What is a Norris-Style Regulator?
| Most metal planes have Stanley/Bailey style iron depth adjusters and separate side adjusters to keep the cutting edge parallel to the sole. If the cutting edge is not parallel, any cut made by the planer will be slightly beveled. | ||
| However, some planes have a single "Norris-style" dial to change both iron depth and lateral angle. The Norris regulator was invented and patented by British instrument maker T. Norris & Son in 1913. | |
The original design | ||
 | There were several modifications to the original before it became the exact movement in use today. | |
 | With a Norris-style regulator, the lateral and vertical movements of the iron are controlled by a single shaft. | |
 | Lateral adjustment is achieved by moving the adjusting ring from side to side. | |
 | The iron depth is adjusted by turning the adjusting ring clockwise to advance and counterclockwise to retract the iron. A pin or very short pin on the adjuster fits into a hole in the iron and pushes or pulls the iron when the adjusting ring is turned, or tilts the iron from side to side when the adjusting wheel is moved to the left or right. | |
 | Some experts say that the Norris regulator is not as efficient as the Stanley/Bailey type because it is more prone to "backlash" after the mechanism has been running for a while. | |
 | Backlash is a term that refers to the amount of free play in the iron's depth adjustment mechanism. "Free play" can cause the blade to move up on its own after it has been adjusted to the desired position. | |
 | See What is a backlash? for more information about this common problem and how to avoid it. | |
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