Stanley 140

Hi Tod--yep. I have 2 #220s with different knobs. I suspect Stanley changed those like everything else.

Important issue for someone who actually cared to have a historically accurate plane would be getting one from the same span of time.

The threaded portion is the same, at least on the two I had.

Take care, Mike

Steve, I just measure mine it's about .08 thick on average. Near the mouth it was down to . .075 but I figure that is from wear over the years.

And your right, these little buggers go high. Just used mine very little but so far I like it. Still need to clean it up and 'properly' sharpen the blade.

Thanks for the plate info.

If I don't get outbid on this one, I'll make me a side plate for it.

Sorry there guy, I did not figure out just what you were talking about until I saw the last post.

The old Stanley orginal side plates were made of steel and rusted, and my orginal was so thin that I could not begin to tell you the thickness. I assumed it was .125 and had just worn itself out over the years.

The LN version of the #140 has side plates made out of stainless steel and 1/8 thick (.125). Its a far better design for strength and wear, but stainless steel is not so machinist friendly...or home shop friendly for that matter.

I made mine in my own shop out of brass .125 thick and it looks nice and was easy to fabricate.

Hi Travis,

O1 makes good steel. Has very good wear properties, doesn't need heat treatment in this case and machines/files nicely. And it's pretty cheap.

Konrad Sauer uses it for his planes without heat treatment as well.

Take care, Mike

To tell you the truth, I don't know that much about metals despite my occupation. I mean I know the steels I typically work with very well, but outside of those I am a bit lost.

I assume by 01, you mean 01 Tool Steel?

I am sure that would be fine. Personally I would shy away from any steel though that rusts. My Stanley #140's side plate was so rusted via the pins to the body that the side plate was bent so badly that it ended up being useless. I am a firm believer that if you are going to rebuild a plane, you should do it the best that you can...longevity included.

As for stainless steel, well besides its expense and lack of machinability, I have one other issue with it. When the metal is rubbed, it rubs off and galls up. This makes it great to shine up, but maybe not so great for plane making material.