bluesy Posted July 27, 2008 Report Share Posted July 27, 2008 I just wanted to comment after using a spokeshave for the first time. I purchased a small, fairly cheap, Kunz spokeshave. It works fine, but is hard to set up as it has no micro-adjustments for the blade. I just finished my first neck, which I mostly shaped using this spokeshave. After shaving off two 45 degree chamfers down each side, from that point I was able to just whittle away at it until it felt right. I developed a technique for myself where I sat in a chair with the neck heel on the ground and the pegboard in my left hand. Using the spokeshave set for a shallow cut, and holding it with my right hand only, I found I could whittle away at the neck, slowly turning it using my left hand, and achieve a very smooth round surface. A great tool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted July 29, 2008 Report Share Posted July 29, 2008 I agree, spokeshaves are awesome! Personally, I clamp the neck out from the workbench with a support under the headstock. I mostly carve from the heel towards the head, pulling the blade towards me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesy Posted July 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2008 I agree, spokeshaves are awesome! Personally, I clamp the neck out from the workbench with a support under the headstock. I mostly carve from the heel towards the head, pulling the blade towards me. I carve from the heel towards the head as well. I just like to sit down while I'm doing it and rest the heel on the floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted July 29, 2008 Report Share Posted July 29, 2008 not that I care and you should do whatever works and is comfortable. but you do realise that you are supposed to push the spokeshave like a plane? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesy Posted July 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 not that I care and you should do whatever works and is comfortable. but you do realise that you are supposed to push the spokeshave like a plane? Not according to lot's of instructions I have read. People use it like a drawknife all the time. When I use it 2 handed, I wrap my fingers around the handles and my thumbs sit on the front of the middle bit to guide it. Very controllable that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted July 30, 2008 Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 (edited) Thats why i said you should do what feels comfortable. I sometimes use them towards me when its awkward or i'm being lazy. but you might be surprised if you try it the other way. they are designed to be pushed. if you hold it the right way round you can see where your thumbs are supposed to rest. Edited July 30, 2008 by joshvegas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihocky2 Posted July 30, 2008 Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 I do it both directions. I tend to get lazy and don't feel like unclamping sometimes so I just change the direction of my cut, pushing versus pulling and get equal results. But I must say, once you get the hang of a spoakshave they are a joy to use. Next thing you need to learn is the proper use of a scraper. When I started into the world of hand tools, the scraper gave me the most grief. But now that I have tamed the beast, I love using it and would be lost without it. It is the simplest tool, but the amount you can do with it is astounding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesy Posted July 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 I do it both directions. I tend to get lazy and don't feel like unclamping sometimes so I just change the direction of my cut, pushing versus pulling and get equal results. But I must say, once you get the hang of a spoakshave they are a joy to use. Next thing you need to learn is the proper use of a scraper. When I started into the world of hand tools, the scraper gave me the most grief. But now that I have tamed the beast, I love using it and would be lost without it. It is the simplest tool, but the amount you can do with it is astounding. I bought a scraper and tried it. Yes, it needs to be practiced. Also, I read that most new scrapers are not prepared, i.e. the edge is not burnished over, so I need to do that and try again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddW Posted July 30, 2008 Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 Hey Bluesy, Flatten and smooth it before you burnish a lip/edge onto it. I used the glass plate and wet/dry sandpaper I have to sharpen planes and such, then just burnished with a screwdriver shaft, but I think the smooth part of a large drill bit is what I'll try next. I'm finding it's a usefull tool. Especially on figured maple. Todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pariah223 Posted July 30, 2008 Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 when i use a spokeshave on the neck, what i end up doing is clamping the heel to the bench with the rest of it over hanging.. then i sit down (i have a drum stool that puts me at just the right height) and press the headstock into my stomach to support it, and then i can reach every angle and everything on the neck without having to reposition. As long as your blade is nice and sharp you should need little to no downward pressure so the neck wont be stressed with no support under it. Works great for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar2005 Posted July 30, 2008 Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 Hey Bluesy, Flatten and smooth it before you burnish a lip/edge onto it. I used the glass plate and wet/dry sandpaper I have to sharpen planes and such, then just burnished with a screwdriver shaft, but I think the smooth part of a large drill bit is what I'll try next. I'm finding it's a usefull tool. Especially on figured maple. Todd I just bought a burnisher from lee valley. It gives the best results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Abbett Posted July 30, 2008 Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 Since we're talking about scrapers and spokeshaves I had an observation the other day. I've been using handplanes for a long time, have several all tuned up and ready to go. I've somehow gotten into the habbit of using my power tools for everything. The other night I had a template taped to a fingerboard blank, and looked at the clock, it was my daughters bedtime. Drats, it will have to wait until tommorrow. Then I had a thought, I grabbed my #5 baily and in about 5 minutes had the fingerboard matching the plywood template perfectly. It was nice and quiet, didn't take any effort, and I enjoyed the shavings as opposed to the cloud of dust my router creates. I don't know why I grab my router first, the hand plane is a much more enjoyable tool. I figure by the time I put in the pattern bit with the bearing, and got it adjusted and figured out how I was going to get it to stay level on a curved