High knob on Stanley Bailey bench planes?

[steven c newman]

Replaced a bad knob...
Birthday Rust Hunt, Stanley #4.JPG
Where the bolt sits too low....with..
Stanley No. 4 rehab, side 1.JPG
One where the bolt sits flush with the top of the knob......other one needed 2 washers ( since MIA) to get close.....and one was a lock washer, to boot. I may go back and refinish.....maybe when I re-do the rear handle...right now it is working just fine..
Stanley No.4 rehab, test track.JPG

[Tom Bussey]

I agree with you 100%. I never thought of painting a vise pink but my 4 year old Granddaughter would love a pink vise on her work bench. But back to my point. If I post a picture of a plane I will get asked what type is it? and then there will be a discussion if the adjusting wheel is not correct or it should have a low knob. and so on. So again my question is are you a wood worker or a tool collector or a tool collector that dabbles at wood working. I have a friend who can show you how he cuts dovetails by hand. Can show you how he makes the cut and how to use the chisel, but he is show and tell because he has never cut a complete dove tail in his life, not even one joint. He also has a few different sizes of Bed Rock planes of one type and they haven't been used in 10 years or more.

All of this is great for him. But it is I who gets asked to build something for him, he always has something wrong with one of his tools or a reason why he can't, but all the parts on his hand planes are correct.

I just think it is a shame to discourage beginning woodworkers from getting a plane because a plane has a low know and it is a type 15 plane. or it is a franken plane because the lever cap got ruined and it was replaced with a newer one. If you like larger adjustment wheels then change it out. Some frogs interchange with different types and others don't And I agree these should be left alone. the same with chip breakers and it is most important when buying after market blades and chip breakers.

If someone else derives pleasure from using their Stanley or Sergeant or Clifton planes with era correct parts it is fine with me but it is also okay to replace a front knob with something that is not correct to make the plane usable. And there is a big difference between a Stanley and a Clifton plane.

So we are back to the beginning are we going to use the plane to build with, that is take a shaving or let it set on a shelf to gather dust but it looks good because the parts match.

Here on this forum plane types is a sacred cow and I don't think it is and have said so. And it it is okay to make an old plane useful again even it the front knob is not correct.

[Jim Koepke]

Here on this forum plane types is a sacred cow and I don't think it is and have said so. And it it is okay to make an old plane useful again even it the front knob is not correct.

To me, plane types are not a sacred cow, but knowledge has value.

My planes are all users with the bench planes being from type 4 through type 17. It is easy to understand why some might like the challenge of assembling a set of a single type whether it be type 11 or type 18. (The later type was a short production with the depth adjuster having skewed knurling. These often catch my eye from across the room. They are usually inspected and enjoyed, but one has never come home with me.)

For me knowing about the different types has paid off when rust hunting. Often when looking at planes while showing the shop owner/keeper a few things about their wares has been rewarded with a price reduction.

It also engages them in conversation to get a feel for what kind of deal might be possible.

BTW, my personal preference is for type 13 or earlier. These will all accept a low or high knob. It is also a type or two before the ogee frog.

jtk