Record 050/050A? Another one for Alf?

[ivan]

Wasn't sure I should have decided to paddle in "50" waters after reading a certain westcountry workshop's web pages. However unlike Alf's, my plane (arrived today) has fence rods that pass right through the mainstock, so improving the balance. (Edit: AND fence drillings for facing.) Was it the 50 or 50A that had the screw in fence rods? Or neither? My instruction book dated 1949 for "050 improved" refers to screw in rods.

How exactly was the 50A "improved"?

I'm in need of some spurs (nickers) for my 50. They appear to be similar to those from my Stanley 78, and the Stanley screw fits (albeit 3 spur not one, and screw needs shortening). Any advice on supply of these or (Record?) alternative would be welcome!

[Alf]

Ack - just off the road and sufficiently befuddled to make no sense of Record's intricacies just now. If I don't come back to this within a couple of days, give me a yell, Ivan.

Cheers, Alf

[ivan]

Thanks for your acknowledgement, Alf, sounds as if you should put your feet up!

[Alf]

Right-o, feet duly rested , I've unearthed the Record catalogue reprint from The Pile^TM (if you'd seen said Pile, I'd probably get a round of applause just for that...)

Anyway, Harrison tells me that the rods went from being threaded to plain in the "mid 50s".

As for the "a" suffix, Record liked to tack those on when there were two similar models, but not quite. In the case of the 050, the "a" indicated it came standard with the "Narrow Cutter Clamping Bracket" and 1/8" and 3/16" cutters. Useful things to have, and eventually the plain 050 died the death around 1943. Unfortunately then Record liked to do An Unhelpful Thing and dropped the "a" from the 050a, thus promoting confusion for later buyers of secondhand examples, who wouldn't be sure if they should be getting the narrow cutters or not. Sigh.

For spur cutters you could try asking round the dealers, but I think incredible luck is probably your only chance.

Cheers, Alf

[jmk89]

Ivan

For the replacement nicker, why not try St James Bay Tool Co - they make new replacement for Stanley and the 050 nicker may be the same pattern as for the Stanley equivalent.

Website - www.stjamesbaytoolco.com/

Cheers

Jeremy

[jake]

toobyefore said:

I've unearthed the Record catalogue reprint from The Pile^TM (if you'd seen said Pile, I'd probably get a round of applause just for that...)

It's just as well your collection of documents is small enough to allow you to use the singular.

[ivan]

Thanks very much for the info; now I see why the narrow clamping dooberry sometimes comes in its' own box etc. If I get any joy from StJamesbay will add the info to this post.

Although not that much used (plating on 'skate' parts is still quite rough in texture and unscuffed) there's a fair bit of clearance in the rod holes in both castings. This allows the sliding part AKA second skate to move back under load of cutting (and also of the blade clamping screw). this allows the cutter to twist - whey - hey, a skew bladed 50... - and so reduce the clearance angle of the r/h edge of the cutter. I'm trying to pluck up courage to ream everthing out to 10mm for some new silver steel rods...