Nicks in a plane sole

[Prashun Patel]

I just bought a Stanley #5 Plane that I'm refurbishing. The sole has a couple nicks in it. I'm able to flatten it quite well, but there are still some little divots in the sole. Should these be filled? I can't see why it should matter.

[Wilbur Pan]

Without actually seeing the plane, I wouldn't worry about it. If those divots really mattered, then the Stanley #5C wouldn't exist.

[Rob Young]

If nothing can catch on the edges of the nicks, then they are of little consequence.

On the plus side, now you can say you have some custom made wax reservoirs built into your plane sole...

[Richard Niemiec]

Lap the sole on some sandpaper taped to a flat surface. So long as the edges of the divots don't stand proud (as already noted), it won't matter in the least. Then see if it pulls shavings like it should, and it will. I would strongly advise against any filler in the cast iron as that can cause more mischief than the divot itself.

RN

[Prashun Patel]

Thanks, All. That's pretty much what I thought.