Mushroomed Plane Blades

[med-one]

Why do some folks mushroom the blade top on Stanley metal planes? Have seen several over the years and was just wondering why someone would beat the top of the blade.
Dave

[Admiral]

Folks used to tap the iron to adjust it, like as in woodies.  Old habits die hard.  I generally see this in Type 12 and earlier planes that have their original irons.

[Timberwolf]

Folks used to tap the iron to adjust it, like as in woodies.  Old habits die hard.  I generally see this in Type 12 and earlier planes that have their original irons.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,
I agree...plus it was faster..time was money even back then..they were "just" tools with which to make a living...not some treasured "artifact" to them..even tho some of us think of them otherwise....

[John Walkowiak]

,,,,,,,,,,,,,
I agree...plus it was faster..time was money even back then..they were "just" tools with which to make a living...not some treasured "artifact" to them..even tho some of us think of them otherwise....
 

I used to think that also, makes sense. But, I read in an old book on carpentry that a "trick" of the trade (now called a hack) is to remove the blade and use it when mortising door butt hinges. The 2" blade from a smoother or jack would make quick work of defining the mortise for a 3" hinge. That makes perfect sense and explains how the blades could get so mushroomed just micro adjusting a plane blade.

[Tony Z]

I used to think that also, makes sense. But, I read in an old book on carpentry that a "trick" of the trade (now called a hack) is to remove the blade and use it when mortising door butt hinges. The 2" blade from a smoother or jack would make quick work of defining the mortise for a 3" hinge. That makes perfect sense and explains how the blades could get so mushroomed just micro adjusting a plane blade.

I also saw (might have been Tag Frid) doing the same to make a tenon. The #5 Bailey inherited from my dad, had the blade "mushroomed" a bit, though he was a house building carpenter. Why it was mushroomed,
I have no idea.

[Timberwolf]

I used to think that also, makes sense. But, I read in an old book on carpentry that a "trick" of the trade (now called a hack) is to remove the blade and use it when mortising door butt hinges. The 2" blade from a smoother or jack would make quick work of defining the mortise for a 3" hinge. That makes perfect sense and explains how the blades could get so mushroomed just micro adjusting a plane blade.

,,,,,,
Also a very good theory...but over the years, carpenters wanting just a couple thou more "bite" on soft woods did the blade tapping trick using a handy claw hammer, which is much harder than the softer top portion of a plane iron. No doubt a "hold over" from days of using planes with no mechanical adjustment mechanism.

[knockknock]

I am going to go with what John Walkowiak says. While a Stanley/Bailey bench plane can be adjusted laterally with a hammer. The depth adjustment mechanism precludes using a hammer for meaningful depth adjustment.

[med-one]

I agree with John on his theory. I have never heard this before, but it makes perfect sense. I just can't see anyone striking a blade that hard for any good reason while on the frog.

[blackhat]

You and they likely wouldn't agree on what constitutes a good idea. Helps to make the world go round.

[Bibliophile 13]

I think both theories could be true, and both make sense. I'll bet that you can adjust the depth of the iron with a hammer because the depth adjustment yoke doesn't actually engage the blade directly. It engages the chipbreaker, and a tap on the iron could easily move the iron relative to the chipbreaker just a hair. Not that I'm going to experiment on MY plane irons to prove this. But if somebody ELSE wanted to try it out and get back to us.....

I also don't doubt that these irons were often used ad-hoc as chisels. I't certainly not something that I would do, but when you're on a job site and have only a few tools on hand, you learn to make do.