Hi Wise Woodworking Community,
First, thanks for everything on this site. So far I've only lurked here as a registered user and have learned a lot.
I have a newbie question about planes. I just purchased my first plane (not counting the $20 Borg bench plane I've been using), a Stanley 60-1/2 block plane, and something seems a bit out of whack. The cutting iron will not protrude to the bottom of the plane bed even when fully forward. Put another way, even when the mouth is open as wide as possible, as I move the blade forward it approaches the front of the mouth opening before reaching the bottom of the mouth. So no wood is being contacted by the blade.
It's as if the blade is at the wrong angle to the bed - is that possible? Since the frog and base are one solid piece, it doesn't seem possible to adjust this angle without a LOT of elbow grease. Or am I overlooking a really basic adjustment? I know I need to do some basic tuning before really using this thing, but being unable to make the cutter even contact wood seems wrong.
On the bright side, I actually enjoyed using my $20 Borg plane and am looking forward to using a smoother, smaller plane for trim and cabinet installs!
Thanks,
Sara