Thread: hand tools

I am currently working on a set of cherry scales, and am experimenting with an old school woodworking tool i borrowed from a friend of mine who is a cabinetmaker by trade,(he can build a full set the old school method, hes very good at it). the item in question is called a spoke shave. I was wondering if anyone has ever used one while working with wood, and if so, how did you go about it.

I have,and they are not easy to use,I never masterd the tool but sure did alot of damage.

i guess i did one thing right with this tool so far, and that was to have 2 sets to work on, one did get pretty chewed up, but the other one i am going much slower with, i am not trying to remove much wood with it, as much as trying to sharpen my lines, havent gotten to the shaping of the sides yet, but am not sure if i want to use it or not.

Perhaps your friend can show you how to use it?

im going to do that when i get a chance, i was just curious if anyone else has tried them and what their experience was

Originally Posted by wvloony

im going to do that when i get a chance, i was just curious if anyone else has tried them and what their experience was

yep.... toothpicks.... lots of them... but they weren't very good.... splinters...

I'm a woodworker and have used a spokeshave. They're pretty easy to use but there are some subtleties to setting them up and using them, kind of like learning to shave and hone hone your razor. More than can be described here.

Few tips: spokeshaves are used on curves, never use it against the grain, make sure the blade razor sharp and is not extended more than a hair's width.

There are some good videos on the web. Look for Roy Underhill's PBS videos, or ask your friend.

I have used them in boatbuilding over the years. They remove a lot of material pretty quick. What size is the spoke shave you got? They do come in different sizes. A small razor block plane might be pretty usefull for doing scales. Personally I like using hard sanding blocks for most shaping.


-Xander

They take a long time to perfect what looks to be a simple task.
Mind you some of the old-timers called certain tools a spokeshave when in fact they were not. some older manuscripts are not the easiest to decipher because of this.
First thing is that these need to be insanely sharp. While occasionally a person can let a chisel, gouge and possibly even plane iron stray from its ideal sharpness, a spokeshave can cause some serious damage if it is not kept keen.
Another thing to keep in mind is grain direction. A master cabinet maker/bodger would keep a number of these tools on hand; not only in the same size to reduce time at the stone and different sizes for different sized items, but in different shapes, thicknesses and angles to adjust to the wood being used at the time.
If you want to learn a lot about these and other wonderful hand tools I would suggest looking up my late friend's show The Woodwright's Shop with Roy Underhill. Just search Youtube, lots on there.

Originally Posted by deighaingeal

They take a long time to perfect what looks to be a simple task.
Mind you some of the old-timers called certain tools a spokeshave when in fact they were not. some older manuscripts are not the easiest to decipher because of this.
First thing is that these need to be insanely sharp. While occasionally a person can let a chisel, gouge and possibly even plane iron stray from its ideal sharpness, a spokeshave can cause some serious damage if it is not kept keen.
Another thing to keep in mind is grain direction. A master cabinet maker/bodger would keep a number of these tools on hand; not only in the same size to reduce time at the stone and different sizes for different sized items, but in different shapes, thicknesses and angles to adjust to the wood being used at the time.
If you want to learn a lot about these and other wonderful hand tools I would suggest looking up my late friend's show The Woodwright's Shop with Roy Underhill. Just search Youtube, lots on there.

according to wikipedia he is still alive.... you know something they don't??