Sargent No. 81 Knob and Screw

[UpstateNYdude]

I just found a very nice condition Sargent No. 81, but it is missing the knob and screw for the knob, was wondering if anyone had one and if you could take some measurements for me on the screw and knob and possibly some pictures. Also if anyone knows if the Stanley 98 or 99 fit the same then I could just order one of those from some place.

Thanks in advance for any help offered, and before anyone says anything about checking places for parts, I have checked everywhere on eBay and any place else parts are sold, I’m not new to planes or buying parts for them.

[Bill_Houghton]

In my limited experience between the two, Stanley and Sargent weren't consistent - the fence rods on the Stanley 78 and the analogous Sargent 79, for instance, use different thread pitches of the same diameter.  But you could be lucky; Stanley was all over the map on thread pitches.

Take your plane to the hardware store and try various machine screws, to see if a standard pitch will fit.  Then go from there.

If all else fails, you can probably tap it to a current standard pitch.  Generally, a fine thread pitch retap will work in a coarser thread of the same diameter: the minor diameter of the finer thread is larger than that of the coarser thread.  Then you'd have to address the knob.

[JimReed@Tallahassee]

As luck would have it, I was admiring my #81 just this morning. Lucky because I knew where it was right away. Here is the bad news--no go with Stanley #98/99 parts.

Knob bolt is 1 3/8" long, 7/32" diameter and 24tpi
Knob is 1 1/2" long and 1 5/64" at largest diameter

Stanley 98 is 30tpi and only 5/32" diameter

If you can find a bolt to fit, then turning the knob should be easy. And as you know, this plane is hard to use without the knob. Good luck.

[Bill_Houghton]

7/32" is pretty close to No. 12 machine screw (which is specified at 0.2158", slightly smaller than the 0.21875" decimal equivalent of 7/32"); and 24 threads per inch is the only commonly available No. 12 size.  They're not always easy to find, and you'll have limited choice in head pattern.  So you might be halfway there.

Suggestion for the knob: see if there's a wooden drawer pull that's close enough to the right shape that you can rasp it to shape.

[UpstateNYdude]

Thank you very much Jim and Bill both I appreciate it so much, I knew I coudn't be the only one out there with one of these.

Again thank you both very much!

[bandit571]

Did a search of Sargent Planes on Fleabay awhile ago,,, there is one, with two cutters and the knob...last I looked they wanted $119 for it....

[Admiral]

Did a search of Sargent Planes on Fleabay awhile ago,,, there is one, with two cutters and the knob...last I looked they wanted $119 for it....

Lee Valley did, in my opinion, a much improved redesign of the Sargent, for $129......

http://www.leevalley.com/us/Wood/page.as...48945&ap=1