David Nebenzahl wrote:

Thanks to the person who suggested Highland Woodworking. The kit of
screws arrived today; it's Stanley's Bailey screw & nut kit, all for $10
(including the big brass nut which some other places charge $15 for
*alone*). Everything fits my Millers Falls plane very nicely, which is
obviously a Bailey clone.

One question: one thing that bothers me is the fact that the screw that
secures the blade and cap iron is loose at the depth it needs to be in
order to secure the blade cap. What do people do to keep it in place?
I'll admit I don't want to use Loctite or equivalent here; my guide is
What Would Grandpa Do? So how about slightly staking the screw into its
hole? Or just leave it loose?

The other thing is that the new screw has a slightly beveled shoulder
underneath the head, where the old screw was just flat. I guess that's OK.


I recently reworked a Capewell smoothing plane, that had the same problem,
I tried a new fine thread 1/4" bolt for fit and it was much tighter.
rounded the head up and cut a screwdriver slot with a hacksaw, good as new,
or maybe better. Capewell must have been the Harbor Freight of years past,
there was nothing right about this plane when I started.

basilisk