New round bottom spokeshave from LV

[Prashun Patel]

Has anyone used one of these or the Preston originals?

I'm looking for a smaller, round bottom spokeshave for chair seat work and the price looks right.

Also, I love that the blade is PM-V11, which I've found to hold up longer between sharpenings. I abhor having to remove and resharpen and reset these types of little blades.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=71042&cat=51&ap=1 (http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=71042&cat=51&ap=1)

[Chris Griggs]

You're late to the party Prashun. The rest of us discovered this Friday night ;)

About 12 threads down from this one: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?208598-Not-Another-Cool-Tool-From-LV!!! (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?208598-Not-Another-Cool-Tool-From-LV%21%21%21) :D

Mine is one the way. I'm pretty psyched about it. 5/8" radius should be very useful. Love that its stainless and PMV11.

[Prashun Patel]

Thanks, Chris. I missed that. But with due respect, that thread degenerated into, "I hate Lee Valley because they make me spend more money." There's not a useful comment about the design or the usefulness of this tool. I want it for something very specific, not because it just looks cool. I'm really curious how you find it in use. Can you post a little review when your's arrives?

I love these smaller shaves; but I'm not yet a fan of the way you have to adjust these blades for depth.

[Dave Anderson NH]

I have one of the Preston originals I bought from Tony Murland at LFOD in Nashua years ago and quite frankly it isn't that good a user. The mouth is pretty wide open and I had to shim it to narrow it up. I also think the handle design, while pretty, is not the most comfortable in use.

As for use as a shave for chair seats, you are better off with a scorp and then a travisher. The upturned handles on the travisher are going to do a lot less damage to your knuckles as you go deeper. There just isn't enough clearance on the handles of almost any regular shave to work comfortably inside a compound axis hollow.

[Chris Griggs]

Hehe. Yeah wasn't a particularly useful thread...hopefully Rob knows that my comment about him being evil was tongue-in-cheek:).

I'll post a review when I get it. I'm excited to see how it does in fairly tight curves...in theory it should be able to get into a 1 1/4" diameter curve. The place I plan to use this is on bases and bracket feet. Obviously it won't get into crazy small intricate curves, but for ogee feet or just bracket feet that have bit a curve or two leading into the rest of the base/base molding I think it will be really useful. I normally end up using rasps and files there, but for some of those kinds of things a spokeshave I feel gives a more uniform curve.

Anyway, off the top of my head, I guess when I get it I'll mock up a template for some kind of foot and then use it to help fair the template. I'll post some stuff on the adjustability (should be easy with a tap tap here and there with a mallet) and will be sure to post some comments on the relative size, comfort, mouth opening etc...

[Hilton Ralphs]

I love these smaller shaves; but I'm not yet a fan of the way you have to adjust these blades for depth.

I would have thought the method would not be dissimilar to that of setting the blade on a scraper (#80) or any of the wooden spokeshaves. Place shims (where the thickness equals the depth of cut required) fore and aft of the blade hole and then tighten up. Then tap away with a nice brass mallet for fine adjustment.

[Prashun Patel]

Thanks, for the responses. I also have qualms about using this on chair seats because the curve is only in one dimension (I actually think one of the Squirrel planes might work better).

I tend to use grinders and power tools for the hollowing. However, for smoothing the curves, there's just nothing better (for me) than a plane (or shave) that matches the desired profile. It just finds the highs and lows effortlessly and removes all the tool marks from those devilishly coarse abrasives. I find the same thing on tapers and turned legs.

I wish I could try a travisher. I'm intimidated by sharpening it though. The convex spokeshaves/planes are nice because they just use flat blades that I can comfortably camber. I've not had luck sharpening curved blades yet, though.

[Hilton Ralphs]

I wish I could try a travisher.

Joshua Clark has one for sale that isn't too expensive.

272429

[Chris Griggs]

I actually think one of the Squirrel planes might work better.


Well, you're welcome to borrow my mine (the lv round bottom squirrel tail). I bought it off Dave Weaver who never used it, and all I've done with it in the 6 months I've had it is sharpen it and take a few test cuts. I'll use it eventually on a seat of some kind, but if you wanna play with it for a while before deciding if you want to spend $50 on one, PM me your address and I'll send it to you. It's tiny so it will be super cheap and easy for me to send you.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Sharpening any curved blade is basically the same whether it is a scorp or travisher. You don't draw it forward and/or back like on a flat blade. You work side to side and quite often it is simpler to do with sandpaper wrapped around a dowel and finish off with another dowel coated with chromium oxide (green stick). Using a flat oil, ceramic, or waterstone is a losing proposition. The only other choice is something like one of the semi-conical Norton India Stones.

