Spokeshaves

[Nate Perkins]

Hi,

Any suggestions or advice on buying a starter set of spokeshaves?

I have one of the low angle spokeshaves from Lee Valley. I like it, and it's great for doing endgrain and outside curves. However, on straight grain the low angle tends to make it a little prone to tearout, and its sole is a little wide to handle many inside curves.

I'm thinking of buying a second spokeshave that's higher angle, and more narrow for inside curves. I'm thinking of either the new Lee Valley round spokeshaves (

or possibly one of the two Lie-Nielsen spokeshaves.

Thanks in advance.

Nate

[Doug Miller]

Stay away from Record. DAMHIKT.

[...]

LV makes good stuff. I don't have any of their spokeshaves yet, but I do have some of their chisels and planes, among other things, and I'm *very* pleased with them.

I've heard they're really really good, but there probably won't be any L-N tools in my toolbox any time soon, unless I win the lottery or something. :-(

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

Get a copy of my NEW AND IMPROVED TrollFilter for NewsProxy/Nfilter by sending email to autoresponder at filterinfo-at-milmac-dot-com You must use your REAL email address to get a response.

[patriarch]

n [e-mail] (Nate Perkins) wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I bought the pair of wooden handled spokeshaves when LV first offered them last winter. They handle different, better, than the low angle shave they initially offered. Or maybe I got better, and was using woods better suited to the shapes I was trying to reach.

Early last February, my wife and I drove up to the College of the Redwoods winter student show, in Fort Bragg, CA. One of the program directors invited us to drop by the shop, where the classes are taught. There, on the benches, amongst the numerous handmade planes with Hock blades, were the new shaves from Robin's team. Well received, and well used.

You could certainly do worse.

Patriarch

[AAvK]

Patriarch, you drove up to The College Of The Redwoods, so what town do you live in? Alex

[George]

Tearout is an operator function. A sharp blade, slightly skewed and minimally exposed should be fine even a bit uphill. You were going with the grain?

I use my pair of low-angles in spoon carving, so I think I've explored about every cutting angle possible, and they're great. Even a kid in shop class could do end grain with them after minimum instruction, something few could get the hang of with conventional shaves, so don't bother with "old iron," as it's a big downer after using the LV stuff.

) or possibly one of the two Lie-Nielsen spokeshaves.

[TeamCasa]

I have the set from Lee Valley. After a short time on the stones, they shave very well. I thought the price was right as well.

Life is too short to buy cheap tools.

Dave

) or possibly one of the two Lie-Nielsen spokeshaves.

[patriarch]

"AAvK" wrote in news:5br8d.12240$mS1.9668@fed1read05:

Martinez

[Larry Blanchard]

I was lucky and came across an old Stanley from about 1910. I don't remember the model number, but it has two blades - one straight and one curved.

While I don't have any basis for comparison, it seems to work well. Look around at old tool dealers and auction sites. Maybe you'll get lucky.

[Scott Lurndal]

Ah a nice town nestled in amongst the refineries. If 680 wasn't such a pain....

(Actually, I quite like the downtown Martinez area...)

s

[Nate Perkins]

Will do.

Agreed. The low angle spokeshave is very nice for most applications, excepting inside curves.

The small bronze spokeshave is less than most LN tools at $75. I agree, I can't generally afford LN but this one is a bit less than most.

Nice to talk with you on a non-political topic!

Cheers, Nate

[Nate Perkins]

Hi Patriarch,

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll probably order a LV convex bottom shave (or I might order the LN small convex broze shave). I'll leave a post here after I've made a few shavings.

Cheers, Nate

[Nate Perkins]

... Tearout isn't much problem except if I'm trying to shape an inside curve (at the bottom of the curve) or if I'm on a figured wood (curly maple). I am not an experienced spokeshave user and the low angle LV is my first shave. I'm just now progressing to make cradle rockers and such that are curved in 3D.

[George]

Bottom of the curve must be worked with a rasp, knife or scraper. Can't avoid going against the grain from one side or the other!

[AAvK]

Ahh... Carpinteria here, way down south on the coast.

[Larry Jaques]

On Tue, 05 Oct 2004 15:56:41 GMT, patriarch calmly ranted:

Hell, you're just a stone's throw from what's left of my family. One on either side of you, Concord and Vallejo, across the Sacramento Sludge Stream. I should stop by and taunt you incessantly the next time I'm in the area. ;)

I took the Coast Starlight Express train North to there the last time I rode it, before I'd even heard of Martinez.

[patriarch]

Larry Jaques wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Yes, you should. Unmunge the email address in the obvious manner, and warn me when you're coming.

Patriarch

[Nate Perkins]

You're right, thanks for the suggestion.

Of course I'll probably find a reason to get a second spokeshave anyway (most of the folks here probably know what I mean).

Cheers, Nate

[Larry Jaques]

On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 04:07:24 GMT, patriarch calmly ranted:

Will do. Is 15 minutes enough warning?

It probably won't be this Christmas as I intend to make them come up here this time, in my sister's 4x4 SUV. (Amazingly, she got up to Lake Tahoe last Christmas during the blizzard.) So it'll probably be mid-July.

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[Nate Perkins]

...

Hi folks,

Thanks for your suggestions regarding spokeshaves. Just to follow up: I ended up getting one of the new Lee Valley spokeshaves:

are really nice. The design of the lever cap and depth adjustment knobs allow you to set a very shallow and controllable cut. With a shallow cut, the mouth opening is very fine. They look beautiful, are made very well, and are comfortable to use.

Cheers, Nate

p.s. No affiliation to Lee Valley other than as an occasional customer.