looking for a new spokeshave

[Justin Cavender]

I am trying to decide what spokeshave to buy. The one I have is a very bad 151 copy from harborfreight the mouth is 3/8 wide with the blade in it. All I use a spokeshave for is guitar necks I want something that will not cause alot of tear out in maple. I was looking at the small contour planes from LV or the low angle spokeshave from them or their standard one does anyone have any experience with any of these thanks.

[Doug Mason]

Take a look at the Woodjoy wooden shaves.

[Mike Henderson]

I have the LN Boggs flat spokeshave and it's a very good tool with a tight mouth. I don't know if it would fit your work, though.

Mike

[Roy Griggs]

Buy a Hock spokeshave blade, go to John Gunterman's TeachShave site and make your own wooden shave. It isn't hard and is a lot of fun.

www.hocktools.com/teachshave/TEACHSHAVE.HTM

[Mike Henderson]

Buy a Hock spokeshave blade, go to John Gunterman's TeachShave site and make your own wooden shave. It isn't hard and is a lot of fun.

www.hocktools.com/teachshave/TEACHSHAVE.HTM
You can also get the parts from Lee Valley (http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=49710&cat=1,50230&ap=1). The adjustment of the LV is easier than the Hock - at least it was when I built my wooden spokeshaves.

You'll get all the directions with the LV blades. I was able to build mine from those directions.

Mike

[Brian Kent]

Justin, the small contour planes are amazing. I have a couple o old Stanleys and a nice wooden Lee Valley made from their kit. The shaves I use the most are the small contour planes because they work the best for me by far.

[William Drylie]

I agree with Roy. Go to the Teach Shave site and make your own. But I made my own blade. That small of a piece of O-1 can be hardened with a home torch. The only power tool I used was a small bench top drill press.
I used threaded rod for the posts into drilled and tapped holes in the blade. Knurled brass nuts from the hardware and tiny set screws into drilled and tapped holes in the hard maple body for blade depth adjustment.

Bill

[David Keller NC]

I am trying to decide what spokeshave to buy. The one I have is a very bad 151 copy from harborfreight the mouth is 3/8 wide with the blade in it. All I use a spokeshave for is guitar necks I want something that will not cause alot of tear out in maple. I was looking at the small contour planes from LV or the low angle spokeshave from them or their standard one does anyone have any experience with any of these thanks.

Since you're using them on maple guitar necks (presumably curly maple), I wouldn't suggest a low angle shave - you want a high angle one. A traditional shave is a bevel-up tool, so you could sharpen a high angle on it.

I have two of the Boggs shaves from L-N, as well as the small bronze shaves. Both types are superb tools and have very tight mouths (in fact, if you want to hog off lots of wood, you'll have to widen the mouths). Based on the geometry of guitar necks (I'm a guitar player), I think I'd consider the pair of small bronze shaves from L-N. The curved one will get you into the tight curve between the headstock and the back of the neck, and the straight one will do what you want on along the length of the neck. Note that both of these types are bevel-down designs, though you can easily put a back-bevel on the blade because they're flat pieces of metal, unlike the wooden types with tangs.

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Justin

Here is a rundown of the spokeshaves I use ..

http://tinyurl.com/d5sg43

From top to bottom ...

Stanley #66 beader .......................... not a spokeshave, of course.
HNT Gordon round bottom ............. the absolute best spokeshave for inside curves on gnarly grain.
HNT Gordon flat bottom ................. the absolute best spokeshave for gnarly grain. You can take this one into the grain!
Veritas LA spokeshave ................... metal recreation of a LA woodie. Superb on end grain.
LN Boggs flat bottom ...................... wonderful for taking those finishing shavings. Terrific balance.
Stanley #55 concave or hollow ....... this one works well with a shimmed mouth.
Stanley #53 adjustable mouth .......... one of the best there is. I wonder why LN or LV have not copied it?
Stanley #65 chamfer shave .............. difficult to find with intact fences - and rarely used after all that!
Stanley #51 ...................................... set up as my "jack" to take coarse shavings.
Mathieson beader ............................ double sided for grain direction.
Chinese woodie ............................... don't ask.

My recommendation - look for a Stanley #53 on eBay. A superb allrounder that should not cost much. The LV LA is one you can get to pare with this.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Justin Cavender]

Thanks for all the advice I think I will go with the small contour planes from lee valley.

[Brian Kent]

I think you will be very happily surprised.

[Mike Henderson]

Let us know how they work for you after you have some time with them.

Mike

[Justin Cavender]

I was judt looking at the LV kit what tools does it take how do you do the mortice do you have to have chisels?

[Pam Niedermayer]

My favorite are the boxwood shaves I pick up from old tool vendors, they're normally narrow for making tight turns and very sturdy. I also like the LV low angle a lot, as well as an old chamfer shave by Preston. However, the best accessory is the Boggs DVD from LN, get it and be happy.

Pam

[David Keller NC]

I was judt looking at the LV kit what tools does it take how do you do the mortice do you have to have chisels?

Yes, you need chisels. You can do a lot with the square blank with a drill and a small fret saw, but it's going to be difficult to get a good shaving ramp without (any) bench chisels. Honestly, I'm sort of surprised you don't have an as a guitar maker. While the rough work to put in the pickup mortises can be done with a router, I'd think at least some chisel work would be required to clean up the holes, and also to fit the neck into the body, at least if you're using the Fender detachable neck design.

[Tim Put]

A well setup and well jigged router can cut a neck pocket with a firm piston-like fit. A joint that paring with a chisel cannot improve. The only part of the neck pocket a router can't do is to square up the corners, which is only necessary if the neck is square-ended which it often isn't.

[Tim Put]

For example: http://www.mykaguitars.com/tools/neckpocketjig/default.htm

[Bill Houghton]

though I've never tried it on curly maple.

The 52, by the way, is the straight-handled flavor of the 51, which is the no-adjuster-nut version of the 151.

LV sells a spokeshave blade that fits the 51/52/151 spokeshaves. When I got mine, I had to file out the mouth of my 52 to make it fit, so I think I can safely say it's a fine mouth.

[Justin Cavender]

I mainly do neck thru body style or set necks but I use a flush trim bit off of a template for a fit that is extremely tight

[Russ Massery]

Justin, I've found the LV kits are great for shaping necks.The guys here turned me on to them. (Thanks, Mike) I also fond of there low angle also. I'm just starting to use spokeshaves myself so there is a bit of a learning curve. Mostly for me is setting the depth of cut. I played guitar and bass years ago and now, my son have confiscated all my gear. :rolleyes: His hope are to some day build one together. I did shave the back of his jazz bass neck which he loves now. BTW is that one of your's in your avatar or a BC rich? Haven't seen one of those in years. Think they were call a Mockingbird? They were very popular in my playing days.

[Justin Cavender]

Yes Russ that is my version of the mockingbird that was my first one I finished it back in february. Be careful of starting one, those are a greased up steep slope.