fingerboard, I would have been able to do two or three by hand. I have since moved my hand plane to a nice place within reach on the bench instead of on the wall where it was hard to get to. I just can't figure out why I havn't been using it all along. It's the obvious choice. -John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted July 30, 2008 Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 The right tool for the right job, I say. I route the radius into my fingerboards, but plane the taper - as you say, it's very quick, quiet, and makes nice little curly shavings. Trimming off a bit here or there? Block plane. Or a chisel. Carve necks? Rasps, scraper. Sometimes a bit of sandpaper, may break out the inflatable drum sander for some heel work, but generally it's hand tools. Not wild on spokeshaves, probably because a number of my most recent necks have been laminates, which tend to tear out if the grain direciton isn't going the same way througout the piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Abbett Posted July 30, 2008 Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 I've got one of those curves spokeshaves. It does a nice job on mahogany necks and boat oars. Kinda tough to sharpen to a razor edge though. -John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesy Posted July 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 Since we're talking about scrapers and spokeshaves I had an observation the other day. I've been using handplanes for a long time, have several all tuned up and ready to go. I've somehow gotten into the habbit of using my power tools for everything. The other night I had a template taped to a fingerboard blank, and looked at the clock, it was my daughters bedtime. Drats, it will have to wait until tommorrow. Then I had a thought, I grabbed my #5 baily and in about 5 minutes had the fingerboard matching the plywood template perfectly. It was nice and quiet, didn't take any effort, and I enjoyed the shavings as opposed to the cloud of dust my router creates. I don't know why I grab my router first, the hand plane is a much more enjoyable tool. I haven't used a hand plane much since high school. Just wondering, how did you use the template to guide the plane? Or did you just plane it slowly and periodically compare to the template? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesy Posted July 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Hey Bluesy, Flatten and smooth it before you burnish a lip/edge onto it. I used the glass plate and wet/dry sandpaper I have to sharpen planes and such, then just burnished with a screwdriver shaft, but I think the smooth part of a large drill bit is what I'll try next. I'm finding it's a usefull tool. Especially on figured maple. Todd Apparently screwdrivers are a bit soft. yes a high speed drill might be better, or, it has been suggested that the smooth part of a round rat-tail file is good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihocky2 Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 If you know anyone that works at a machine shop ask them to get you a broken end mill. They are either very high quality tool steel or carbide or ceramic. Any of those though work like a dream for burnishing. I got a broken shank to a 3/4" end mill that is solid carbide. A little on the thick side but it was all that was around at the time. I drill a hole into a dowel and epoxied it in to create a handle. Works wonderfully. Better than a drill bit or screw driver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddW Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Thanks for the ideas. I used my scapers today to take out some scratches and they do need to be re-burnished Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyonsdream Posted August 1, 2008 Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 I have an older set of jointer knives that I like to use for scraping but with no handles it's not for the weak of heart! I've been thinking about getting a nice draw knife to work with but one of those finger planes look cool too. Anyone use those for shaping necks or bevels? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted August 1, 2008 Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 The problem I can see witha drawknife is that the bevel is facing up I'd be worried about digging in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihocky2 Posted August 2, 2008 Report Share Posted August 2, 2008 A draw knife can work nicely for rough removal of material for a neck. But once you are getting even remotely close to final I would go to a scraper or a spokeshave. But really I can carve out a neck in about an hour with nothing more than a half round rasp, spokeshave and scraper. I don't really see a fraw knife as necesary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foil1more Posted August 3, 2008 Report Share Posted August 3, 2008 I have a plane and a spokeshave but they keep getting jammed with shavings I'm going to try to sharpen them and make the blades stick out less. any other tips for setting them up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted August 3, 2008 Report Share Posted August 3, 2008 where is it getting clogged? and what kind of plane? there are a number of reasons I can think of you might want to do a bit of research on the net there are hundreds of site/youtube videos/forums on hand tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted August 3, 2008 Report Share Posted August 3, 2008 If the range of adjustment on your spokeshave isn't great enough to bring the iron completely back inside the mouth then something is indeed wrong. Worst case scenario is grinding your iron shorter, although there's no going back from that if it turns out the setup problem lies in something else - I would look into it being something else before considering doing that! Ideally you want to have the iron right back in the body where it isn't going to shave anything, then adjust it out a tiny bit at a time until it starts to take very very small amounts of wood from the workpiece. Then adjust it across the mouth so it takes a nice wide but *thin* shaving. If you adjust it too far, the shavings will be too thick and you risk tearout, chattering and clogging from thick pieces jamming themselves between the mouth and the iron, etc. That and it becomes a more difficult tool to use. Spokeshaves should cut like butter and be a joy to use....hence the thread title :-D There is a gap for the shavings to exit through the mouth isn't there? Does the spokeshave have a chipbreaker? Chipbreakers can be honed to be tight against the iron so shavings can't jam between them also. Photos? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted August 3, 2008 Report Share Posted August 3, 2008 read this it should help you out! http://www.sawdustersplace.com/Danos%20Primers/planeBas.HTM not sure what a bezel is I think he means BEVEL! 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.