I made some spokeshaves!

Re: I made some spokeshaves! 

Skip in Falls Church

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Re: I made some spokeshaves! 

Skip in Falls Church

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Re: I made some spokeshaves!

Jack Guzman from Maine

>Nice work Skip. Spokeshaves are fun to make.I learned how with a kit I got from Dave's Shaves. My second one I made during a power outage last winter.I was in the shop with a lantern looking for a simple project and I noticed a small piece of cherry I had on the bench and remembered a small hock shave blade I bought awhile back.I used ebony for the wear strip and rounded it for inside curve work.

I also have a few old shaves with bad wood for projects but haven't got the round tuit yet.---Jack

Re: I made some spokeshaves!

Jim Crammond in Monroe, Mi

>Hey Skip,

The spokeshaves look great. They are a fun project and a joy to use. I was using one tonight that I made last February for raising a panel. It is a great feeling to use a tool that you've made. It's a project that you get to enjoy over and over.

Jim

Re: I made some spokeshaves!

Bob Hackett

>One tip that I got from Todd H. was to use bone for the wear strip.It smells bad when you work it but seems to wear real well.

The shop security force wasn`t happy to find his collection short though.I made sure I put the shaves where he can`t reach them.

Mainely,Bob

Re: I made some spokeshaves!

Steve Kubien

>They look good Skip. I too made one from Lee Valley's kit and it is a treat to use. On the next one I make, the brass plate (or substitute) will be narrower so I can get into tighter spaces.

Cheers,

Steve Kubien

Very nice job Skip...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>They look great. What was the hardest part about making them?

I just started milling this beastly piece of Mesquite I got from a fellow islander to make some of my own. I hope mine turn out as nice as yours...

Foul!

Ernie Miller

>That looks like a power tool it is setting on. You are going to have to send that wood and the other parts of that shave to me. It's the only way you can get back in the good graces of the hand tool Gods

Remember Ernie...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>I don't use that saw it's an assembly table. :^)

This stuff is hard, I'd never attempt sending that log through a TS. Way too scary for me... But, it was handle by the neander-buddy with a 3 tpi resaw blade. After squaring it up last nignt, I need to sharpen my jack and smoother ;^(

Re: Remember Ernie...

Ernie Miller

>Damn! I was hoping to pull one over. If you read the by laws real close power tools are permited for the construction of hand tools. I hate to see you sharpening you blades all the time. I can take care of it from here for you. I'll e-mail my address just to help you out.

Re: I made some spokeshaves!

Skip in Falls Church

>Thanks Jack,

Making them really is fun. It's probably a good thing I don't have any more blades or I'd be making some more - not that I need any more. I think I'd like to make a Chairmakers Devil next though.

Skip

Re: I made some spokeshaves!

Skip in Falls Church

>Thanks Jim,

I really don't *use* shaves very much - but it just seems like there's nothing else that works as well when you need one. And it really is fun using tools you've made yourself. I seem to be accumulating quite a few of them so I *must* be having a lot of fun. :)

Skip

Re: I made some spokeshaves!

Skip in Falls Church

>Hi Bob,

One of the ones I had did have a bone wear plate. I thought about trying to reuse it - but it was pretty beat up. Someone had worn the thing down pretty good. Besides, I thought the ebony looked pretty nice. :)

Skip

Re: I made some spokeshaves!

Skip in Falls Church

>Hi Steve,

Now that's an idea I hadn't thought of. And a darn good reason to order another kit.

Skip

Re: Very nice job Skip...

Skip in Falls Church

>Hi Scott,

Fitting the wear strips was pretty exacting although if you're using mesquite that might not be a requirement. One of the original shave bodies was beech and it didn't have a wear strip in it. It looked like it had gotten a good bit of use before it got too worn to work right. It looked like I could have done a little rehab on it and gotten a bit more use out of it - but I just decided to go for a whole new body.

I think the hardest part was getting the holes for the tangs in right was the hardest part though. Keeping the holes so the blade would be held tightly enough was tough. Neither blades had tangs that were the same exact size on either end so each hole had to be cut specifically for each tang. That was easy with the kit - you just bore a couple of hols and thread them. Poof! It's perfect. The second one I did had fairly large tangs so I got the holes pretty close to the right size then just drove the tangs through. That seemed to work pretty well.

I hope you enjoy making yours and I'd love to see pictures when your done.

Skip (Thinking that it might be a good idea to see if my Dad can get me a good size chunck of mesquite after he gets back from the Rita evacuation.)

What kind of bone

Jack Guzman from Maine

>Bob,What kind of bone is used for this? Being carnivores,there is alot of bone material available, but what works best? Boiled,raw,leg bone,rib? I'm not joking,I really want to know.Anyone else know?---thanks----Jack

Re: What kind of bone

Bob Hackett

>I just used an old beef bone that I stole from the box my dog keeps them in.Actually I keep them there,he takes them back out and leaves them where he pleases.

I`m assuming they were leg bones as they are sections that a pretty big in diameter.I cut it thru the thickest part using my neanderbuddy and then shaped it by scraping with a cabinet scraper.Drill,countersink to fit the screws and Bob`s your uncle.;^)

Mainely,Bob

Re: What kind of bone

Dan Donaldson

>You can also buy small pieces of bone that are already shaped from musical instrument parts suppliers. They are used for saddles, nuts, etc.

It's my excuse...

Steve Kubien

>...but any of my friends are more than willing to use it.

Steve Kubien

Re: What kind of bone

Jack Guzman from Maine

>After the dog gets all the marrow out we usually discard them.I have one right here next to my chair that will be my first bone wear plate. Thanks---Jack

Wow, Thanks Ernie

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>Your a real life saver!

;^)

Thanks Skip...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>Great additional info thanks again. I'm looking forward to making two. I got the blanks cut last night for one large and one small. Still have a nice chunk Mesqute left for something else. Hmmmm...Chair devil you say. BTW, I need to sharpen the jack and the smoother again. Have you Dad send you some Skip. It's kinda fun to work with even if it's as hard as my head! Hope they turn out as nice as yours...I'll post pics when their done.

Re: What kind of bone

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>Haven't tried it yet, but FWW did a fascinating piece on bone as the sole for a carriagemaker's rabbet plane years ago (in the black and white days - THAT many years ago). As I remember, the author boiled the bone with something in the water to leach out the marrow and other such things.

Been on the round tuit list for years...

Re: Thanks Skip...

Skip in Falls Church

>Hi Scott,

I think I see how to make a chairmaker's devil - it doesn't look too hard. At least looking at it. :) I guess when my parents return from their odessy I'll see if my Dad can pick up some for me. He's mostly a turner and picks up lots of odds and ends. I've heard a lot about how tough Mesquite is - but after tackling Lignum it doesn't seem it should be any tougher.

Skip