another spokeshave

[Aaron Liebling]

I recently got a lee nielsen Boggs Flat Spokeshave and love it. As I try my hand at more aggressive shaping/carving, can anyone recommend a good spokeshave with a more open mouth or that would generally be good for removing material a bit more quickly?

I don't think I want to widen the mouth on my current spokeshave, but would rather add to my arsenal.

[Brad Roof]

I would get a vintage stanley 53. It has an adjustable mouth that allows you to quickly adjust the cut. I tuned mine up with a hock blade and the epoxy trick ( Boggs article in FWW). It is the shave that I use the most. The other one to consider would be a low angle shave kit from either LV or Hock. Between those three you will most likely have the right tool for any job.

[Bob Jones 5443]

Aaron, the Stanley 151 works great for me. I have the Boggs convex, and on a very good day when the stars align I can do good things with it.

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Other times it can thwart me. No photos for that.

But the 151 and its convex sister the 151R are my antidote. Their mouths aren't adjustable like the 53's, but they're nice and wide. After I take pains to get their blades super sharp, they both behave beautifully, whisking off fine shavings without chatter. I have not found that a wide mouth prevents me from taking fine shavings. It's all in the feel.

What I like about both 151s are the two adjustment wheels that give fine-tuning control.

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It's an easier adjustment than the hammer taps and bench thumps with the Boggs or the 53, and it suits my relative lack of experience.

If you opt for a 151, stalk the Tooltique site for a few weeks and you'll find a pristine vintage piece for a fair price. That's where I got my round-bottom one (151R). Sometimes Patrick Leach turns up with one, but more rarely. Ebay is hit or miss, with lots of new red ones (avoid them).

I consider the 151s as my training wheels to develop my technique for the Boggs, without all the swearing.

[Jim Koepke]

It may be time to take a group picture of all my spokeshaves.

My group started with a flat #51. A #63 curved bottom spoke shave came along after that. John Walter in his book on Stanley tools says it is perhaps the best shave for working on cabriole legs.

More shaves have moved in since then.

For removing material the #51 is nice. If you want the bells & whistles go for the #151.

The #63 can also remove a fair amount in a clip. It is a little bit trickier to get the hang of working with a rounded sole.

A small mallet helps to adjust the blade:

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Light taps on the blade to advance and tap on the handle to retract. It may be necessary to loosen the cap screw.

This is a curved bottom spokeshave from Lee Valley being used on a piece of ash:

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It is a bit small for heavy material removal. Behind it is a #63 and the red one is a #52, sort of a straight handled version of a #51.

jtk

[Aaron Liebling]

As an alternative (or addition), I had no rasps and has never used one. Any suggestions on where to begin?

[Jim Koepke]

As an alternative (or addition), I had no rasps and has never used one. Any suggestions on where to begin?


Begin the work to be done. Rasps, like planes and spokeshaves, are often chosen for the job on which they will be used.

For large carvings, cabriole legs and work where quick stock removal is desired something like an Auriou or Leogiers rasp in the 10 or 11 grain range might be preferred. For the fine work of finishing a saw tote or smoothing small items something in the 13 to 15 grain range would be preferred.

The inexpensive rasps found in the local hardware or big box store can be useful in learning how rasps work in different woods or when the angle of attack is varied.

The local Home Depot will likely have a Four in Hand rasp for less than $10. These are useful for many things.

Here is an old post with some information and comparison of rasps > https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?255103 < Some of the items compared are no longer available in the retail market.

jtk

[Aaron Liebling]

Thanks, Jim. Great information and just what I needed!