Fence for Stanley 140?

[Adnick]

All:

Looking to put a fence on a 140 skew block plane, anybody made one or used parts from another model? Pictures always help....

Regards,
Andy
Mos Maiorum

[JimReed@Tallahassee]

I have made quite a few. Find some flat stock--I like 3/32" and some drill rod. Make a pattern from cardboard using the existing side. Grind the flat stock to size. Drill a hole and press/friction fit the post. After installing the first, fit the side and mark hole for #2. Drill hole and attach. If you leave extra material on the bottom, you can sand it to size after fitting. Chamfer the outside of the post hole and pein the metal for a more substantial fit. Easy project. Good luck.

[Adnick]

Jim:

Thanks much.....

Regards,
Andy
Mos Maiorum

[Bill_Houghton]

Andy,

Were you asking about the side plate that fits on the rabbeting side - which side plate turns the plane into a regular block plane with a skewed iron?  I think that's what Jim described making, although I'm not sure.

Or were you asking about a fence that limits how much of the iron will cut, such as when making a rabbet of a particular width, like the fence Lee Valley offers on its skew block plane, pictured below?

[Adnick]

Bill,

More like the one on the LV, have also seen pictures of a LN 140 with a fence but the pictures weren't detailed enough for a copy....the 140 already has the rod holes once the side is removed.

[Bill_Houghton]

The side plate is on the same side as the rabbeting edge; not sure a fence on that side would do you much good.  I think you'd have to mount a fence on the opposite side.  Looking at the Lee Valley fence (pointing up to the picture there), you can see that the fence is on the side opposite the open edge of the plane.

From the photos I found online, it looks like Lie-Nielsen added some metal to the original Stanley casting to accommodate a fence rod on the closed side of the plane (roughly at the same place as the hole for the side plate).  The shop's locked for the night, and it's raining here, so I can't go look at my Stanley 140.  But, looking at photos online, I'm don't think I can see anywhere with extra metal where you could drill and tap your own hole in the side of the plane for a fence rod.  Plus, you'd have to source a fence (Stanley 78 fence, for instance).

The alternative for a fence would be finding places to drill/tap holes through the sole, and add a fence something like the fence on the Stanley 79:


But you wouldn't have much metal anywhere, so you'd have minimal threads; might not work, and then you'd have messed up your Stanley 140.

One traditional method for controlling the width of a rabbet with an unfenced rabbet plane is to clamp or tack a cleat on the work at the "closed" side of the rabbet - where the rabbet wall will be.  Have you tried this?  If not, I'd try it before messing about with fabricating a fence for your plane.

Or, of course, you can throw down huge hints when family members ask what you'd like for your birthday/holiday present, along the lines of, "Boy, you know that Lee Valley/Lie-Nielsen skew block plane with the fence sure looks sweet."

And, even there...consider the work you want to do.  A full-sized fenced rabbet plane (Stanley 78/Record 778/Lee Valley skew rabbet/Stanley 289) might serve you better.  And Stanley 78s - which are, based on my experience with mine, really pretty decent tools - run as cheap as $20 on That Auction Site, although one at that price would require cleanup.  Spending twice as much can get you a sanitary one.  If you decide on that route, get a fence, a depth stop, and the nicker for running cross-grain (and, of course, an iron and a "lever" [actually screw] cap).

[Derek Cohen]

Jim, I'd love to know how you did this with a Stanley #140.

Here is the LN #140, which s based on the Stanley ..



You will notice a thickened area for the rod, compared to this #140, where there simply is nothing to drill into.



The only way to add a fence is from the side of the removable plate. These have a screw fitting. One could utilise them, but then have the fence on the wrong side of the body.

I would not attempt to add a fence to this plane. It is not designed to receive one. The cast iron is thin and fragile.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Dave Ring]

If you don't mind killing the collector value of a fairly valuable tool you could drill and tap a couple of holes through the sole of the plane and attach a fence made from either angle iron or hardwood with a couple of transverse slots corresponding to the holes. You'd be kind of limited in the width of the rabbet that you could cut though.

Selling the 140 would bring you a good part of the price of a new LN or Veritas plane.

[JimReed@Tallahassee]

OK, he says redfaced. FENCE, not sideplate. I jumped in with details on how to make a sideplate. As for a fence, the solution is to get a LN. I tried many different ways to put a temporary fence on a #140 and none of them worked. Sorry for the distraction, but good luck with your quest.

[Adnick]

Jim:

I realized what you did, but still appreciated the effort.

Guess I assumed someone had a solution, it's amazing what some of you guys come up with...

Thanks to all for the responses to a bad idea....

Andy