Who has a Stanley 77 dowel cutter?

[Matt Day]

I recently bought a Stanley 77 with four cutters. I cleaned up some minor surface rust and gave it some oil and I think it's going to be a great user but I have a couple questions.

How does the crank handle attach? Mine comes right off. I initially thought that was for storage or something, but in use it just comes right off. Is the back of the rod peened? A pic would be great.

Regarding the cutter, what is the best way to sharpen them? I have a wolverine jig if that helps answer.

Thanks

[Jim Koepke]

That is one of the things I covet. It seems the prices are a bit high for my needs.

How about some pictures showing your handle and how it isn't mounting.

Google > stanley 77 dowel maker < for lots of pictures that may help you.

jtk

[Matt Day]

I've wanted one for a while and one popped up on CL. Very happy it has multiple cutters (1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 3/4).

[Jim Koepke]

Does the handle turn free on the shaft?

Not sure I would want to try peening would be a good idea with what is likely a cast iron arm.

Could you drill and tap the shaft to allow a screw and washer to hold it in place?

jtk

[Matt Day]

Yes, the handle turns freely.

Good point on the cast iron.

I could drill and tap, but I'd first want to see how stock ones are held in place. I'd like to keep it original as much as I can in case i ever decide to sell it.

[Matt Day]

Anybody? All the pictures online I could find were of the show sides from for sale listings mostly.

[Jim Koepke]

Anybody? All the pictures online I could find were of the show sides from for sale listings mostly.

Looks like you may be the only one lucky enough to have found one.

The Stanley instructions on line are pretty limited compared to most of their instruction sheets.

From your pictures it doesn't look like there is enough coming through the arm to peen it over.

I wonder if epoxy would work. At least it could be reversed.

Not sure if drilling and installing a roll pin would be the answer. Not sure if the value of the dowel cutter is a collector value as much as it is user value.

jtk

[Matt Day]

Good suggestions Jim. Epoxy might be the way to go. I agree that there's not enough material to peen over but I thought it would expand enough to make a tight fit in the hole.

Just wish I could figure out what Stanley had originally designed. I'll ask on another forum and hope for better luck.

[Malcolm McLeod]

... there's not enough material to peen over but ...

Out of my element on the Stanley, but have fixed similar shafts by center-punching the shaft after its 'installed'. Even tho' there is no shaft extending past the arm, the center punch effectively increases the OD of the shaft.

[Jim Belair]

Could you drive it on over some strips of very thin brass shim stock?

P.S. The dowel maker is a tool I too covet.

[Matt Day]

That's a good suggestion Jim. The hole in the arm is ever so slightly smaller at the end, so the rod does tighten up some but not enough. Maybe some shim stick will do the trick.

[Tim O'Hearn]

I have a NOS one. It looks to me as if the rod on the handle goes all the way through the arm and is then peened. I think in your case, I would use an epoxy that heat would loosen if I wanted to reverse the fix.

[Elmer Nahum]

Here are a couple of pics of the #77 handle. I am not quite sure how the handle is attached. Mine does not protrude through the hole completely nor does it seem peened. Glued? Welded? Only the wood handle rotates, not the metal portion.

[Darrell LaRue]

Mine seems to be peened, I took a picture of the back side there.

Stanley77Handle.jpg

Mine came with the usual single 3/8 cutter. I managed to pick up a 3/4 cutter cheap off <some online auction website>. My son was taking machine shop (yes we are lucky enough to have technical programs at our local high school!) and he wanted a challenge for his final project, so I asked him to make me a 1/2 inch cutter. The project was supposed to be something that could be a real saleable product. He did a good job of it, the thing fits perfectly and works great. The blind oddball Stanley threads were a bit tough to accomplish.

Stanley77Cutter.jpg
Darrell

[Stew Denton]

Hi Matt,

If I were concerned about damaging the collectors value, I would be tempted to keep the original handle, and make a replacement that would not damage the tool. Maybe a bolt with a wooden handle with a hole bored through the wood so that it would turn freely on the bolt. Attach it to the tool using two nuts, one on each side of the metal crank strap, to trap the bolt to the strap.

There are probably lots of ways to make a handle.

Anyway, just a thought. Some of the other thoughts above are good also.

Stew