and cap iron. CLASSIC CHERRY WOOD HANDLES: Made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified cherry wood, the handle and knob are shaped to fit the hand naturally and comfortably, providing comfort in extended or repetitive use.

Product/Service Reviews

Today I decided go a bit more in-depth with my rehab of this plane, and work on the cosmetics. The first thing I did was polish up the brass with toothpaste and a gray scratchy on the parts that needed it.

STANLEY® “No. 4” Sweetheart™ Smoothing Bench Plane

They were decent tools, not great as built, but I didn't care for the look and feel over a vintage tool. Just look at the lever caps on those planes. The old one has flowing curves and from the side the curve blends with the side curve of the plane. The new one is crude by comparison, as though the designer couldn't figure out how to get the shape into his CAD system. I’m fairly sure the lever cap and screw is set correctly – it’s definitely not too loose, if anything I set it too tight and had to loosen it to allow me to adjust the depth.I’ll take some photos later of the blade etc. Howard, I’m using 240, 600 and 1200 grit sandpaper taped to a flat tile and trying to follow the technique on Paul’s sharpening video. I’m sorry but I’m not sure what is meant by the chip-breaker being honed – again I’ll take some more photos and hopefully you can enlighten me on this! The rear totes are different, too. The type 11, however, has a user made tote that may or may not be the same shape as the original. I've been meaning to make my own tote for it, but haven't gotten around to it yet. The English No. 4's tote is comfortable in my hand, so perhaps I'll make a new one similar to this one. In the end, what really matters is the surface of the wood. I find knots in pine can be difficult to get a nice, smooth surface on, but this plane did a superb job. Iron tools are cast from Ductile Iron, a very strong alloy that will take a lot of abuse. We use Manganese Bronze for the bodies of Bronze tools. These castings are fully stress relieved, a process that removes inherent stresses and ensures that the tool will remain flat and true.