A Question of Spokeshaves

[Ironballs]

Was using my flat bottom one to do concave and convex curves on the legs of my TV stand today. Used it recently to put a gentle curve into the sides of a reading stand

 

[heimlaga]

Well......after plenty of trial and error I found out that round soled spokesheaves are made solely for selling and not for being used by humans.
I sold my round soled Stanley spokesheave for 1 euro to somebody who had not yet learned this fact of life......or maybe he knew something I have'nt learned yet

My old flat soled Stanleys work well.....or at least well enough for my moderate skill level.

 

[WellsWood]

Well......after plenty of trial and error I found out that round soled spokesheaves are made solely for selling and not for being used by humans.
I sold my round soled Stanley spokesheave for 1 euro to somebody who had not yet learned this fact of life......or maybe he knew something I have'nt learned yet

My old flat soled Stanleys work well.....or at least well enough for my moderate skill level.

I just recently treated myself to a round bottomed Veritas s'shave for doing a concaved curve on the front edge of a computer desk I'm about to build, including a tapered chamfer on the edge of the curve.
I agonised for quite a while about the purchase exactly because everyone said using it was going to involve a steep learning curve. After a couple of practice sessions I am now wondering what all the fuss is about, it really isn't that difficult. This sounds like bragging on my part, but I'm convinced it has a lot more to do with the quality of the tool than my skill levels - the veritas 'shaves are very very good indeed and for concave work I would consider a round one pretty much essential. Quite how Ironballs managed to do concave curves with a flat 'shave I don't know ( :shock: ) as I tried this and found it virtually impossible.

 

[wizer]

If I can use a spokeshave....

 

[woodbloke]

Quite how Ironballs managed to do concave curves with a flat 'shave I don't know ( :shock: ) as I tried this and found it virtually impossible.

If the curve is sufficiently shallow then it's easy. At a certain point though, when the curve becomes too concave, the flat bottomed 'shave will cease to cut and then it's time for the round bottomed 'shave - Rob

 

[Ironballs]

Like Rob says, you can cheat a bit as well and project the blade a bit further to keep the cut going. There is a downside though, you can become prone to dig ins and chattering as you're asking the tool to do something beyond its limits

 

[Racers]

Hi, Chaps

This is the round bottom shave to have its a Millers Falls No1 of cigar shave. It will shave any hole big enough to get the handles in :wink:

Pete

 

[WellsWood]

Like Rob says, you can cheat a bit as well and project the blade a bit further to keep the cut going. There is a downside though, you can become prone to dig ins and chattering as you're asking the tool to do something beyond its limits

Yes, exactly the problem I was having. Another problem was I was working a curved edge which went from convex to concave and cut freehand on the bandsaw, as such the radius was in constant flux as I progressed along the edge. I worked exactly as Rob suggests, but because of the varying radius any given projection only worked acceptably for a very short portion of the edge. Add that to the variation in the depth of chamfer (which is greatest at the middle of the curve) and you have a recipe for some serious hair pulling / teeth gnashing.
My round 'shave was consequently one of the best £80 I've spent in a long while.

 

[Mikey R]

Well spotted, Pete!

I have sent Ray an e-mail to confirm things but, according to his website, they only do standard-thickness blades for my models.

Ive got one of Rays, its probably about 3mm thick.