I haven't said much about my weight lately for good reason. I've been eating everything in sight and I have paid the price. It started this past thanksgiving and I have sputtered and died out trying to get back on the diet bandwagon since then. The drive with the wind in my hair of eating whatever kind of took over for me. The last straw came 3 weeks ago when my tonnage hit 220.8 lbs. I had to suck in my beach ball sized stomach to button my pants. I had made a promise to myself that I would never buy anymore fat clothes so I threw down glove and knuckled down.
Over the past 5 weeks I've lost almost 21 lbs and this sunday weigh in I tipped the scale at 200.6. More importantly I have behaved myself and I haven't cheated once these past weeks and it is paying off. As a reward to myself I went to dinner for lunch and had a boiled dinner. I doubt that it had more calories then I normally shove into the pie hole at lunch at home. I did have a piece of chocolate cake for desert but I'll add an extra couple of miles each day walking this week to compensate for it.
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knob base is cracked
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I was taking the Union #4 apart for shipping it and noticed that the knob base had some cracks. I don't remember gluing this but I obviously did. I have no way of knowing if this is going to stay together after I ship it. The problem with these old planes is the wood dries and shrinks and does all other kinds of stupid wood tricks.
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knob retaining screw
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I like this method for securing the knob and the tote over the barrel
nut and threaded rod that Stanley uses. However, this is a Union plane
and the chances of finding a replacement knob is akin to finding a bag
full of hen's teeth.
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replacement knob
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This is a Stanly knob and it is a wee bit taller than the Union knob. I could use a barrel nut and threaded stud but then it wouldn't match the screw in the handle. The plan was to fill in the counterbore on the top and countersink it for the Union knob screw.
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need a dowel
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The counterbore in the Stanley knob is more than 3/8 and less than a 1/2". I didn't have any dowels in the shop that fit in the counterbore.
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nice fit
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I punched this through the dowel plate until I got it to fit the counterbore. First step done.
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drilled the hole
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I used 3 different sized drill bits to make this hole. I didn't glue the dowel in the counterbore to facilitate any other repairs down the road.
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toast |
I tried two different countersink gizmos and both of them just chewed up the end grain. I think I'm on the right track here I just needed to find some way to toughen the end grain to make the countersink for the screw head.
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second attempt
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I soaked the top and outside of the dowel with super glue. I let it dry and I applied a second coat on the top end grain.
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countersink bit
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It isn't a dead nuts match but the wood dowel is soft and the screw will sink in and compress it enough to make a tight fit.
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much better
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After I drilled the hole I soaked the top and the inside of the hole with super glue again. I used a countersink made for metal on this and it worked. It isn't as smooth like long grain but it looks even all the way around.
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success |
There is a teeny bit of white showing but with use it will blend in with the knob. The important thing is that the screw head is flush with the top of the knob and it is tight and secure.
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rusty holes
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Two of the holes in the plane body were rusty. I applied EvapoRust to all four and let is sit for an hour or so. After that I blew them out with canned air and applied some oil to them.
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Union irons
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These irons will fit in a Stanley #4 and a Stanley #4 will fit in the Union. They only difference is the access hole for the chipbreaker screw is at the top on the Union irons. That was because Stanley still had the patent rights to the access hole being at the bottom of the irons.
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packed and the ready to go
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I got the plane broken down to parade rest, cleaned, and shined up. Just need an address for it.
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Lie Nielsen #4
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I wasn't expecting this plane until after the 22nd. I got an email from LN saying it shipped on friday and I got a UPS saturday delivery. The weight of this #4 is more than any Stanley I have and it is noticeable. It isn't like it is something I can't put my finger on. Doesn't effect how the plane spits out shavings at all. Since most of my planing will be done with the LN herd consisting of a 5 1/2, 4 1/2, 4 and 3, I'm sure I'll get acclimated to the extra weight.
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cherry darkens with age
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I've had the LN 4 1/2 for 10 years (?) I think. It got shoved aside and I went on a Stanley plane only usage and now the pendulum has swung back to the LN side. I want to engrave my initials on the lever caps of the other 3 planes but I can't get in touch/find Catharine Kennedy who engraved the 4 1/2. Does anyone know of someone who can engrave the lever caps? I would much appreciate a comment or an email on it.
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hmmm...... |
I keep my Stanley #8 at the back and the LN 5 1/2 won't fit with it there. I'll have to find a new home for the #8 because I want whole the LN herd parked here.
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sometimes you get lucky
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One of the dividers had two of them side by side. Removing that freed up the necessary real estate for the 5 1/2. The Stanley #3 I had in the last spot on the left is now the home of the LN #3. Not sure if I'm going to keep that #3 or try to sell it.
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this will work
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The plan is to make a holder and screw it to the back rail of the workbench. It will be out of the way and won't protrude past the tray right above it.
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change #2
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The base is 1/2" plywood as was the first front and side pieces. I didn't like the look of the plywood plies so I switched to scraps of poplar.
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it fits
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There is about a 3/4" on the length and a 1/4" on the width for wiggle room. I doubt that it will be a hindrance in any way.
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more plywood hiding
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Ripped a piece of pine that I will use to hide the top edge of the plywood. I especially find the thinner plywood (this is 5mm) unpleasant to look at.
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super glue to the rescue
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The only long grain gluing is on the two thin outside veneers. In between them is end grain that is more the twice of the thickness of them combined. I soaked the end grain with super glue to seal it. There is no way white glue would have glued the pine to the plywood edge successfully.
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for tomorrow
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I will use accelerator on the pine strip and the gel super glue on the plywood edge. Might be overkill considering what this is and where it will be out of sight and out of mind. But I won't see any ugliness after this.
Figured out why the band saw tilting screw gets tight and the wheel won't turn. It is tilted in and making contact with the wheel cover. There is evidence of it on the top and the bottom of the inside wheel cover. DUH!
accidental woodworker