Fool (me) needs advice - spokeshave replacement?

So I'm cruising along building the base / templates for this little cradle boat, and suddenly realize that I never bought a spokeshave. I live in the middle of nowhere, meaning that the nearest spokeshave (at woodcraft) is 1-3/4 hours away. The nearest big boxes don't seem to sell them.

The immediate need for it is this: I have a curved piece (the inner stem) which needs to be beveled on both sides (to the bearding line), along the entire length. (Note -- boat terminology is new to me, so please forgive my misuse.) I could try to get crazy with a router and a 45-degree chamfer, but this seems both dangerous, and unlikely to actually work well. The angle isn't quite 45, and it seems likely to be fail regardless.

(thinking out loud ...)
I could build a little chamfer "carrier" for one of my planes, but that feels like overkill. I could try the tilt on my bandsaw, and freehand it, then clean it up w/ the plane. Both of these are most easily facilitated by a 45 degree angle... which it isn't. And of course I could just bail and buy a spokeshave.

Ideas? Thanks.

-ben

How about a rasp? or rough cut with your bandsaw and finish it off with a rasp?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Danny Thompson

How about a rasp? or rough cut with your bandsaw and finish it off with a rasp?

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Excellent thinking. I'll have to blame the holiday for not thinking that one up myself... I am curious whether the rasp or plane would do better if I establish a decent surface w/ the bandsaw. Only one way to find out...

If you are strip building it, one method that has worked very well for me is to use a fairing board. Make a slat an inch or so wide and a foot or so longer than the distance from your last form and the stem. Glue a strip of 60 or 80 grit sandpaper to the last foot or so. Now using the last form as a guide, you can very quickly shape the stem to match the angles as they change when you add strips. This will go much easier than you would guess and makes a very good fit.

Hi Ben,

It sounds like you have a workable and frugal solution already. So, let me offer something less practical. The big box and the 3 hour round trip are not the only options for you; I've had great luck and results ordering on-line. Besides the old standby Amazon, I love my "local" woodworking store (only a 2 hour round-trip away when I visit in person) www.highlandwoodworking.com. You'll have to wait 4 or 5 days for your tools, but that's ok. It makes getting mail exciting again.

:-)

Michael - I agree with the mail order idea, but I think I may try to order a spokeshave blade/kit. Should be fun to build.

In any case, I beveled with the bandsaw and block plane, and here is the setup and result:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3259/...06982eb600.jpg


post-bandsaw:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3097/...c92cb8.jpg?v=0


post-plane:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3090/...43b292.jpg?v=0

I've made a couple of shaves, a flat and a curved sole or travisher. They are easy to make with scrap wood and a piece of steel. I ordered a piece of 3/4" Starret O1 from Reid Tool but you could cut up an old plane blade, use an old file, whatever tool steel you have. Heat it cherry red in a fire with the help of a torch and let it cool slowly in some fireplace/grill ashes. This anneals the metal to make it soft enough to work with hacksaw, drill and file. Shape it to fit your shave body, rough grind the bevel, then heat the cutting edge to cherry red again and quench in oil to harden the cutting edge. Finally, temper the blade in your oven at 350-400 degrees for about an hour, let cool and do the final hone. Making tools is a great way to spend a rainy weekend and use up scraps otherwise destined for the fire.