# Need new plane irons



## islandboy85 (Sep 17, 2011)

I need new plane irons for my old eBay/stanly #4,5, and 6 planes. I'm not sure if I need to replace the chip breaker with the blades or if I can get away with just replacing the blades?

Other than the difference of A-2 vs O-1 is it hard to go wrong with any of the vendors sold by someone like Woodcraft? There is a big price range. Not wanting to break the bank, but duh, don't want junk.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

I got some old Stanley planes last July, set of 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.

A couple of these had very bad sharpened by someone who did not know what they were doing.

I pondered about replacing the blades.
I decided to start by replacing the cap irons with the Veritas cap irons.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.aspx?p=66868&cat=1,41182

I feel these replacement cap irons improve cutting ability with the present blades. Much better contact with the blade so shavings do not get caught underneath. The thicker cap iron also helps to reduce chatter.

If you still want to get replacement blades you can get a few dollars by purchasing a cap iron and blade together.

I have purchased A2 replacement blades from Veritas, and a Ron Hock blade which went into a Record #5. I like both.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.aspx?p=32692&cat=1,41182,43698&ap=1 

I think Woodcraft sells the Pinnacle cap irons.blades as well as the Hock blades.


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## ACP (Jan 24, 2009)

I've used the Lee Valley's iron/cap iron. I love them. I went with A2 because I hate sharpening and think the A2 lasts longer. They are the best value to performance in my opinion.


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## islandboy85 (Sep 17, 2011)

Awesome, thanks for your input. I don't have the money to do all of them at once. Which plane do you use most? I've heard the #4 is most used.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

islandboy85 said:


> Awesome, thanks for your input. I don't have the money to do all of them at once. Which plane do you use most? I've heard the #4 is most used.


This is not an easy question to answer, since I think our needs all differ.

The #4 and #5 have the same 2in blade width.

I happen to like using the #4 over the #5, when I want to do some light duty work. Some folks will prefer the longer bed of the #5.

Try using both planes on a test piece and see if one feels easier to use than the other.

See if either the #4 or #5 has sides which are truly 90 deg. The older Stanleys were not always milled to be true. If one is true, this can also be used on a chuting board, and I would upgrade this one first.

I use the longer #6 when I need to get a straight edge on a rough cut board so I can run this on the table saw.

If I were to track the frequency of use, my LV medium shoulder plane may have the most use.


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## Fred Hargis (Apr 28, 2012)

islandboy85 said:


> Awesome, thanks for your input. I don't have the money to do all of them at once. Which plane do you use most? I've heard the #4 is most used.


On my Stanley 4 and 5, it looks like the cap irons/blade and lever cap are the same. You might be able to get one set and switch it around for testing.


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## Woodwart (Dec 11, 2012)

Fred Hargis said:


> On my Stanley 4 and 5, it looks like the cap irons/blade and lever cap are the same. You might be able to get one set and switch it around for testing.


You can do this. I have switched blades between #4s and #5s often. I've never seen a #6, but I thought they used the same blade. :confused1:


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Woodwart said:


> You can do this. I have switched blades between #4s and #5s often. I've never seen a #6, but I thought they used the same blade. :confused1:


#4 and #5 share the 2in wide blade and iron.

#6 and #7 share the 2 3/8in wide blade and iron.

#8 uses 2 5/8in blade and iron.


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## Woodwart (Dec 11, 2012)

Dave Paine said:


> #4 and #5 share the 2in wide blade and iron.
> 
> #6 and #7 share the 2 3/8in wide blade and iron.
> 
> #8 uses 2 5/8in blade and iron.


Apparently. :smile: There are a couple of models of #4 and #5 that use the 2 3/8 blade too, but I've never seen them, either. :huh:


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## timetestedtools (Aug 23, 2012)

The Stanley 4 and 5 all took 2" irons. You may be thinking of the #4 1/2 and #5 1/2.

You didn't mention *WHY* you needed new irons. Are the originals that bad?


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## islandboy85 (Sep 17, 2011)

timetestedtools said:


> The Stanley 4 and 5 all took 2" irons. You may be thinking of the #4 1/2 and #5 1/2.
> 
> You didn't mention WHY you needed new irons. Are the originals that bad?


I'll shoot some pictures of them if I remember to when I get home. Two are really messed up from the previous owner. I might be able to save one of them. On the #6 it looks like the slot where the lateral adjuster arm goes is dinged up. The lateral adjustment doesn't work on it either.


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## timetestedtools (Aug 23, 2012)

> I'll shoot some pictures of them if I remember to when I get home. Two are really messed up from the previous owner. I might be able to save one of them. On the #6 it looks like the slot where the lateral adjuster arm goes is dinged up. The lateral adjustment doesn't work on it either.


I was just wondering. I've seen a lot of guys who think the after market have some magical powers. The originals work just as well, but are sometimes past fixing for sure.


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## islandboy85 (Sep 17, 2011)

timetestedtools said:


> I was just wondering. I've seen a lot of guys who think the after market have some magical powers. The originals work just as well, but are sometimes past fixing for sure.


None of them were OEM anyway. I'm just thinking it'd be easier to learn to use the plane and keep it sharp with a good square blade.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

islandboy85 said:


> None of them were OEM anyway. I'm just thinking it'd be easier to learn to use the plane and keep it sharp with a good square blade.


With my recent experiences in sharpening the blades of the planes I have restored, I know how long it takes me to get a blade back to being square and having a decent cutting edge. It would be faster if I used a wheel, but this is how the blade got bad edges to begin with. The big consolation is that this is a one-time task for a given plane.

It is certainly less time to maintain a good edge than to create one on a bad blade.

Some of my old blades have heat treated cutting edge. Others do not.

A good replacement blade such as from Lee Valley, Ron Hock or Pinnacle will be thicker, and can be a better steel than the old vintage blades.

If you have a #4 and a #5, as an earlier reply stated, you could buy one blade and test which plane benefits from the new blade vs old sharpened blade.


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## islandboy85 (Sep 17, 2011)

Dave Paine said:


> With my recent experiences in sharpening the blades of the planes I have restored, I know how long it takes me to get a blade back to being square and having a decent cutting edge. It would be faster if I used a wheel, but this is how the blade got bad edges to begin with. The big consolation is that this is a one-time task for a given plane.
> 
> It is certainly less time to maintain a good edge than to create one on a bad blade.
> 
> ...


I'll check the #4 & #5 when I get home to see if they're the same. I'll get those pictures taken too. Slept in too much today to do that.


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## islandboy85 (Sep 17, 2011)

Ok, I finally got around to getting the pictures. Sorry it took so long.

This is the 4&5 irons 
http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad81/islandboy85/IMAG1991.jpg
The worst of the 4&5
http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad81/islandboy85/IMAG1992.jpg
The 6
http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad81/islandboy85/IMAG1995.jpg


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## EricD (Jan 17, 2013)

The #6 is almost used up. I have some Hock blades with Hock chip breaker, not cheap but very nice. Seems kinda silly to spend $70 on a blade/chip breaker set when a nice #4 costs a third of that but they do cut nicely.


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