Blade & Chip Breaker Too Thick

Richard Line

Member
Messages
37
Location
Bellevue, WA
I've got a Stanley No. 5, English made, that I've retrofitted with a LV replacement blade. In the mail today, I got one of the new LV replacement chip breakers. (I had already put one of these chip breakers into a No. 7, and it does make an improvement, that is with a Hock replacement blade.)

The problem with the No. 5 is the throat is too short for the blade and chip breaker. It was fairly tight with just the replacement blade. How tight is the throat now, it barely lets some light past the replacement blade & chip breaker.

Should I just give up on the new chip breaker or is it reasonable to file out the throat to make room for the new combination. If its to be filed, are there any suggestions on how much space to create. This is a Jack, not a smoother, so I anticipate taking heavy cuts at times. The as-built throat opening is approximately 3/16ths, and the frog can move about 1/4". The blade & chip breaker are approximately 7/32ths thick.

Thanks for any suggestions.
 
File the throat to give you an opening just a few thousandths wider than the thickest shaving you ever anticipate taking. I can't imagine needing shavings (even in softwoods) much thicker than 0.010", about 0.012" ought to do it.
 
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