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Thread: Stanley 46 questions

  1. #1
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    Stanley 46 questions

    Hi All,

    I'm considering adding a#46 to the till for an old-school furniture project. I've been researching them as much as I can online but there were a couple questions that I couldn't resolve. Any help would be appreciated.

    Question one is whether there are preferred types. Bench planes seem to have a long stretch of quality but the combination planes changed quite a bit. I'm particularly interested to know if the guard era (1-7) matters compared to the fence era (8-up) planes. The second question is if the arm spacing is the same so I can add a later fence to an older plane.

    I'll be shopping on Ebay. Getting a set of cutters would be nice but I don't mind grinding some O1 steel to make ones I know I'll need. I'd probably only use two or three of a set anyway. If my studies are right, this never came with a 3/4" cutter and I could easily whip-out some undersized plywood sizes at the same time.

    Thanks for looking, Skip

  2. #2
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    Are collecting antique tools, if so go for it.
    http://www.handplane.com/213/stanley...ination-plane/

    On the otherhand, if working wood, I favor :
    http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/pag...at=1,230,41182

    Look at the price difference.

  3. #3
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    The second question is if the arm spacing is the same so I can add a later fence to an older plane.

    I'll be shopping on Ebay. Getting a set of cutters would be nice but I don't mind grinding some O1 steel to make ones I know I'll need.
    Stanley made all the rod spacings on their combination planes different so people couldn't avoid buying new plane via the mix and match method.

    You may want to get at least one blade. The #46 blades are skewed. The sides are ground different than on other combination planes.

    I do not have an answer about the different types.

    I do know the #46 is the 'odd duck' for the collectors and the prices are often high. Since there weren't a whole lot of them sold when they were available, they are a bit of a rarity today.

    The only place where the #46 is different than other combination planes is the skewed blade improves performance for cross grain work.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by lowell holmes View Post
    Are collecting antique tools, if so go for it.
    http://www.handplane.com/213/stanley...ination-plane/

    On the otherhand, if working wood, I favor :
    http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/pag...at=1,230,41182

    Look at the price difference.
    Gotta dissagree here. If you want to plow with the grain, then any plow will work for you. If you want the ability to go cross-grain for dados then the Stanley 46 is a better option for you. The thing is, the 46 will cut with the grain very well, and is made for cross-grain work too, so the the 46 has its advantages. If you can grind your own blades, the 46 has few limits. As noted earlier, the sides of the blades on the 46 are relieved which adds to the task of grinding new blades. Be sure to look for the spurs on the 46 too. Mine came without spurs or nickers, but I bought their replacements on Ebay.

    Allen

  5. #5
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    You sure want to plow cross grain a lot to spend $400 for a plane.


    Stanley No. 46 Skew Cutter Combination Plane




    Manufactured: 1873 to 1942
    Length: 10-1/2 inches
    Blade Width: 11 cutters provided: 1/4, 3/16, 5/16, 3/8, 1/2, 5/8, 13/16, 7/8. 1-1/2 inch, 1/4 inch tongue cutter and 1-1/2 inch filletster cutter
    Construction: Cast iron, rosewood handles & fence
    Finish: Nickel plated
    Features: Skewed cutter, adjustable fence and depth stop. Also 11 interchangeable cutters, spurs and slitter
    Uses: Plow, dado, filletster and rabbet plane
    Average Dealer Price: $150 to $450
    Average eBay Price: $600 to $1000
    Type 1: $400 to $1200
    Type 2: $225 to $450
    Types 3 to 7: $200 to $500


    Actually, cross grain dado work is also accomplished with sawing the limits of the slot and removing the waste with a chisel.
    Last edited by lowell holmes; 06-27-2016 at 7:07 PM.

  6. #6
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    Or a Stanley #45.....

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    The second question is if the arm spacing is the same so I can add a later fence to an older plane.
    In my original answer this question may have been misunderstood. From all I know the arm spacing on the combination planes of a particular model number stayed the same over the years of changes.

