Bainzy Posted June 3, 2007 Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 I've already got a spokeshave with a rounded bottom that works fairly well, but I'm after one with an actual convex shape (the base has a 2.5" radius) for carving tops when I need to get into tighter areas where the base of my current spokeshave will be too wide. I don't really know which one to get though - there appears to be two options, one by Kunz and another by Clifton. The Kunz is around £15 retail whereas the Clifton is £55, but I'm prepared to get a new blade and spend time working on it with the Kunz, and possibly making a new chip breaker if necessary for it. Does anyone have any experience with either, or any other recommendations? (Kunz version) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted June 3, 2007 Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 Clifton tools are of excellent quality, but I've also heard very good things about Kunz. I'd go for teh cheaper option, and see if you like the spokeshave for carving. £55 is a good chunk of cash to drop on a tool you might end up not using. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prs man Posted June 3, 2007 Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 I use a lie Nielsen with no trouble. a sharp spoke shave is a must. A cheaper less $$ spoke shave might be the way to go until you find what works for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bainzy Posted June 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 I'd consider Lie Nielsen as my LN 5½ jack is amazing but as far as I'm aware they don't make a spokeshave this shape. The spokeshave I'm using right now was from my grandfather is about 100 years old, it's a No.65 Chamfer spokeshave made by the Stanley Rule & Level Co. still with it's original blade, but sadly the chamfer parts and cap iron were long gone before I got hold of it: I've since derusted it and painted it up as shown in the picture, and the blade is nicely sharpened - it works well, but I'm still making a replacement cap iron from brass to improve its performance further that should act as a chip breaker. The main problem with it is that unless I go across the grain with it, the shape of the spokeshave base is too wide to carve out the tighter recessed areas on a Les Paul top. I agree Setch that £55 is a large amount of cash to spend on a tool I might not like, but then there's also a concern of mine that I might end up spending £15 on the Kunz, liking it's style but not performance and ending up buying the Clifton too. Plus, the Clifton presumably would hold its value quite well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j. pierce Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 I use a concave radiused Kunz for roughing out my necks, and never really spent any time tweaking or adjusting the tool other than honing the blade, and all in all I have to say I really like it. However, I haven't ever used a really nice spokeshave, so I don't have much to compare it too. I do remember reading a spokeshave review online somewhere (perhaps popular woodworking?) and the Kunz didn't score very well at all, however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prs man Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 one other spoke shave that is a good one is lee valley I think you buy from them direct. the one thing I liked about the lie Nielsen is how nice it is balanced and it is ready to go out of the box from looking at lee valley web site they look a lot like the lie Nielsen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j. pierce Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 I've also been looking at this set from Lee Valley, and this interesting tool from Woodcraft. (One nice thing about ordering hands tools from woodcraft is their sharpening service - nice to have the blade show up honed and ready to go.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl762 Posted June 7, 2007 Report Share Posted June 7, 2007 Indeed. I purchased the Kunz in the pic and a straight one (Woodcrafters) It's required right out of the box to sharpen and hone them. I spent an afternoon sharpening, honing, adjusting, finally making shavings. They work fine, now. The store I got them from advertised a sharpening service, but only does that for internet sales. I bought the little 3 piece mini set from Lee Valley, and want to get one of their high quality spokeshaves. Had to tune up the mini's too. I've used the straight mini and the straight Kunz on a neck repair job. I really like using a spokeshave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bainzy Posted June 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2007 Indeed. I purchased the Kunz in the pic and a straight one (Woodcrafters) It's required right out of the box to sharpen and hone them. I spent an afternoon sharpening, honing, adjusting, finally making shavings. They work fine, now. The store I got them from advertised a sharpening service, but only does that for internet sales. I bought the little 3 piece mini set from Lee Valley, and want to get one of their high quality spokeshaves. Had to tune up the mini's too. I've used the straight mini and the straight Kunz on a neck repair job. I really like using a spokeshave. Having to hone the blade isn't much of an issue to me, but how is the quality of the blade - does it keep an edge well, and how sharp an edge can it get? Is the bed of the spokeshave flat and providing a good mating surface? