My new shave!

[Bob Strawn]

I have been wanting one of these for about three years!

http://toolmakingart.com/images/leather/pencil%20shave.JPG

I finally put one together. Vinegar did a great job of sharpening the cutter!

Bob

[bridger berdel]

ummm... what is that thing?

[Bob Strawn]

ummm... what is that thing?

It is a fairly elusive galoot tool, made from a pencil sharpener cutter. As far as I know, the only owners of these things that I have seen, have made them themselves. It works like a cross between a spoke shave, float, file and a rasp.
It takes wood off quite quickly, I am already quite fond of it. I made it with a bit of wood turning, two drawer knobs and a bit of all-thread.

Bob

[John Keeton]

Now, that is interesting!!

[Eric Brown]

If I recall correctly, don't those cutters come in pairs and have opposite angled cutters, meaning that you should make the other one in case the wood grain is in the other direction? Right and left handed?

Looks like a clever idea. Thanks.

Eric

[Jeff Wittrock]

Cool. I guess it cuts something like a float?
Any pictures of it in use?

-Jeff

[george wilson]

Does it chatter with repeated passes?

[Bob Strawn]

I have not yet photographed it in use. Often these are made with the two cutters from the pencil sharpener side by side, to make a more balanced tool.

This is not original with me, it is one of those quirky woodworking things like the mallet made with a trick dovetail.

It works sort of like a float, except it makes curly shavings that eject out the side as you work. Usually a float is set up to give a precision cut. This is closer to being well controlled than it is to precision.

Bob

[Bob Strawn]

Does it chatter with repeated passes?

It does not seem to, it leaves a finish about like a pencil sharpener does, go figure. It will happily follow and enlarge errors if you let it. I generally pull it at an angle, but not quite enough an angle to make it straight.

Bob

[Michael Faurot]

This looks very interesting. Would you post some more pictures?

[Don C Peterson]

That is an intriguing idea. But it's got to have a name... Maybe Cigar Float?

[Richard Dooling]

Yes, please post more pictures. Especially "action" shots. I've never heard of or seen one of these but it just makes sense. A cylindrical float - kind of . . .

[george wilson]

I have a few old pencil sharpeners floating around. Probably should make a quick handle,and if it works well,a nice handle.

[Bill Houghton]

I have a couple of pencil sharpeners that I'd like to use to sharpen pencils, but the cutters are dull and replacements unavailable.

Did I understand you to say that regular old vinegar sharpened up the cutter?

[Bob Strawn]

This looks very interesting. Would you post some more pictures?

Pushing it into pine

[Bob Strawn]

This looks very interesting. Would you post some more pictures?

Ok here are a bunch of picture of the cute little tool that can. I did all of this and initially took 28 pictures in about 20 minutes, this is a quick, easy tool to use. Selecting, cropping and resizing the pictures took much longer to do.

Pushing it into pine
http://toolmakingart.com/images/Pencil%20Shave/Pencil%20Shave%2001%20Pushing%20pine.JPG

On the left is cut with the grain in pine stopped to show a curl or spill. On the right is cut against the grain.
http://toolmakingart.com/images/Pencil%20Shave/Pencil%20Shave%2002%20with%20and%20against%20grain .JPG

Here, I mitered the endgrain of some soft cedar.
http://toolmakingart.com/images/Pencil%20Shave/Pencil%20Shave%2004%20mitered%20endgrain.JPG

Same block, I mitered an edge with the grain.
http://toolmakingart.com/images/Pencil%20Shave/Pencil%20Shave%2005%20mitered%20with%20grain.JPG

Now for a rough test, mesquite
http://toolmakingart.com/images/Pencil%20Shave/Pencil%20Shave%2007%20mesquite%20shavings.JPG

Mesquite against the grain
http://toolmakingart.com/images/Pencil%20Shave/Pencil%20Shave%2008%20mesquite%20against%20grain.J PG

Mesquite with the grain
http://toolmakingart.com/images/Pencil%20Shave/Pencil%20Shave%2009%20mesquite%20with%20grain.JPG

The finish is about on a par with 180 sand paper.

The shave dissected.
http://toolmakingart.com/images/Pencil%20Shave/Pencil%20Shave%2010%20taken%20apart.JPG

The big end, one end of the cutter has a large hole, where the gear is wedged in. You could just grind down the gear, but I was not sure about the pot metal in vinegar, and I want to be able to wash off all the vinegar when I am done, so I removed the gear.
http://toolmakingart.com/images/Pencil%20Shave/Pencil%20Shave%2011%20cutter%20end.JPG

Pine spills made by the shave!
http://toolmakingart.com/images/Pencil%20Shave/Pencil%20Shave%2012%20pine%20spills.JPG


Bob

[Michael Faurot]

Thanks for the additional pictures. I'll be looking for an old pencil sharpener on my next rust hunt.