Stanley 140

Jeff Horton

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O boy, I get to make the first real post! :cool:

I have been looking for a good rabbet plane for while now. These things are pricey when you can find them. Learned of the Stanley 140 and really liked the block plane design. Like the skewed blade since I often angle my block plane too. Plus the fact it was a rabbet plane, I knew I had to have one.

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This came up on Ebay and I assume since the knob was missing, it went (what I considered) reasonable. I guess the collectors didn't want it. Since I want to use it I don't care. I will just turn one that fits my hand. :)
 

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I've been looking for a 140, at a decent price.
I may have a knob, I'll do some digging Jeff.
 
Most likely I will just fettle it (tune it up) and use it. I am not a collector. I buy tools to use. Depends on how it looks for course. But I like old tools that looks old. ;)
 
I got a nice little Stanley #140 Hand Plane I recently rebuilt. It was in pretty rough shape when I first got it, but then I went a bit overboard with the rebuild process however, eventually adding a new knob, nicker, side plate, side fence, blade, cap iron, auxilliary fence and even added a finger dimple.

It was a lot of work, but the end result was good.

Overall the Stanley #140 was a great plane for cross grain work. Still its standard angle was a bit foolish in my opinion, as a lower angle would have been much better. You can still get the properties of a lower angle by using a micro-bevel, and you can get replacement blades from LN readily (30 bucks).

Old or new, the #140 plane is my all time favorite plane. Here are some before and after pictures of my Stanley #140 Plane.

Pre_Rebuild-464x423.jpg


Paint_and_Cap-465x432.jpg
 
I was hoping to find an original Mike. I can turn one, just split the one I made trying to install it. Obviously the pilot hole was to small.

Stupid me forgot about one last week on Ebay!:doh:
 
I was hoping to find an original Mike. I can turn one, just split the one I made trying to install it. Obviously the pilot hole was to small.

Stupid me forgot about one last week on Ebay!:doh:

Forgot:eek:

It went kinda high if I remember:huh: :dunno: :D
 
To me a new turned one and a new bought one isn't much different--but I digress.

Probably the least expensive option is to find a Stanley #110, #203 and a #220--all block planes--on the Bay. They'll be inexpensive unless it is a really old one. But #220s were made up to the 1970s [though I don't know how long the wood knobs hung on]. So they are out there in droves.

Take care, Mike

EDIT, just looked. There's even a buy it now #220 with what appears to be a good knob for $15 to your door.
 
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I found out through a collector that my Stanley #140 was one of the first ones made (1900-1909)...after I rebuilt it of course. I have been saving all the orginal parts just as a keepsake kind of thing to prove its age, so I am really not looking to part with it.

Still you will have trouble fitting a new one. The wooden threads the knob is made up of is a special Stanley exclusive thread, or at least, odd-ball type of thread, not to mention trying to thread wood internally. On my plane, I drilled the hole oversized so the knob slides over the threaded post, then drilled and tapped a new hole in from the top so that the new knob could be secured via a brass screw top side.

As for the new knob, I cheated. I was working for Lie Nielsen at the time and got the blemished knob from the Supervisor of their wood shop. But for the record here, I no longer work for them. It was a great semester of learning how planes are made though LOL!
 
140 side plate?

Found one, but it appears the side plate is missing.


How thick is it?
 
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I would go ahead and buy it. Side plates are easy to make...and with the woodworking machines you already have in your shop. You can easily purchase some Brass stock at the local home center or hardware store and saw it to shape on your bandsaw. A little touch up here and there with a belt sander, and then some polish work by sanding by hand and you'll have it.

Then its just a matter of locating the holes for the pins, drilling them out with a undersized drill bit and a reem, adding the pins and setting them in place with epoxy.

That is what I used on my Stanley #140 and it came out great, and was not that hard to mill out either. If you have further questions, email me privately and I will give you better step by step instructions. Real easy as I said.
 
Thanks. We'll see how high it gets.
These little buggers bring some money
 
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