The travisher shown in the picture (Josh Clark's) is alost as bad ergonomically for chair seats as a spokeshave. The handles still just don't have enough clearance. Google the Crown Tool travisher and compass plane for tools ideally suited for doing chair seats. I've been using their tools since the late Leonard Robbins made mine about 18 years ago. and they perform wonderfully.

[Mike Henderson]

Has anyone used one of these or the Preston originals?

I'm looking for a smaller, round bottom spokeshave for chair seat work and the price looks right.

Also, I love that the blade is PM-V11, which I've found to hold up longer between sharpenings. I abhor having to remove and resharpen and reset these types of little blades.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=71042&cat=51&ap=1 (http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=71042&cat=51&ap=1)
For chair seats, I use a chairmaker's plane, which is a plane that is curved front to back and side to side. I have a small brass one I bought from St. James tools, and I made a larger wooden one.

I've used them on woods such as walnut, cherry, mahogany, pine (for Windsor chairs) a few others with very good results. You still need to sand to remove the plane marks but it normally does not require a lot of sanding.

I wish one of the name makers would offer a medium sized metal chairmaker's plane.

Mike

[Just an added note: I sit in the chair (on on the chair blank) and trace the outline of my butt. Then I work the wood down, eyeballing the shape and depth until I'm satisfied. I'll also sit on the blank to see how it feels as I'm working it.]

[Tony Shea]

There isn't a much better tool out there for hollow chair seats than a travisher. Peter Galbert offers a beauty and he does an amazing job of explaining it use and if you search he will explain how to sharpen them. Even if you don't use his I highly recommend a travisher in general for chair scooping. If properly set up a travisher can get you to an almost finished state with maybe a touch of scraping left.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJHSPSxfrTc&feature=player_detailpage

[Hilton Ralphs]

Thanks Tony for this vid. I had no idea what a travisher was but now I do.

[John Stankus]

Has anyone used one of these or the Preston originals?



My brother actually has done a type study of the Preston shaves. I'll have to check with him as to where that type study is available. He likes the Prestons over the others that are available.

John

[Prashun Patel]

Chris, did you get your Preston yet? How do you like it?

[Chris Griggs]

Chris, did you get your Preston yet? How do you like it?

Yes, I got it. Actually just got around to giving it the first good workout last night.

Being the LV fan that I am, I hate to say this, but in truth, I am having some difficulties with it. It is working ok for me, but I am finding it difficult to get an even, chatter free cuts. However, having never had a round shave of this size and really only having used this minimally so far, I'm not sure if the issue is with me or the shave...my tendency is to assume the problem is user error. I have emailed Lee Valley, about the issues I am having, and am awaiting a response. I will post with more info when I hear back from them.

[Prashun Patel]

useful feedback. Thanks.

[Jim Koepke]

Yes, I got it. Actually just got around to giving it the first good workout last night.

Being the LV fan that I am, I hate to say this, but in truth, I am having some difficulties with it. It is working ok for me, but I am finding it difficult to get an even, chatter free cuts. However, having never had a round shave of this size and really only having used this minimally so far, I'm not sure if the issue is with me or the shave...my tendency is to assume the problem is user error. I have emailed Lee Valley, about the issues I am having, and am awaiting a response. I will post with more info when I hear back from them.

Do you have a way of measuring the thickness of your shavings?

My trials with an old Stanley round bottom spokeshave had similar results until the blade was retracted to a point of just barely cutting. Then came the part of getting used to holding it at just the right angle to the work when cutting.

Mine also needed a little fettling to get to chatter free shaving. When the shave was held up to the light there was a little light visible between the blade and the area where the blade should seat. A little work with a file took care of this. In your case, LV will be taking care of it.

jtk

[Chris Griggs]

No way to measure the thickness of my shavings but indeed taking very light cuts with a particularly sharp blade gave me better results.

I, however, described in detail some the issues I was having to the good folks at LV. Just heard from them and they think it may be a problem with my shave.

They are sending me a new one, and are having me send mine back so they can check it for any problems.