9-1/2 lever cap

[LeeO]

So after many years of doing this and fighting 9-1/2 planes that one minute were like butter and the next like bricks, I finally figured out the issue. The tightness of the lever cap. I have found that the lever cap should be only just tight enough to secure the iron. Any tighter and it causes some type of deflection and misalignment of the iron. Now that I do that the performance of the old 9-1/2 is very consistent and very good

[canerodscom]

Good post!


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[henkverhaar]

I think that the iron in an original 9-1/2 is quite thin and flexible. 'Modern' block planes generally have thicker irons that do not flex (as much). My Quangsheng (available under many OEM names, including if I'm not mistaken the Woodriver range) iron can be 'squeezed' real tight, whereas some of the old block planes I have are also quite sensitive to lever cap pressure...