Spokeshave Sharpening Jig

[ken hatch]

Spokeshave irons are hard to hold for sharpening. Classic bevel up/tanged irons are really hard to sharpen.

This is not new, others have done the same but here s a jig I made to help hold spokeshave irons.

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The thin end will be set up to hold short cutters. I wanted to see if it worked before investing the time to set up for short irons.

It works, the irons are still a PITA to sharpen but the jig makes it easier. I will add the cut out and holes for short irons and clean up the jig to finish it.

ken

[Ralph Boumenot]

What is the jig made of Ken? It looks like it is metal? I use the wooden jig Paul Sellers made to do my small spokeshave blades but I do have one tanged spokeshave.

[Phil Mueller]

Looks good Ken. Yes, they can be a pain...but oh my are they fun to use when sharp. For irons like the Stanley 151 I use the wooden jig Ralph mentioned from Paul Sellers. For small non-tanged irons I bring the medium to the iron with a quick set up that I think was also from Paul Sellers. I take these through an extra fine diamond hone and then a few free hand swipes on ceramic and strop seems to do the trick.

417572

[ken hatch]

What is the jig made of Ken? It looks like it is metal? I use the wooden jig Paul Sellers made to do my small spokeshave blades but I do have one tanged spokeshave.


Ralph,

It is. It was my old map holder/writing table from my Iron Butt/24 hour Rally motorcycle days.

I'd been trying to figure out a good way to sharpen tanged irons when I spotted the metal stuck in a corner. Dave's Shaves makes a "dogbone" jig but is out of stock with no idea when they will be back in stock so I kinda reverse engineered from the photos. I'll do the other end for small cutters and then clean the whole thing up soon.

ken

[ken hatch]

Looks good Ken. Yes, they can be a pain...but oh my are they fun to use when sharp. For irons like the Stanley 151 I use the wooden jig Ralph mentioned from Paul Sellers. For small non-tanged irons I bring the medium to the iron with a quick set up that I think was also from Paul Sellers. I take these through an extra fine diamond hone and then a few free hand swipes on ceramic and strop seems to do the trick.

417572

Phil,

Your jig looks like it will work well. I like the note on the top, should keep it out of the burn pile :).

ken

[ken hatch]

I just wanted to add that if you haven't used a bevel up spoke shave you are missing one of the true joys of handtools. Woodriver makes a metal bevel up that is pretty nice and at the price might be a good introduction but a good wood body shave like the ones Dave's Shaves makes will have you if not throwing away your bevel down shaves will cause them to gather a lot of dust.

ken

[Jim Koepke]

In use the bevel down and bevel up spokeshaves seem to have different areas of use.

Though once my bevel up spokeshaves were purchased and put to work, it was a spokeshave epiphany.

jtk

[ken hatch]

In use the bevel down and bevel up spokeshaves seem to have different areas of use.

Though once my bevel up spokeshaves were purchased and put to work, it was a spokeshave epiphany.

jtk

Jim,

Ain't that the truth. Rainbows and Blue Birds singing.

ken

[Derek Cohen]

My approach to sharpening spokeshaves follows the strategy I use for all blades (with the exception of high angle BU plane blades) - hollow grind at the desired bevel angle, and then it is simple to freehand sharpen on this. This becomes a repeatable method which does not require any set up. Maintaining a sharp edge is then straight forward.

The only jig - if one is needed - needed is one to present the blade to the bench grinder to create the hollow. With the exception of the narrow, tanged types shown by Ken, I have not found a jig necessary.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[ken hatch]

My approach to sharpening spokeshaves follows the strategy I use for all blades (with the exception of high angle BU plane blades) - hollow grind at the desired bevel angle, and then it is simple to freehand sharpen on this. This becomes a repeatable method which does not require any set up. Maintaining a sharp edge is then straight forward.

The only jig - if one is needed - needed is one to present the blade to the bench grinder to create the hollow. With the exception of the narrow, tanged types shown by Ken, I have not found a jig necessary.

Regards from Perth

Derek


Derek,

I probably don't grind as much as you do but for most irons freehand is quick and easy, for me the secret is keeping the bevel flat. Once it goes out of flat, if it does, then I grind and start over. Like you posted the narrow tanged ones are another story. I'm still not sure a dog bone jig is the answer but it seems to work better than other ways.

ken

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Ken

I suspect my post came across with the wrong emphasis. Apology. It should have clarified that most spokeshaves do not require a jig to sharpen, but the narrow ones (like yours) certainly benefit for one, whether to hone or grind. It is a lot like honing the narrow bevel of a knife - it comes down to the amount of practice one has in working narrow areas, and how important it is to develop the specific skill vs working with the tool.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Tom M King]

I set my water stones on edge, and sharpen on the side (now up) of the stones. That gives the tangs plenty of room to hang down, if needed. The sides of the water stones can be flattened, just like the faces. This system also gets used for small cutters like router plane cutters, so as not to worry about gouging a face of a stone. I use those diamond paddles for a lot of things too, and that looks like a good system.

[ken hatch]

Hi Ken

I suspect my post came across with the wrong emphasis. Apology. It should have clarified that most spokeshaves do not require a jig to sharpen, but the narrow ones (like yours) certainly benefit for one, whether to hone or grind. It is a lot like honing the narrow bevel of a knife - it comes down to the amount of practice one has in working narrow areas, and how important it is to develop the specific skill vs working with the tool.


Regards from Perth

Derek

Derek,

No problem, I didn't take your post wrong. The way I read it I agree with, most irons do not need a jig, the exceptions are the ones like the dog bone jig is made for. BTW, I've done the using the side of the stone like Tom does and it works and I've used diamond paddles, they all work to a fashion but if a blade is even slightly damaged I want to be able to take it to a grinder. That is what the dog bone is for. Some times I post incomplete things. MsBubba says I start most sentences in the middle and she never knows what I'm talking about. I tend to post that way as well, thinking everyone knows the backstory and I can start at the chase :o.


ken

[ken hatch]

I finished the jig by drilling holes on the small end to hold the short cutters and filing/sanding the edges. It is not pretty but it is functional, the best part it fits the Tormek holders so I can use it on either the bench grinder or the Tormek.

ken

[lowell holmes]

See this site.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ20ZKxr6iM

It would work for shaves as well.

[ken hatch]

See this site.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ20ZKxr6iM

It would work for shaves as well.

Lowell,

Interesting video. However I see two major flaws in using a file to sharpen a tanged shave cutter. The first is it would leave too rough a face, That could be fixed on stones but if that is the case why not start there. The other is holding the work while using a file. Even if you figured out how to hold the cutter the tange would get in the way of filing the full bevel end to end. I would guess you could make it work but I think there are easier and better ways.

ken

[lowell holmes]

I might start with a file and finish with a stone. It works on spoke shaves.