Router needed a cutter

[bandit571]

My Stanley No. 71-1/2, Type 4, that is.   It came with just a 1/2" wide cutter...and I had cobbled up a 3/8" wide one as well..
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problem was..that 3/8" was way too long, needed the edge "moved back" to about that red line.  

I also looked up a new 1/4" cutter....ouch
....decided I could make one myself..

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Old Harbor Freight Allen wrench...the ones thay had the orange, plastic grip handles?   This one's handle had cracked, and split....right into the trashcan.   Marked it out to where I needed to cut.   Needed two other tools....beside a grinder, and a Dremel....
  
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A deep cup of water, to keep the steel cool, the Visegrips to keep my fingers cool, and safe.   Grinder has a new, coarse wheel,   Disc sander has a new 180 grit disc.  

LOTS of grind..dunk...grind.dunk..check for fit..grind and dunk some more...the 3/8" cutter was shortened with the cutting wheel on the Dremel...then sharpened back up

The new cutter?  Started to take shape, finally..
 
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Notch with the Dremel cutting wheel ( will refine with a Dremel stone wheel) so, time to work on the cutting edge..
 
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A lot of the grinding was to change the shaft from a hex profile to a square profile...just about have the cutter sharpened up, test drive?
 
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2 knife walls were made, and deepened with a backsaw, like I do with a dado.   Might have had things set a tad deep.   Cutter was peeling shavings, at least.
Both cutters ready to go...but..where.   Decided to add a 1/2" hole in the bit holder, store the 1/2" cutter back there...
 
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I usually lift the plane out of the case by the depth adjuster...away from the cutters.   When I had tried to open the case ( gave the case a coat of varnish the other day)
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I found the lid stuck...by a bead of varnish....popped the lid open.   Question was, will it shut, with the new cutter holders..
 
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Case closed?
  So...that should do me, for a while.   Might use it, the next time?  

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Something like this needs done.

[Arlin Eastman]

Thanks for the idea and I will now made some of my own..  I wonder if a 1/8 allen wrench can be used also?

[bandit571]

I used a 5/16" Allen wrench.   Cutters sit in a "V" groove, held by a collar.....need enough metal for the collar to hold onto.   Then, I just "necked" the cutting end down to the width needed.   Being careful to keep the edge centered.   An 1/8" Allen might be too skinny for the plane to hold onto....

[Arlin Eastman]

I thought about that hours after I posted it.  Guess I could mill it down to size.

[bandit571]

IF you look at how Lee Valley mills their cutters down to size.....the "main" shaft is still the same size as the rest of the cutters....they then mill the sides of each cutter down to the width needed...Just remember to keep the steel cool...