Spoke Shaves


Chet

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I my recent Morris Chair project, when I was cleaning up the inside curve of the arms and back slats I was thinking that this might be a nice place to use a spoke shave if I had one.  I have enough arthritic pain in my thumbs that keep me from ever thinking about card scrapers.  I do have a cabinet scraper that I use pretty regularly but the sole of that is too big to do a lot of inside curve stuff

This got me to wondering how many of you own a spoke shave?

Do you use it as much as you thought when you purchased it?

What types of things gets you bringing it out to use?

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I'll be the first to admit that I don't use mine as much as I probably should!  I don't think you'd have any issues with the arthritic paid if the cabinet scraper doesn't bother you.  

I've got some shaping on a project coming up and it's my intention to use the spoke shave purely because you made this post and reminded me...lol

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Spokeshaves are my favorite hand tools. My fave is the Brian Boggs. I have 5 and use all of them for different operations. I use them to taper legs, smooth curves after the spindle sander, sometimes for beveling edges instead of a block plane. Anywhere I can I use them.

Edit: I just reread this. I don't have 5 Boggs spokeshaves. I have 5 spokeshaves that I use regularly and one of them is a Boggs. 

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I have a bunch of them.  For problem hands, and first user, I highly recommend the Lee Valley- Veritas ones.  They will go to work right out of the box, but do benefit from a super sharpening, like anything else.  You also get your choice of favorite steel for the cutter.  

There are quite a number of special purpose ones, but those have big, comfortable handles, and a non fiddly blade adjustment.

https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/hand-tools/spokeshaves/49142-veritas-flat-round-and-concave-spokeshaves

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1 hour ago, ..Kev said:

 I don't think you'd have any issues with the arthritic pain

My comment about the arthritis was connected to just the card scraper and the way you need to flex it with your thumbs.  I didn't mean to confuse it with the use of other hand tools.

Mick what is it about the Boggs that make you partial to them?  I was looking at the Veritas because I have been happy with their hand planes.

Would the flat one be the place to start if buying just one at the moment?

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Look at the first thing you want to do with one, and pick the first one to do that.  I first bought the concave one to shape some handrails on an old house, and not too long after, the other two showed up, for some odd reason.

edited to add:  I looked at the Bogg's, but didn't want an A2 blade.

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32 minutes ago, Chet said:

Mick what is it about the Boggs that make you partial to them?  I was looking at the Veritas because I have been happy with their hand planes.

Would the flat one be the place to start if buying just one at the moment?

When I first used the Boggs I didn't understand how to adjust the depth. For that reason I was leaning toward the Veritas also. A friend of mine had a Boggs and showed me how easily it adjusts by tapping the end of the handle on the bench with the blade upright to lower it slightly, or tap it with the blade upside down to raise it. By tapping one end of the handle only you can skew the blade so that one side takes off a little more than the other. Very fast and simple although it does take a little practice, much like adjusting a Krenov style or Japanese plane. We have a few of the Veritas spokeshaves at school and I found them trickier to fine tune. The Boggs is more comfy in my hands. The weight and balance work well for me.

I would definitely start with a flat bottom. 

If it would help, I can make a short video in the morning and post the process.

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6 hours ago, wtnhighlander said:

I use a flat bottom spokeshave, and frankly can't see a compelling reason for a round bottom. An inside curve would have to be really tight to not be workable with a typical flat spokeshave.

Turn 90° in that work flow. Flat only works in the one orientation. If you want to work across, the “corners” dig and the center skips. Think about refining a seat contour that curves in from multiple planes of approach. 

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13 hours ago, Chet said:

This got me to wondering how many of you own a spoke shave?

Do you use it as much as you thought when you purchased it?

What types of things gets you bringing it out to use?

Yes, A LV one with the convex curved bottom.

I use it more than i thought i would.

I use it on anything concave curved. You can use it on small strait parts that have curves leading in or out. I've found many times where some curves were tighter than the plane could handle. I thought about getting the flat bottomed but after using the convex one I haven't really found a need as it works flat and convex surfaces just fine.

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8 minutes ago, Chestnut said:

Yes, A LV one with the convex curved bottom.

I use it more than i thought i would.

I use it on anything concave curved. You can use it on small strait parts that have curves leading in or out. I've found many times where some curves were tighter than the plane could handle. I thought about getting the flat bottomed but after using the convex one I haven't really found a need as it works flat and convex surfaces just fine.

Drew I had to chuckle a bit when I read this its funny how we each have our own way of handling a task, while I have both I prefer the flat bottom for both flat and convex surfaces :) 

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3 hours ago, wtnhighlander said:

@Tpt life are you talking about a shave with a sole that curves front to back, but has a straight blade, or one with blade and sole curved side to side, like a scorp?

I don’t know of one like the first. All curved I see are referencing the second. Many “flat” do not have a true flat sole front to rear that is very large at all. 

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1 hour ago, pkinneb said:

Drew I had to chuckle a bit when I read this its funny how we each have our own way of handling a task, while I have both I prefer the flat bottom for both flat and convex surfaces :) 

I've ran into curves that were too tight for the convex spoke shave . I don't have my OSS set up so i don't really use it and resort to other measures. I feel like i should buy the flat bottomed now to try and understand what I'm missing.

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3 hours ago, pkinneb said:

Drew I had to chuckle a bit when I read this its funny how we each have our own way of handling a task, while I have both I prefer the flat bottom for both flat and convex surfaces :) 

I do the same. The only round bottom spokeshave I have is a Pinnacle and it's really not a very well designed piece, IMO. The mouth is way too large (open) and I get lots of chatter, regardless of how sharp it is or how much I'm trying to take off.

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