Materials and workmanship are guaranteed for the life of your tool. Call for repairs or replacement parts. We are available for advice if you ever have a problem using your tool. Proposition 65 Notice: When using this plane, I would have to say that it works just as well as my type 11. The original blade and chipbreaker were in nearly new condition, so they weren't messed up and I didn't need to replace them. The original blade, however, does tend to need sharpening more frequently than my Ray Iles aftermarket blade. A MODERN CLASSIC: Today’s modernised Sweetheart™ series, updated to meet the latest needs of modern-day craftspeople, boasts a range of premium woodworking tools based on their original 1920s designs, including the iconic “No. 4” Smoothing Bench Plane itself. If you're a woodworker, finding a Sweetheart™ tool is like finding a treasure, and many still consider Sweetheart™ to be the best of the best. It might just be sharpness of the blade Kirsty. You should be able to push the blade into the edge of a sheet of paper and have it cut cleanly or do the thumb nail test and see if the blade bites if you touch it to your nail (be gentle!). Make sure everything seats – mainly make sure that the slot in the blade/chip breaker is siting down over the tab and the lateral adjuster pin. Don’t worry too much about the lever cap being perfectly centered. There’s a fair amount of slop in all of that and you can twist those lever caps around quite a bit. Just make sure the cutting iron is razor sharp. If it isn’t, you’ll dig holes instead of cutting shavings.

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I am so frustrated and haven’t a clue what I’m doing wrong! Bought an old Stanley No. 4 plane from Tooltique and it has been working great on my workbench build (first ever woodworking project). I sharpened the blade a couple of times and it has started skipping/jumping across the wood leaving horizontal lines. It happens both with and against the grain, and doesn’t matter how shallow I set the blade. So I’m thinking it’s either something wrong with my sharpening, or with the way I’m putting it together. I don’t have a honing guide so am sharpening freehand on 240, 600 and 1200 grit sandpaper taped to a flat bathroom tile. I wondered if the angle was too steep so tried to sharpen again really trying for 25 – 30 degrees but it hasn’t made any difference. Should I buy a honing guide and try again? English made Stanley planes seem to be less desirable then the US made ones. Why is that? Are they inferior? SUITABLE FOR: Removing very fine shavings from a variety of wood types to leave a smooth finish. When used effectively, the “No. 4” Sweetheart™ Smoothing Bench Plane from STANLEY® can produce a finish that equals or surpasses that made by conventional sandpaper.

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If that’s all set ok, I think it’s possible you aren’t applying enough downward pressure on the planing stroke. You need to press down on the front of the plane when starting the stoke, balance the pressure through the stroke and put pressure on the rear of the plane at the end. Some people describe it as trying to plane a hollow in the middle of the board. In the end, what really matters is the surface of the wood. I find knots in pine can be difficult to get a nice, smooth surface on, but this plane did a superb job. Pay attention to the color of the plane. When the Stanley plane is painted blue, it is Type 15 to 20, and the plane is Type 20 and it dates from 1962 to 1967. The only other thing I’ve noticed is that the lever cap is set way off centre which just seems wrong to me, but the screw is off centre so are they all like this? I’ve attached some photos to try and explain my point – the lever cap is pretty much touching the side of the plane on one side, but it’s a good 3mm off the other side. How can this be right? Having said that, I wasn’t having any problems at the start so I know it’s something I’m doing. Please get familiar with the names of the multiple parts of the tool using a Stanley diagram which I will summarise below. Look for the bed of the plane behind the frog. If you can see any patent dates cast into the bed, note how many are there.

No. 4 – what am I doing wrong? - Woodworking Topic: Stanley No. 4 – what am I doing wrong? - Woodworking

What ‘stones’/ technique are you using to ‘sharpen’? – Picture? Hand sharpening was good enough for Jesus Christ, so it should be good enough for the rest of us; in these cases, a bevel guide for honing can be a complication instead of a solution. They certainly introduce more work than they are worth. When you loosen the centre screw, remove it all very gently and look for any minute strands of wood between it and the blade. If you have any, there is work to be done because this fouling will always give a bad cut. Stanley Type 15 Handplanes date 1931-1932. They remove all patent info on the bottom casting. “BAILEY” is now cast behind the knob toward the rib, and the number is directly in front of the knob. Today I decided go a bit more in-depth with my rehab of this plane, and work on the cosmetics. The first thing I did was polish up the brass with toothpaste and a gray scratchy on the parts that needed it. I’m fairly sure the lever cap and screw is set correctly – it’s definitely not too loose, if anything I set it too tight and had to loosen it to allow me to adjust the depth.

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For more information on advanced sharpening we recommend David Charlesworth’s video Plane Sharpening, available in both DVD As you measure the depth-adjustment nut, note if it is 1-1/4inch in diameter. That means it has three dates cast into the bed, and the plane is Type 12, dating between 1919 and 1924. If not, that means it is a Type 11 and dates 1910 and 1918.

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Look for the depth-adjustment nut, and you should be able to tell if it has a diagonal knurling pattern on the outside or not. If it has, the plane is Type 18 and dates between 1946 and 1947. We’re jumping to a lot of conclusions here: On the face of it the plane looks OK from the pictures. At least the base seems to be flat and unmarked.Stanley Type 11 Handplanes date from 1910-1918. The APR-19-10 patent date appears with the other patent dates cast behind the frog. There is a new trademark adopted, where “STANLEY” “NEW BRITAIN” “CONN.” “U.S.A.” forms a v-shaped logo. I very much agree with your opinions on the aesthetics of this plane. I guess I'll have to post some more pictures. The old one definitely is cooler and makes me smile more. I was only trying to make the point that the new one is every bit as capable of working as well as the old one on the wood. As you examine the plane, look for a raised ring that works as a receiver of the knob cast into the bed. In some cases, there is one patent date, and no raised ring, meaning your plane is Type 13, and the dates range from 1925 to 1928. If there is one patent date and a raised ring, the plane type is Type 14, which dates between 1929 and 1930. If there are no patent dates and raised rings, you also have a plane Type 1 to 8. Stanley Type 9 Handplanes date from 1902-1907. No patent date on the lateral lever. “B” casting marks are eliminated. The number designation is now cast just behind the knob. A smaller bearing surface is cast into the bed. The frog has a slot at its bottom to fit over the ribbed cast in the bed.

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SMOOTHER PLANING: Solid brass adjustments enable effortless planning, while a one-piece base and frog virtually eliminate chatter, delivering exceptional accuracy and a smooth finish. CLASSIC CHERRY WOOD HANDLES: Made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified cherry wood, the handle and knob are shaped to fit the hand naturally and comfortably, providing comfort in extended or repetitive use. After a sharp edge, the chip breaker is the most important part of the plane and can, if not fitted correctly, lead to some of the problems that you describe.

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Thanks both for your replies. Maybe the blade isn’t as sharp as it should be. So I guess the first thing is to buy a honing guide and get the bevel perfectly angled and sharp, and reassess. It’s just strange how it’s ‘skipping’ over the wood with literally every stroke, even when the blade is set so shallow it’s barely taking anything off. I’ve tried adjusting my hold on the plane, doesn’t make a difference. I only started using the plane a couple of weeks ago, and I used for a good few hours before I sharpened at all. I knew the blade was getting very blunt because I was getting a lot of tearout – and after sharpening I was amazed at the difference. But now it’s not particularly causing any tearout, I just can’t get a single smooth cut. It’s maddening!