On Jun 4, 2006, at 1:50 PM, Christian A. Weagle wrote:

	Welcome to the Porch, Christian.  I commend you on selecting the brand 
of plane that distinguishing cabinetmakers choose.  Millers "No. 2 
Tried Harder" Falls.

> 	But now, after sharpening the (initially very dull) blade, I have 
> found the terrible truth of this plane - it's too short!  It just 
> makes it to the mouth, but does not extend at all.  It is bottomed out 
> against the round stop on the lateral adjuster.  I see that some new 
> replacements are available, but they appear to all cost several times 
> what I paid for the plane in the first place!  Would it be considered 
> unwise to, ahh, lengthen the slot a bit (say, 1/8") with a dremel or 
> the like?  I can't imagine I'd run out of hardened blade in that 
> distance, right?
>

	I did this a couple of weeks ago, and it worked well.  My first 
attempt was to use a Dremel with some sorta spiked milling type bit.  
No joy.  I then used a bastard file and it went quickly and allowed for 
a lot of control over the cutting.  I suggest you start here.  There is 
plenty of hardened steel in most block plane blades (perhaps the whole 
shebang?) so you should not run short.

> Or: is there a source of very cheap, good quality blades I don't yet 
> know about?
>
>

	I could get ugly looks from some corners of the Porch for saying this, 
but the Buck Bros blades sold in the Borg for cheap aren't all crap.  
They are partly crap for the hardness they are tempered to, but a young 
EE should be able to have a lot of hands-on physical fun in playing 
with fire and oil while retempering it.

Regards,
Steve

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