# Cutter Blades for 45 and 55 Stanley combo



## azwoodworker

I have purchased a Stanley 45 Combination plane and wondering if anyone knows what the 55 blades fit into the 45.

I managed to pick up some missing parts for it but still have no blades for it. I would like to start with a box of cutting blades but in no real hurry. Mainly purchased it as a part disease and part to solve a problem of matching molding I come across that can't be made with the router bits I have.

Came across a sale of Box number 2 of the Combo 55 on Craigslist with a little high price but want to check if these blades fit on the 45. The large Blog Blood and Gore state the 45 blades will fit the 45 but most of the 55's will not fit the 45. He leaves out what blades fit and what does not.

Anyone have any ideas what will fit? The one being sold is Box number 2. Thanks in advance.


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## realcowtown_eric

Oh yer on the bottom end of the learning curve. First you gotta find the cutters you need, then learn how to sharpen them, then learn how to adjust the plane. Etc. etc. etc….to quote Yul brenner.

If it's only a few feet of moulding, yer better off financially to grind a cabinet scraper to the profile you need and put some elbow grease behind it…

Eric in Calgary


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## azwoodworker

I have lots of planes and some molding planes so sharpening them is not a real issue. Not familiar with the the quote. I have found about 120 cutters but they are for the 55, but not sure if they will fit guy wants 120 way to much but if I knew which ones were useable with the 45 it might be worth for the long haul.

Know anything about the cutters? You are the only one who answered but grinding out a profile each time I need a different molding seems time consuming plus making a ten ft piece with a scrape seems a lot. 
William


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## Mosquito

I do not own a #55 to try blades in the #45 with, but the "standard" irons from the #55 would fit the #45. I consider the plow/straight irons, tongue and groove, and the beading irons to be "standard".

The complex molding irons won't work in the #45, but that's because there are only 2 skates for the #45, and none that move vertically. Many of the irons that would have to extend below the skate wouldn't work, because it would require taking a huge shaving (talking like 1/4" thick for some profiles).

But, if you make it sound like you found someone selling 120 irons for $120? If that's the case, I would say do it. You'd be hard pressed to find irons that cheap elsewhere, I think.


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## JustJoe

I spent a little time this morning trying all the cutters from the 45 and 55 in both planes.

If you go to Stan Faulin's ToolTrip page: http://www.tooltrip.com/tooltrip9/index.htm
You will find instructions for the 45 and 55 (drill on down through the Stanley links on the left). Those instructions have a page with pics of all the cutters available for each one and numbers that will make the following a bit clearer:

The cutters for the 55 that are identical to those offered on the 45 all work - the sash, mach, slitting, fillester are all the same. The plow/dado cutters are all the same (#10-19). The beading cutters #21-29 are also the same. These are all interchangeable.

The (55) cutters 212, 222, 232 are reeding cutters and are identical to the special cutters offered on the 45 so they work too.

The (55) cutters 32, 34, 36, 38 are fluting cutters and are identical to special cutters offered for the 45 so they work. In use, these start with a light cut but once you reach a certain point you may need to extend the cutter outwards using the depth knob.

The (55) cutters that are significantly longer on one side won't work in the 45 because the skate on the 45 can't be adjusted for depth. This includes #40/41 (Chamfer) 102/104/106/82/84/86/93/95 (fancy ogees) 62/64/ (quarter hollows)

The(55) cutters that shouldn't work, but you can get a little use out of them by setting shallow cut, and then slowly advancing the cutter until it is farther out would include 73/75 (quarter rounds) and the hollow/round series 43/45/47/53/54/55/57. On these, the wider the cutter the more pronounecd the curve so the more it sticks out, and the less wiggle room you have to use them.

Bottom line, if you take a pic of the 45 cutters that are available, to include the special cutters, then anything that matches from the 55 pile will work. And if you find a one-off cutter (I've got a few user-made ones) then as long as the outer edges are roughly the same length and the middle isn't too much longer than the outer edges, then you should be able to use it.

And just to throw it out there - the cutters from the #46 won't work in the 45 or the 55, because they are skewed cutters instead of straight.


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## azwoodworker

Thanks very much thats' the information I needed to make the decision.

I appreciate the time you took, I was trying to do that but could not locate the website that had the info so thanks.


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## Hooker13

You're not behind any "power curve". I had the same question when I began to use the tools I was taught with as a youngster and began to develop hand tool inventory to work with.

They are all interchangeable.


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