Some of my spokeshaves and chisel handles

[george wilson]

Getting back to tool making,these are some spokeshaves that I made.They have been used quite a bit.The top one is hardened toolsteel made from 1/4" square bar stock. The grips are checkered,so as to not be slippery. The blade is fixed and non adjustable,but it is set only for a very fine cut,and intended for small work such as violin necks.It can shave pretty tight inside contours because it's so narrow.

Next down is a small one made of Turkish boxwood,with a conventional style blade I made from O1. I like to make these as little pieces of sculpture. They strike me as like wings.

Next one down is made from Columbian boxwood,which I used to get up to 10" wide.It is not a true boxwood,though,and as you can see,has pores big enough to accept dirt. It is branded with a brass brand I made about 1964 by hand chiseling. I still use it inside guitars.

The bottom one is blackwood.I never made a blade for it.

Next photo shows them from the bottom,where you can see the ivory wear plates.

The 3rd.photo shows,at the top,a 1/16" wide chisel made from a jointer knife. The handle is Turkish boxwood. It has no bolster,but is not intended for striking with a mallet. Being so narrow,it cuts anything easily with hand pressure.

The bottom photo shows one of a set of handles I am currently working on for my set of Pfiel chisels. I hate the original handles. I'm trying a London pattern here,though I'm not sure I like their feel. I haven't decided what design route to take,though I have made several of these handles in graduated sizes so far. The brass ferrules are turned from brass bar stock.This is boxwood from Carter's Grove plantation.They cut down some very old boxwod,up to 5" in diameter,because it was blocking the view of he river! Too bad. They threw the cut boxwood down a ravine.I found out about it,and My journeyman Jon and I went down there in a heavy rain and rescued the wood from the ravine. That was way too good to waste !!!

[David Keller NC]

Hey George - the spokeshaves are intriguing. Not so much the shape and the body material (though the high level of craftsmanship is quite evident), but the use of ivory as a wear plate.

That strikes me as unusual - I would not think ivory would hold up very well as a wear surface, but I'm wondering if you did that because you'd seen an antique original that used the material. I'm a tool collector to some extent, and I've never seen an antique spokeshave with anything other than brass or steel used as a wear plate (if anything at all was used).

[Mike Brady]

Lovely tools, all. I'm curious about the London pattern handles. Are the facets done after the turning or before? Are they done in some type of lather operation or just by hand. My lathe has an indexed spindle lock on the head. I know it is designed to allow this type of work. Can you give me some guidance?

[george wilson]

Mike,I planed the flats after turning. It isn't too difficult.After you plane the first flat,rotate the flat 90 degrees in the vise. That puts the next flat at top dead center. After doing this 4 times,it is easy to eyeball the next 4 flats by clamping the handle rotated at 45 degreesnso that the first remaining round area is centered visually in the vise,when you look at it from straight down.Having planed that round area,just rotate the handle,clamping the vise on the flat you just planed.

I hope this makes sense.It just takes a little eyeball gauge.

You could use the index feature of your lathe.Place a 4"X4" block of wood on your lathe bed,or whatever height of block it would take to bring up a surface high enough to lay a plane on sideways,so the blade is presented to the handle(which is held between centers).Plane a flat,index,continue. I wonder if the headstock or tailstock would get in the way?

I find the first method handy enough,though it does take some skill,but not a lot.

[Bill Rusnak]

This is boxwood from Carter's Grove plantation.They cut down some very old boxwod,up to 5" in diameter,because it was blocking the view of he river! Too bad. They threw the cut boxwood down a ravine.I found out about it,and My journeyman Jon and I went down there in a heavy rain and rescued the wood from the ravine. That was way too good to waste !!!

Great work George. Call me a sap, but I think having tool handles made from wood harvested in Williamsburg is amazing. Bravo for saving this from the trash pile.

My wife and I try to visit Williamsburg at least once a year and enjoy every trip (although this year's Grand Illumination was the coldest of the 4 we've been to.)

Keep posting these photos and "tool bios".

Bill

[george wilson]

You could really make out checking the dumpster there. Jon found some original framed 18th.C. Hogarth prints there.

[Jim Koepke]

It just takes a little eyeball gauge.

Does WoodCrafters sell those?:D

Sorry, a day early, just couldn't resist.

jim

[Tony Zaffuto]

George,

Maybe I imagined reading it somewhere, but I seem to recall you saying you were going to work on the side bevels of Pfeil chisels. What method will you use - surface grinder, lanisher or ???

Thanks,

T.Z.

PS. By the way George, I haven't responded to every picture you have posted, but you have done some mighty extraordinary work! One of these days, it might be nice (hint, hint) for you to have your own sort of CW seminar.

[george wilson]

I can't remember saying that,Tony,but I can't remember a lot of things. If I was to grind the bevels to be more like the Blue Spruce,I would just do it freehand on the belt grinder. I'll post a picture of a Bowie style knife that is completely freehand ground. With practice,you can do very accurate grinding work freehand.

[Tony Zaffuto]

Thanks George!

Not only can't I remember not saying things, the older I get the more I can't remember not remembering!

It was probably someone else on a different forum (FWW's Knots) because there was a thread over there about CI Fall chisels and Pfeil.

T.Z.

[george wilson]

Bill,you are not a sap at all. I always try to get wood that would be thrown away,or turned into firewood. My old work mate Jon gets walnut and other trees all the time. He saws them up on a sawmill,and saves the wood to sell down the road.

Certainly saving boxwood that big is something I'm willing to get soaking wet and cold to do. Once,I found a treasure trove of tool steel bars in a junkyard. I bought 1 bar,and tested it. It hardened like a file. I went back down there in a driving rain,got a wheel barrow,and got it all. The owner said I was crazy!! Yes,crazy like a fox!!