Porter cable 126

[tonylumps]

Anyone familiar with the PC 126 door plane. It has a spiral carbide 2 blade cutter. I did order a new cutter. But because they stopped making  this model quite a few years ago I want to see if I coud Sharpen the one that is nicked.So I will not be at the mercy of a supply house  I do have the HSS stone Just thought someone might have some Ideas

[Jeff Farris]

The "spiral" part does you in. no way to follow that curved blade.

[tonylumps]

Jeff I know the spiral is the key. But the edge is on the same plane I figure if I can make a jig that would fit inside the cutter and rotate the blade and move accross the stone at the same time. Of course sharpening away from the edge. The cutter is no good to me now except for plowing the edge off of rough lumber So I think I will give it a try

[tonylumps]

Well after 2 sessions with the SB250 stone I would say that the cutter is about 75% better than it was. I would not hesitate to use it on a door edge now. I used a piece if 1/2" all thread through the cutter locked it on with 2 nuts and did it free hand sharpening away from the cutter turning and moving across the stone at the same time.The SB stone does a nice job on the Carbide edge. Grading the stone often was the big factor. Even though the cutters are still available they are getting hard to find so this does ease my mind a little.

[Ken S]

Tony,

I am a fan of the old Porter Cable company.  Yhey made some very solid tools and were known for having spare parts available.  However, Porter Cable has been sold several times in recent years.  Unfortunately, the new owners (Stanley) have cut back on the line.  Also, I have started to see Porter Cable tools for sale for $29.95, an unheard of price in the old days.

My advice for your PC planer, assuming you like the tool, would be to be on the lookout for spare blades.  Good job if you can sharpen your present blade, however, I would plan ahead and try to acquire a couple spare blades.

Good luck.

Ken

[tonylumps]

Ken you are right. All of the Porter Cable tools that I still own are over 20 years old and still use them everyday. Yes the consumables are getting hard to get The  Carbide cutters for my 126 are made in China now  but cut very well. I just bought 2 from Toolsplus at 100.00 a piece and won one on Ebay last night made in USA for 100.00 But it is stll good to know that I could dress the cutter up on my Trusty T7.What you are buying today is the Rockwell- Porter Cable name only Not the Quality. So now I buy either Bosch or Festool if I need a power tool now.Even my favorite plumb hammers are made in china. Still testing the quality on that.

[Rob]

Its a real shame about porter cable. Even though I'm in the uk, I've watched dozens of Norm projects where he's used porter cable particularly routers and they look like great tools

[tonylumps]

And when you bought a PC back then you never had to worry about repair because if they sell it they fix it That was the way it worked .No warranty.If it had to be fixed you broke it.Rockwell,PorterCable,Stanley were the power tools to own.

[Elden]

I really like my PC 330 finishing sander. Picked it up used from Ebay. Sorry to hear of the current quality loss!

[tonylumps]

At 70 YO I do not work my tools as hard and at 70 I do not think they have to last 20 years. But they do have to do the job I bought it for. That is why I bought the Tormek It has not let me down yet. From wood chipper blades to a pocket knife and everything in between

[Ken S]

Tony, I understand your thinking about tool longevity.  (I'm 62.)

I have had a book in my library for forty years.  I bought it at the original Woodcraft Supply store in Woburn, Mass.  Woodcraft reprinted it; it was originally written by Record Tools.  Alas, Record seems to have gone the way of Marples, Porter Cable, Delta, and Stanley.  We have some very fine niche tool makers today.  What we seem to be lacking is a good market of well made quality tools designed and priced for the working craftsman.

When I was in my early twenties I purchased a set of three Stanley Bedrock planes from a retired carpenter.  He had bought then new sometime around 1910.  He used them and valued them.  They were top of the line tools for workingmen.

Ken

[Rob]

Records still around Ken. They're called Record Power now and still design heavily using cast iron and the old principles of Sheffield steel.

They also own Startrite (my planar/thicknesser) and the very tool whose blade sharpening is on the brink of bankrupting me :-)

[Rob]

Did anyone understand this?

[tonylumps]

Nope. Waiting for act II. Or maybe the movie is over

[Rob]