09-09-2016, 11:27 AM
(This post was last modified: 09-09-2016, 02:22 PM by Bill_Houghton.)
I picked up an early Stanley 5-1/2 at a yard sale, in need of a lot of cleanup. Last night, I was examining it, and realized that the 2-1/4" wide cutting iron is dated in the third quarter of 1941, two years after Stanley rationalized production by making the iron on the 5-1/2 2-3/8" wide, the same as the Nos. 4-1/2, 6, and 7. That got me hunting, and I found a 1958 catalog that still listed the narrower iron as a standard replacement part, listing it for "old style" 5-1/2s.
Now, granted, "old style" in this case means "up to nineteen years ago" (1939 to 1958); but if only Stanley still maintained replacement parts for "old style" planes...
Now, granted, "old style" in this case means "up to nineteen years ago" (1939 to 1958); but if only Stanley still maintained replacement parts for "old style" planes...