It all started with a lovely sunny day and, … just read this.
Yep, basically that happened again. This time however I was prepared with a nice wooden floor, so there is no damage what so ever to the castings or any of the metal. It did crack the handle clean in two though. Rather than make a new handle, I thought I’d just glue it back together and rely on the metal rod. In all honesty I’d imagine this to be just as strong, but we’ll see.
Oh, and Vic did it too so at least I’m not the only one!
I can confirm on my second attempt at destroying a plane that it was in real time. It was a thud… Sod! Rather than all the dramatic slow mo antics. This would suggest to me that it does get easier.
Would you trust me to hold your baby?
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Richard, i get all kinds of planes with broken totes and in my experience I can get them reglued if I make a caul to hold the pieces in place when gluing. If I only use the screw to align them, invariable the joint will slip. The caul holds the pieces and also directs the clamping force in the correct direction. good luck.
Cheers Steve, you sound like you do a proper job. It was such a straight break here that I managed to keep it all still when I tighten the screw up. It’s all healed well now, I suppose I was lucky.
A number of my planes have broken totes like that. I haven’t even bothered to glue them. I just keep on shaving wood with a rattly handle, so I imagine your glue job will be more than adequate to keep you scrubbing.
I love your attitude Justin – just wipe yourself down and crack on!
Is that a scrub plane? Now I’m wondering what you were using it on.
Hope it heals well!
All healed well thanks James. Yep it’s a scrub, I use it in ways that no plane should be used 😉
I would think the glued repair will be fine. At least the metal parts weren’t damaged.
That wooden floor Paul – two more planes and it’s paid for itself!
Not as bad as last time Richard, or should I call you butter fingers. Haha pleased you have it sorted mate 😉
Yea, I did do a good job of that last one didn’t I! Butter fingers, or prat. Either will do.
Many of my old planes had broken totes. As you did, I just remove them, put some Titebond wood glue on the two surfaces and rub them together and … pretty much done. Maybe a bit of moderate clamping for an hour or so and then let them sit for a day or more. Scape off the extra and I’m good to go. No harm, no foul – just life!
Cheers Bob, pretty much the option I took. All is now well.
Yeah, I’ve put my No 4 and my 45 on the concrete floor of the garage. My 6″ Starrett combo square seems to be somehow magnetically attracted to the shooting board I keep stored near my feet on the floor as well.
Makes you sick inside every time. It is the one driving goal for me to build a new bench with a well on the back. I’ve been very lucky and not damaged anything. Yet.
I’ve got a little Veritas block plane and it pretty much lives on the floor. I’ve just about given up fixing the thing.
NO! NOOOO! Not at tool well! ARGH!
Did not occur to me until now that prolly 90% of those planes with broken totes that we find on eBay and car boot sales were at some point in their careers dropped much like this one. You are part of a very inclusive club. Fortunately, your scrub is a tool and is not any worse for the wear.
Cheers Scott, probably 90% of those were at some point owned by me! Luckily I’m not too phased, I’m looking worse for age so why shouldn’t my tools too?
If you are going to drop one, might as well be an expensive one 🙂 That one looks American and expensive. Done exacly the same to my LN No3.
The first one he dropped was Canadian.
This one looks American.
Ha, Ha. I’m not racist it’s just circumstantial! 😉
This may be a stupid queston but can I ask – why is the handle made with the grain cross wise ?
if the grain went along the handle length ( like a hammer or axe) it would be much stronger. – easier manufacturing ? Better use of materials ? Or perhaps they never imagined anybody could break one 🙂
I would guess that it is because of two things: the toe of the tote, which provides support in use, would snap off easily, and the handle would be likely to split lengthwise under the load of the through screw. I’d guess ideal would be finding a crook of the right size so that the grain can follow the length into the toe.
Yea, I think your spot on with that. It’s very hard to get a win / win with a shape like this, there’s always going to be a weak spot.
Dear Richard,
the only time life in slow-motion is when I see one of my cherished tools flying through the air at approximately 9 miles an hour and exploding with the force of an atom bomb leaving me in a coma.
Happens to the best of us.
Cheers Mark, it always makes things feel better somehow to know that you’re not alone!
I bent a combo square blade doing that. Still cranky about it.
I’ve got one of those too…
I have repaired a few this way, using both wood glue and epoxy. When needed, drilling into the exposed surfaces about 20 to 30mm and inserting a small dowel to hold alignment and reinforce has helped when they rebreak due to bad fit or scarred wood.
Thanks, that sound like a proper job.
For the grain problem, except finding a crook, I see two solutions : using plywood or a complete synthetic material.
Sylvain
Happened to me aswell on a No4 , used époxy and électrician’s tape to clamp it, nous problems so far after 1 year of heavy use
Cheers
The last time I bought a new plane was when I was serving my apprenticeship in the 1970’s a Stanley 4½ a smoothing plane, they told me to file off the sharp edges first. I paid for it out of my wages, I think it was £30.00, my father bought me my Stanley jack.
I got a surprise when looking at a new plane like Richards a Veritas model I think, in excess of £150.
If it could not be repaired; I would buy new parts if this happened to me, my tools are family.
Well … if it is like lots of other things with wood – that glue joint will likely be stronger than the wood now?! Next time (may the saints prevent that from EVER happening again) if there IS a next time, it will probably break at the wood again in another spot? You could always get an old work glove and rubber cement the tote to the glove, that way one would have a much harder time dropping it? Then you’d be like the kid who wears the hockey helmet in class … Helen might not like the look but you could pull that off!