Making a Record 043 Depth Stop

The Record 043 is quite the little plane (check out our previous diversion “Record Planes for Cutting Grooves” at https://blog.vintagetoolpatch.com/), but is often missing its depth stop. This week I mentioned to another of the admins that it should be pretty straightforward to make one. For those who don’t want to read, here’s the end result:

I thought I’d follow my old advice for making one and give it a try. First I started with dimensions: The rod is 7/32” in diameter and 1” long. The foot is 1/16” thick, 1/2” wide, and 2-1/2” long.

After digging out some 7/32” drill rod and some 1/2” x 1/8” brass flat bar I set to work.

First I cut the pieces to length with a hacksaw and used a Sharpie in place of marking blue.

Marked the rod location and center punched, then drilled, it on my Millers Falls 22 drill press.

Finding a #6-32 x 1/2” screw, I drilled and tapped the rod to accept it (breaking a tap in the process, of course!).

After a quick test fit, I countersunk the brass bar, filed the ends with a bastard file, and lapped it on my coarse diamond stone.

I then filed a quick chamfer across the top end of the rod with a flat needle file, polished the parts with a bit of Flitz, assembled, and called it a day. It looks pretty sweet!

I had a depth stop, but after showing it off someone else said they would have peened the rod in place instead of futzing with a tap. So I thought I’d give a different way a try.

I made a “jig” to file a shoulder on the rod by drilling a hole through a piece of scrap pine. Grabbed my cordless drill and chucked the rod, and filed it down. This was the only time I used an electric powered tool, but no way would I have ever filed as accurate a shoulder by hand. I measured the new end of the rod and drilled a hole the same diameter through another length of brass bar. I again countersunk the hole but also lapped the top of the brass before peening the pin into the bottom of the bar. Some filing of the corners, lapping of the bottom and cleanup of the flared top of the rod with a file and I had a second depth stop.

The next day I tried a new way, using silver solder to join the rod to the already lapped foot.

It wasn’t until I was done and comparing the fit to the original that I noticed how un-flat the normal depth stop is. The original also wiggles and flexes quite a bit. All of the new stops seem to be a good bit more stable, but it doesn’t make one lick of a different in use!

With the rosewood fence, slotted brass screws, and brass depth stop, I now have one good looking Record 043!