Setting and Sharpening a Spoke Shave

[wizer]

Just before xmas I went through an 2nd hand tool buying frenzy and got meself an old Record A151. In light of recent events I thought I would try the hand tool method for finishing off some curves.

Could someone shove me in the direction of a website that might show an silly person like me how to set one up and sharpen the blade?

TIA

 

[Pete W]

Compared to a lot of galootish subjects, there's not a lot on spokeshaves out there. Here's a guide to rehabbing and tuning by Bob Smalser.

 

[dh7892]

Out of interest (and appologies for hi-jacking your thread) but where would you recommend in NW Kent for finding second-hand tool? I've been to the car boot fair at Hewitts farm and there was a tool guy there. Anywhere else I should look?

 

[wizer]

Pete, thanks for that. Seems like a bit of a learning curve. I will have a play.

dh7892: I'm probably not the man to ask, my old tool purchasing has never ventured further than eBay. I have been to the very big boot sale at Pedham Place but never really found anything obvious.

My thoughts on finding bargains at boot fairs is to go to the smaller, local events. The big ones tend to attract regulars who know what they are selling.

 

[jonbikebod]

I hadn’t seen that link before but there is some good information there.
I am in the process of writing up spokeshave tuning for someone else. I can pass it your way as well if you would WiZeR.
Jon.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Hi Wizer,

In my experience, you will struggle to get that spokeshave working well. The Record and equivalent Stanley's are not at all well made (particularly the bed for the blade). I did a lot of work on mine and gave up eventually.

If you want one that will work well, get a second-hand Stanley #53 with adjustable mouth or a new Veritas (either the low angle one or the more conventional design). They do work very well.

For sharpening the blades, I find the Veritas small blade holder works well - you can clamp it in a honing guide, either the Eclipse style or the Veritas one.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[wizer]

Jon: yes please, that would be very interesting.

I found this article on FWW on fettling the 151:

http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/ ... 158045.pdf

which suggests replacing the blade and iron. Surely by the time you have done this then you could have at least bought the LV spokeshave?

Thanks Paul, I have read that the 53 might be a better design. Bit thin on the ground tho aren't they? I have the MkII honing guide, will the blade fit in it?

I am also considering blowing the budget and going for a boggs style LN. If only my finger hadn't been mangled at West Dean yesterday, I could have compared it to the LV equivalent.

 

[Chris Knight]

Surely by the time you have done this then you could have at least bought the LV spokeshave?

Zackerly!

 

[newt]

To hone my S.S. blade in the eclipse jig, I tape the blade to a standard plane blade and then use the jig as normal.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Thanks Paul, I have read that the 53 might be a better design. Bit thin on the ground tho aren't they? I have the MkII honing guide, will the blade fit in it?

I bought my #53 from Pennyfarthing Tools http://www.pennyfarthingtools.co.uk/ I've seen several in there from time to time so might be worth giving them a ring.

Spokeshave blades are quite short so they will often not fit in a honing guide, which is why I use the Veritas small blade holder which you can clamp in the honing guide http://www.brimarc.co.uk/home.php3?page ... s&pc=P3203

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Mr Ed]

Some years ago after reading what James Krenov has to say about getting good performance out of cheap Kunz spokeshaves with a bit of tuning, I thought I would follow suit and bought a pair.

Even after a fair bit of fettling and a razor sharp blade (as far as the steel quality would permit) I never got them to work satisfactorily. I went on to buy a veritas round bottomed spokeshave which worked brilliantly more or less straight from the box.

My view on this is that given the relatively modest price of the veritas models why waste the time on an old tool trying to make it work? If you enjoy the process of tool tuning then by all means crack on. If you want more or less immediate performance I would buy a new model such as the veritas.

Cheers, Ed

 

[paulm]

Hi Wizer,

I have a couple of the Veritas shaves, flat and round bottomed and they are indeed very good.

Having watched Brian Boggs at West Dean using his own design of Bogg shaves that LN manufacture, and having handled them at the show together with the Veritas for comparison, I would probably go with the LN if I were buying again, and in fact I might anyway if feeling flush one of these days (after getting over the shock of splashing on a set of BS paring chisels at the show and if SWMBO ever lets me out again that is !!!) !

The LN version subjectively felt better balanced and nicer to handle, but both are way, way beyond the standard Record fare which are liable to put you off shaves all together.

Cheers, Paul.

 

[wizer]

Thanks Chisel, I own the smaller LN spokeshave and find it very nice to use and I like the method of adjustment. Time to sell another kidney.... :?

 

[Harbo]

I have just been sharpening my Veritas spokeshaves using the standard Veritas II honing guide without any problems - though it is very near it's limit!

Did anybody bid for Brian Bogg's chair - I see on his web page they go for about £500?

Rod

 

[bugbear]

Just before xmas I went through an 2nd hand tool buying frenzy and got meself an old Record A151. In light of recent events I thought I would try the hand tool method for finishing off some curves.

Could someone shove me in the direction of a website that might show an silly person like me how to set one up and sharpen the blade?

The main problem with sharpening that is holding the blade.

Many honing jigs won't work, and hand holding is difficult.

Either make or buy a blade holder;the traditional way was a simple saw kerf in the end of a piece of wood.

Here's a fancy commercial version:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx ... 43078&ap=1

(I could have SWORN there were instruction for a DIY version of that on the LV site, but I can't find it)

BugBear

 

[Chris Knight]

You can also trap a spokeshave blade between the blade and cap iron of a regular plane - well enough to use a standard eclipse jig anyway.

 

[George_N]

There is a Stanley #53 currently for sale on Ebay for about £13 inc p&p. Of course it will go up in price now that I have posted the info on here (I'm not the seller by the way, just trying to help).

 

[Racers]

Hi,

Watch out for Preston spokeshaves they out perform stanleys, or go for a low angle wooden spokeshave ,they can be remouthed and you can fit grub screws to sort out loose blade tangs.

Pete

 

[Racers]

Hi,

Here is some of mine,

Bottom left 3 Preston, Miller Falls cigar (N01) Stanley 53 adjustable mouth, new Stanley.
Bottom right 3 wooden low angle, second up with a new wear strip third up with grub screws, small Record, un-marked, Record, new Stanley.

I usually go for the wooden ones or the Prestons/Stanley 53. The third Preston didn't have an adjuster (snapped off) and needed a new blade but it has a round sole and was cheap it, now has a Ray Isles blade and a home made adjuster.


Pete

 

[wizer]

I already own the smaller LN Spokeshave which I believe is a Preston design. I do indeed prefer this method of adjustment but the spokeshave itself is a little on the small side for the kind of work I want to do.