Curved table leg - order of operations?

[Frederick Skelly]

Hi guys.
I want to duplicate a 30's vintage nightstand that has very gracefully curved legs. (Edit: They are square in profile and curve along their length.) I made a prototype this morning out of poplar, and it came out decent for a practice run. I roughed it out on a bandsaw. Then I used a flat spokeshave to remove the saw marks and smooth the curves. (Only worked on the outside curves - convex? side - and a section of the inside curves. I need a round shave too.) Where the shave wouldn't reach, I used rasps and sandpaper.

Is this the right order in which to do things, or should I rasp THEN use the shave to smooth it where I can? Does it even matter?

This is the first time I've used a spokeshave. I'm taking very fine cuts, pulling the shave toward me. The blade is sharp, but I'm still getting a little skating. I'm thinking that will improve with time/practice. I could get out the spindle sander, but hand shaping seems much more fun - if I can get it down pat.

What order would you do this in?

Thanks,
Fred

[Brian Holcombe]

Depends on the spoke shave, the only spokeshaves I have are for fine work so I usually rough the work out with a gouge and then a paring chisel before using the shave.

[James Pallas]

My experience is that a flat shave will work something like a Cabriole leg until you get down close to the ankle. My experience is only with metal shaves. I would guess that a small wooden shave would work even closer. On the tighter radius' I use a round shave. You could use rasps and then files to finish. I don't have any fine rasps or files so I use sand paper on dowels in tight areas. There are many people here with far more experience than myself so I would use their expertise.
Jim

[Bill Houghton]

Don't forget to cut the joints (mortises or the like) while it's still a rectangular block of wood; easier to hold in the vise, run layout lines, etc.

Even with metal Stanley shaves, which are seen as non-precision instruments, I'd rasp first, then smooth with the shave. Get your cutting iron as sharp as your skills permit, and take light cuts.

[Frederick Skelly]

All good points. Thank you guys!!!!!!
Fred

[Prashun Patel]

+1 to Bill's advice to cut the joinery before you bandsaw the curves.

Personally, I don't think the order matters. If you are planning not to use sandpaper, you will probably want to end with the spokeshave. If you are sanding, it does not matter.

On the concave curve (if they are gentle) try a small block plane. Skew it.

A rasp, held at a skew angle, can also help with fairing a concave curve.

I don't focus on the finished surface, but the tool that fairs the curve the best.