Spokeshaves

[ken hatch]

I would guess most on this forum use bevel down shaves like the Stanley, LN, or LV ones. As most times the old guys knew something we've lost over the years, that a low angle bevel down wood body shave just works better and is a joy to use. If you use spokeshaves in your work and do not have a bevel up shave you owe it to yourself to hunt one down and give it a try.

ken

[Les Groeller]

I have the low angle bevel up shave from LV...my first spokeshave. I have conventional ones now as well and the bevel up shave is my favourite...maybe because I learned how to "shave" with it first!

[Derek Cohen]

Ken, I get what you are writing. There is a difference in the way a wooden BU spokeshave words in comparison to a BD spokeshave.

It was not until I built a couple of travishers (for chair seats) that I came to appreciate this. This is one of the travishers I built ...

https://i.postimg.cc/6qP1WMP2/T1a.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/LXLF50tD/11a.jpg

It is notable that the blade is set quite fine, and that this does not affect the thickness of the shaving taken. What does this is finger pressure on the sole, that is, pushing forward will open up the cut and create a thick shaving (counter-intuitively). Conversely, pushing down on the rear of the sole will close the mouth and create a fine shaving.

I tried to do this with a LV LA spokeshave (the black one), and could not get it to work this way. The reason is that the toe and heal are coplanar, unlike the travisher, where the toe has a fine slope down from the mouth. Old wooden spokeshaves are designed like the travisher. I also have BU Stanley spokeshaves which superficially resemble the LV, but are more like the travisher ...


https://i.postimg.cc/j5Dv76HS/Stanley-spokeshave2-zpsm2m2yoj0.jpg

Stanley #84 and #85 ...

https://i.postimg.cc/FKWDzCJ6/Stanley-spokeshave1-zpsfqxhig1x.jpg

As noted earlier, the method of use is different to a BD spokeshave, regardless of whether round or flat bottom, which works like a BD hand plane.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jim Koepke]

A few wood bodied spokeshaves have recently been acquired. They are a whole different tool compared to a bevel down spokeshave.

The soles are more prone to wear on the wood bodied shaves. Here is one of mine getting a bit of a rehab:

https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?269044

It works quite well. It needs a little work on the morises holding the blade as it can start to drift our of adjustment and start taking thicker shavings.

jtk

[Bryce Adams]

Derek,

What did you use for a forge when you made your travishers? I bought Claire Minihan's video and want to make one, but I need to figure out how to heat treat the blade. I don't want to spend a lot of money on a forge that I'll likely only use a couple of times.

Bryce

[ken hatch]

Derek,

Good information on the "why". Shame we have to keep re-inventing the wheel.

ken

P.S. Good looking travisher.

[Derek Cohen]

I posted about building travishers, but did not put this on my website as the original plane came from Claire Minihan's video, and I did not want to infringe on this. The design is actually Peter Galbart. I corresponded with both Claire and Pete at the time, and requested that Claire update the video, since the blade and sole were from the first generation. Claire has not done this, but I am still hesitating whether I should add the details to my website. What do you think?

What is the difference between the first generation and the current generation designs? Here are two I built ...

https://i.postimg.cc/Y96JwJHv/1a.jpg

The one at the rear, with the straight blade, is the first generation.

https://i.postimg.cc/W3LQCsQR/2a.jpg

The deeper curve is like a jack plane for fast removal, while the flatter travisher is a smoother.

O1 steel (2mm thick) marked out ...

https://i.postimg.cc/hv9611qK/1-O1-steel-and-marked-out.jpg

Basic shaping ...

https://i.postimg.cc/26LPVfcb/2-Shaped-basic-blade.jpg

Curving jig (for annealed steel) ...

https://i.postimg.cc/6qsFZ1gH/3-Curving-jig.jpg
Compressing the curve ...

https://i.postimg.cc/J7Jf8MHS/4-Compressing-curve.jpg

Springback ...

https://i.postimg.cc/sDrtDqpx/5-Springback.jpg

Creating a template for the blade ...

https://i.postimg.cc/020h6nff/6-Checking-curviture.jpg

The blade was heat treated with torches and then tempered in the kitchen oven :)

https://i.postimg.cc/Twb4TJ1n/9-Finished-blade.jpg

Grinding the bevel ...

https://i.postimg.cc/SQ7gVsMQ/10-Grinding-the-bevel.jpg

Bevel and jig ..

https://i.postimg.cc/1XZYXVV2/11-Grind-jig-and-bevel.jpg

Grind angle ...

https://i.postimg.cc/ZnFsdYrR/12-Grind-angle.jpg

Roughed out bed ...

https://i.postimg.cc/6pQb8XTW/19-Cleaning-up.jpg

The blade is a smidgeon higher than the brass ...

https://i.postimg.cc/LXLF50tD/11a.jpg

[Derek Cohen]

https://i.postimg.cc/WzSCdgtj/5a.jpg

Both work well. I've made a few stool seats with them so far.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Dave Anderson NH]

Another nice feature of the wooden bevel up shaves is the ability to set one side of the blade to take a thick shaving and the other side to take a fine one. While this can also be done with a bevel down shave it is more difficult to set up and you run the risk of the exposed corner of the blade gouging some part of your work.

[Chuck Nickerson]

Derek - did you live with the springback or find a way to overcome it?

[Derek Cohen]

Chuck, I expected a small amount of springback. After the blade was bent, springback included, only then was the body was built. In other words, the springback was irrelevant.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Bryce Adams]

Nice to hear that you heat treated the blade with torches. Sounds like a low-tech approach that worked for you, so I'm confident it will work for me too.

[Jim Koepke]

Great write up as usual Derek.

jtk