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted June 7, 2007 Report Share Posted June 7, 2007 I also found the spokeshave can't handle the concave areas of a carved top, but rather than spend money on a tool which I can only really imagine using for that one job, I built myself a little carving plane. Super simple, and it works like a champ. I've since switched to a sander with 40 grit discs for carving tops, but the little plane still gets used a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnewman Posted June 8, 2007 Report Share Posted June 8, 2007 Setch, I think I remember a while back your posting a link to tutorial or pictorial or description or some such of the building process of that little plane... Do you still have that posted somewhere? Thanks, Jimmy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bainzy Posted June 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2007 Awesome Setch, I wondered what that plane was for - I've been going away from the idea of buying the convex shave actually in the past few days, and using a minature one instead - I didn't realise how big the Kunz/Clifton models are, a bit clunkier than I'd like for this job. If you have such a tutorial/description of it being built I'd love to see it! Another thing I've been considering instead is getting a set of these: http://www.amazon.com/Aldon-SPK-03-Bronze-...t/dp/B00076VSBC and upgrading them with a proper cap iron that works as a chipbreaker so they work nicely for carving tops, the only problem is I can't seem to track down any UK suppliers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted June 8, 2007 Report Share Posted June 8, 2007 This should be the link you're after: http://www.dunwellguitar.com/FingerPlanes/MyDesign.htm I also find full size shaves a bit OTT for most instrument work, my favorite is a stanley model makers shave, about 1.5" across the blade, and maybe 6" from tip to tip of the handles. Lovely little tool, and pretty cheap and cheerfull, though mine was inherited from my grandpa. Sadly, I believe they're discontinued now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j. pierce Posted June 9, 2007 Report Share Posted June 9, 2007 FWIW, I said "what the heck" and ordered that carving spoon linked in my post above. Paid the extra 5 bucks for the sharpening service - I don't mind honing my own blades, but it's nice to have the initial grind and hone done. I'd still run over it with my finest grit stone or sandpaper or however you sharpen, but it's pretty much ready to use right out of the box. I don't know if they lap the backs or not - it doesn't appear to have been done, but there's no wire edge or anything. against any true surface I have here, it appears to be pretty damn flat out of the box, but I'll see what happens next time I've got the sharpening stuff out and I lap the back. For the price, I'm fairly impressed - the blade is nice and thick (about a full 1/8th of an inch) , the tool is well crafted, and the blade fits well. The bed that the blade rests on is well milled, so the blade sits securely. (Which *should* be the case, but I've seen spokeshaves and planes on the cheaper end of the spectrum like this tool, where this area is sadly neglected.) The thing's got some heft. It's a little annoying adjusting the cutting depth with only the single screw to hold the blade in place, but it fits just tight enough that there isn't much play other than forward/back when adjusting thing. I also don't see how else you could construct this tool to allow any other adjustment method. Interestingly enough the large cap screw is slotted so you can easily turn it with a quarter or other large coin if your screwdriver isn't handy. (Not that I go anywhere w/o my leatherman.) Also, the way the tool is made, pretty much anyway you rest it on a flat surface when putting it down, the blade will be clear of whatever it's on. It's not the most ergonomic tool for my large hands, but I'm still finding the best way to hold it. Anyway, rambled on an on here - didn't mean to thread-jack. Anyway, I'm just starting my carved tops, so I can't entirely judge the things suitability to the task just yet, but I've been playing with it on some scrap pieces of padauk, and it's doing a great job, joy to use, and it looks like it's really going work well when it gets to the recarve. I think I payed 30 bucks after shipping and with the sharpening service charge, and I can definetly find some uses for it even if it didn't work for carving tops. That said, I still want to make me some nice little mini planes like Setch. I'd like to try the flap-wheel method too, but I really like carving - it's one the aspects about guitar building that's really fun for me, plus I can do it pretty much whenever, and at home, which works well with my wierd schedule and apartment building life. (Routers on my time don't make for good neighbors) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl762 Posted June 9, 2007 Report Share Posted June 9, 2007 Having to hone the blade isn't much of an issue to me, but how is the quality of the blade - does it keep an edge well, and how sharp an edge can it get? Is the bed of the spokeshave flat and providing a good mating surface? They keep an edge well. It feels razor sharp to me. Yes, once properly adjusted/honed, according to Kunz's instructions, they're good tools. I favor the straight spokeshave and the mini's for smaller areas. Setch, sweet plane. I'd love to build one of those, or buy one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j. pierce Posted June 14, 2007 Report Share Posted June 14, 2007 FWIW, I did most of the recarve on one of my tops today using the spoon pretty much exclusively. Worked beautifully once I figured out the feel of it and how deep to set the blade. I'd recommend it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bainzy Posted June 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2007 (edited) Interesting options - I think I'll be trying all of them at some point. For now though, I decided to go for a set of mini spokeshaves I found on ebay USA, once they arrive I'll hone the blades and fit them all with brass chipbreakers to improve performance: Edited June 14, 2007 by Bainzy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j. pierce Posted June 14, 2007 Report Share Posted June 14, 2007 I've seen that set (or at least, what appears to be it, I'll have to check the brand) around at different places and have been curious about it - I'd be interesting in hearing your impressions of it when you try them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bainzy Posted June 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 I'll make sure to post my thoughts, before and after tuning them all up. When I try the spoon carver method, I'll also let you know how they differ in performance and suitability etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.