I'm currently in the process of restoring two vintage hand planes: a #4 Craftsman from my great-grandfather and a #5 Stanley Defiance that I scored for just $10 at an antique mall. Both planes have the same issue where the tote is secured only by one screw at the back. There's a small hole at the front of the tote where it matches up with a nub on the plane's body, intended to prevent it from rotating. Unfortunately, it's not working well for either plane. The #5's tote can pivot around the back screw, possibly due to wear on the front nub, while the Craftsman's tote tilts back significantly since there's no proper hold at the front. What's the best way to tighten these handles?
3 Answers
To fix those loose handles, you might need to create a custom washer to use under the bolt head at the back since the wood has likely changed over time. If you can share a picture of that front hole, I could suggest a more straightforward solution! It's a common problem for cheaper planes, and a few tweaks can sort it out without much hassle.
I've used a long plane shaving, tightly rolled up, to fill that front hole you mentioned. It helps eliminate any looseness. Also, if the screw won’t tighten, you can file it down a bit to avoid it bottoming out in the casting. Some folks even make a dowel with a drilled hole to act as a spacer or washer — just trim it down to fit.
You can grind down the threaded rod a bit to give you better tightness on the tote. For the front, consider filling that little depression with Bondo to reshape it back to fitting properly against the plane body.
I do that too, just be careful while grinding. A rough wheel can mess up the threads!