    My thought was you were wondering if a fence for a #45 would fit a #46. That answer is no.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  8. #8
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    Thanks all, Yes Jim, I'm just wondering about 46's. I have a Sargent #37 dado plane (like the Stanley #39 with a 7/8" cutter) and like the way the skew cuts material. Alas, you need a different plane for each cutter width.

    Lowell, I just lost a really nice example with a full set of cutters for $147 on the Bay. There are always guys trying to put a kid through college on the buy-it-now but actual sold units are generally under $200 unless they are collector quality. I like fixing beaters and figure I can get a serviceable unit for less than $80 with no cutters.

    I'm a fair hand quickening and tempering tool steel and don't mind lopping off pieces of O1 as needed. It's the smaller sizes I'm interested in anyway -- don't need to make my own window sashes.

    The Veritas unit looks very nice. If I ever start thinking about a true combination plane for beading and ogees, that will get a fair look.

    Cheers, sh

  9. #9
    I bought a 46 without cutters on ebay and the cutter set from St. James and the missing nickers/spurs on ebay all for quite a bit less than the numbers above. If you don't mind making your own cutters you could even do beading with a 46. I have both the 46 and the L-H Veritas small plow plane and like them both.

  10. #10
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    Thanks Allen, Do you have an earlier or later model?

    As far as hardening and tempering goes, there isn't anything easier to make than small chisels and plane blades. Usually they are small enough that just a MAPP torch will get them orange hot. If not, you can make a mini forge out of kiln bricks or a coffee can that will do the job cheap. I hadn't thought of concave cutters but if you can imagine the shape at the skewed angle, I don't see why you couldn't grind it out. sh

  11. #11
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    I hadn't thought of concave cutters but if you can imagine the shape at the skewed angle, I don't see why you couldn't grind it out.
    The blade cutout for a flute or a bead is an ellipse. With a straight blade the ellipse angle is the bedding angle. With a skewed blade the section of the ellipse would be bisected in relation to the angle of the skew. It was possible for the craftsmen of a century or more in the past to do it, should be a piece of cake.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  12. #12
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    Plus, you can only go so wrong. Leave the blank long, grind the profile perpendicular to the sides rather than the leading edge and plane a piece of wax. If you blow it, lop the end off and try again. If/when it's good, harden the blank and clean.

    FWIW, I've been getting good steel from McMaster Carr for 25 years. I do recommend getting the precision ground blanks. They aren't much more (and sometimes cheaper) than the less accurate pieces. What matters more than the dimensions is that the high-tolerance blanks are a lot smoother so there is less lapping to get it slick. Back in the day I'd also use leaf springs. Great steel at scrap prices. Nice for Krenov or Japanese-style plane blades. sh

  13. #13
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    Skip, don't misunderstand me. I'm not critical of your interest in the plane. Most of us woodworkers are into tool (toy) collecting as much as actual woodworking.
    I have never realized there is a plow plane to cut cross grain dado's. The only time I ever needed to do that is in drawer building and I either used power tools, or the
    techniques I learned from Paul Sellers. Actually, if working on a good piece, hand cut dove tails are used, primarily because I can. For the record, I have two wooden plow planes
    and am resisting buying the Lee Valley plow.

    The old saying from the recreational woodworker news group was "He who has the most tools at death, WINS!"
    I don't think that has changed much. At least, I haven't.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Skip Helms View Post
    Thanks Allen, Do you have an earlier or later model?
    That's a good question Skip. I haven't ever tried to figure that out. Let me try to research it and I'll get back with you on that.

    Okay. Looks like my 46 is a type 10-12, so one of the latter models. Glad to know!

    Allen
    Last edited by Allen Hunt; 06-28-2016 at 9:53 AM.

  15. #15
    Skip, Thanks for the information on your steel source!

    Allen

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