Spokeshave question.

[Mark Stutz]

I'm finally back into the shop after too many years! My first project has some curved profiles...the ends of a cradle for my first grandson! Although my workshop is hybrid, I try to utilize hand tools whenever my skill and time allow. I used my powered turning saw to get close to the layout line but I need to clean that up. I purchased the Boggs shaves from LN many years ago, before I knew much, and have never used them! I also have these old woodies that I picked up at some auction in one lot or another. I suspect they are better suited to the end grain part of the curve since they are low angle. How do I get the blade out? is there a jig for sharpening or this a freehand job? Woulds rasps and files be better for this application? The guys I used to watch on TV would have used a spindle sander, but I don't have one!

[Bill Houghton]

Photographs of your work would help us make suggestions on the best order of work to finish them.

On those shaves, if you unscrew the thumbscrews on top, you should find the blade slowly pushed out of the body. Honing is done with a stone (or sandpaper on hardwood) narrow enough to fit between the tangs. Go gently; you don't want to have to regrind the bevel!

[lowell holmes]

Mark,
There should be nuts on the blade. You take the nuts off and push the iron out. With the blade out, I sharpen mine on a diamond hone after wetting the hone with water. If you hold the blade so the chamfer is in full contact, just sharpen like you would with a knife. When the chamfer has a completely fresh surface, tilt the blade a tiny bit to hone a bevel in it.

I would follow up with stropping it on leather or mdf. Thr strop is charged with stropping compound. You probably will find something in u-tube if you google "sharpen a spoke shave". Check the following link. http://www.ncworkshops.com/sharpening_tips.html

[Mark Stutz]

So once I got started it wasn't as difficult as I imagined. Pretty intuitive actually, and hopefully tomorrow night I get one of these back in action.

I should have shown the application. This is the end of the cradle itself. The top has a gentle curve but is mostly endgrain, where the sharpie "X" are. Will this low angle shave work or should I just sick with rasps?

[Darrell LaRue]

That long section of curved end grain is something I would use a card scraper on.
The inside corner I would cut close to the line with a scribing gouge, followed by the card scraper.
And that reminds me, the matched set of six I&H Sorby scribing gouges I picked up last week at the tool group meeting needs honing. And a storage place.

Darrell

[Mike Holbrook]

Spokeshaves come in two main types those with straight level areas in front of the mouth and those that have a leading edge that is a compass/rounded shape. A compass spokeshave is much easier to get into corners and tight curves. The issue isn't just whether or not the shave can follow the curve. A compass shave is easier to get into and out of a cut which is very important in tight turns where the grain often changes direction. Most shaves have at least a small radius or angle to their leading edge. Compass shaves, like the ones made by WoodJoy, have 90 degree direction changes on a relatively short leading edge. I love compass shaves. They require a little greater skill set to use but they can get into and out of a cut without starting a split or pulling out a chunk of wood, even in tricky grain. I like the WoodJoy shaves because they are very adjustable. They are the only shave I know of that you can quickly set a canted blade on and still have exactly the size mouth and blade height you want. A canted blade offers sections of the blade that take small, medium and large cuts without having to reset the blade. My issue with Boggs and many other metal shaves is the mouth openings are, you guessed it "cast in iron". The Boggs shaves are very nice but the mouths are so tight I have had to use a file on a brand new ones mouth just to get it wide enough to pass any shaving. There are a few metal shaves with adjustable mouths but none I know of that can place the blade and mouth as precisely as the WoodJoy shaves.

Card scrapers are nice too but they do not take off much wood. You might want a couple curved scrapers for curvy work. Lee Valley offers a nice set of curved scrapers that are not too expensive.

[Prashun Patel]

I would actually use a small, low-angle block plane on those end-grain convex curves. I have an easier time fairing convex curves with a larger, flatter sole than the spokeshave has. A rasp is also very good at this - especially up into the transitions. You just have to work very slowly and deliberately and check your work (A rasp is aggressive and hard to keep flat across the edge.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Spokeshave lessons are free in Chester NH Mark. I'll even help you make one from scratch.

[Mark Stutz]

From the weather reports, I would need snow shoes to get to you!

The low angle block will work well for the gentle curves, and I may just end up using the rasp for the tight transition. I'll still try to get the low angle shave up and running, though.

It's great to be making shaving again!

[Dave Anderson NH]

Yes Mark, it's getting old. We've had 8 feet in the last 25 days. The heavens have produced measurable white stuff on 20 of the last 25 days. Fortunately most of it has been light and fluffy. The snow depth has settled from the 8 feet down to a steady 4 feet all across the yard.

[Mike Holbrook]

Wow, Dave I have been grumbling all day because it got down to 9 here and we had snow flurries. Then the wife and I are outdoors with dogs for long periods too.

Patel, not all spokeshaves have significantly smaller flatter soles/blades than a LA Block Plane, at least if you look at width:

IMG_0249.jpeg-SM.jpg

The smaller shave has a narrower 3" blade. The large shave has a 5" blade. Working curves, it helps to have a sole that is not too long so the tool can get into the curve. The larger shave was designed specifically for use on Windsor chair seats and apparently is on Michael Dunbars tool list for his Windsor Chair classes.

Mark, I have modified several of my shaves so they fit the work I need to do better. I cut almost all the handle length off both handles on one shave, as the handles got in the way when trying to get down into the concave areas in chair seats. I grip my shaves close to the blade for that kind of work anyway. I have modified the mouths and soles of several shaves too. You do have two shaves that look very similar, you might be able to modify one to meet your needs better.