Spoke Shave Tune Up

[Bob Smalser]

A Quick Spokeshave Tune Up

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Spokeshaves cut exactly like a plane – the critical parts are the blade support in back, the cap iron fit supporting the unbeveled blade edge, and the distance between the edge and the front sole – the opening of the mouth.

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Check the blade support in the casting…this 15-dollar Ebay contemporary Stanley 151’s is fine…use Prussian Blue or soot from a smoky lamp to find and flat needle files to take down any high spots. Simply smoke or coat the blade, gently put it in place, and tighten the slotted screw to make the marks.

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Using a straightedge, check the sole for flatness…

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…and the side of the mouth the blade bears on for straightness.

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If filing is required, use single-cut fine pillar files and flat needle files. Keep them clean as you use them.

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Mount the blade in a welders vise grip and hone a 25-degree bevel and a 30-degree secondary bevel like with a plane iron. I use Arkansas stones in 4 grades and cutting oil, but cheap wet-or-dry paper cemented to glass or MDF with WD40 works fine, too. 100-600 grit in sequence…the duller the blade, the coarser the starting point.

Note the protractor in the pic. Blade guides won’t work on short spokeshave blades so you have to learn to hone by eye and feel. Simply set your starting angle with the protractor and memorize the feel of it…if you are careful and use a light touch you can feel the bevel on the stone…a bench height belt-buckle high facilitates elbow movement that keeps the bevel flat without rocker…but if you get some rocker in the bevel, it’s no biggie…just move on to your more-important secondary bevel and fix it next time you hone.

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Flatten the blade back using the same 4 grades of stone or paper. On a blade that has never been flattened, do this before you hone your bevels, and do it thoroughly.

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Strop well on leather strap or a buffing wheel using Knifemaker’s Green Rouge


Continued

[Bob Smalser]

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Make sure its sharp enuf to shave hair painlessly…note the hair atop the blade . and the light's reflection on that 5-degree secondary bevel at the top of the pic.

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Hone the cap iron surface that bears on the blade exactly like you did the blade back.

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Check for a perfect bearing surface as you reassemble the shave. One important point often overlooked....after the shave is assembled and adjusted, tighten the cap iron slotted screw a bit to press the blade firmly against the casting before you tighten the knurled screw to apply a lot of cap iron pressure directly above the blade cutting edge. All the cap iron does is support the cutting edge....that slotted screw holds the cap iron-blade assembly against the casting.

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Check your settings on a piece of tough hardwood like this walnut. Most folks like to round off the corners of the blade so’s there’s no danger of the blade corner gouging the wood….I do that with smooth planes but don’t bother with shaves…notice the shavings here are the full width of the workpiece and of even thickness.

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Then check again in normal use.

All this took less than 30 minutes including the photography….if I’da had to do some filing, it might have taken 45 minutes.

As I said, they cut exactly like a plane. When beginning the cut, pressure needs to be on the front of the sole....and when finishing the cut, the pressure needs to be transferred to the rear of the sole. After a while, you won't even realize you are doing it.

Doesn't matter whether you push or pull...you'll need to do both, depending on how the work piece is held.

And the screw adjustments on Bailey planes and 151-style spokeshaves are just eyewash....our forbearers used a light brass hammer to tap their wedged blades into set, and I do the same even on tools with screw adjustments inside the limits of the adjusting screw lash, because it is much more precise than those coarse screws. Set them light…try them out…and tap them in.

[Donnie Raines]

In mentioning the use of a file....were you stating to use that for the sole, or for the throat? If for the throat, I agree. If for the sole I would suggest useing an agressive water or oil stone...and or a DMT stone. You will acheive a much more true sole this way...without the need of checking for excess grinding on one portion of the sole.

Also, Lee Valley sells an "adpater"(they call it a small blade holder) which is perfect for spokeshave irons. It is held into place via a magnet and it extends the spoke shave iron a full three inches..which allows you to use a standard honing guide for sharpening.

Also note, that much of this applies to flat sole spoekshaves, and not rounded sole's.

DonnieR

[Tyler Howell]

Great training.
Thanks Bob.;)

[Gene Collison]

Bob,

Thanks again for your very complete and informative lesson. Good job!

Gene

[Alan Turner]

Sold by Garrett Wade, Stanley makes a honing jig for spokeshave irons, and short, butt chisels, which works just fine. I am a jig guy, because I don't like any rounding over on the bevel, and my hands and arms arejust not that steady to hold a tool and get a dead flat bevel, although I wish I could.
Alan

[Donnie Raines]

I just re-read my above post....it comes off a little tacky. Sorry about that...I did not intend for it to come off that way. Your review is very good.

DonnieR

[Bob Smalser]

Donnie...your points are well-taken. That's why I post on forums, first - a free review so I can make some clarity changes.

I agree you can stone them or sandpaper them flat....but I'll have to do a piece on selecting and using files in the cross and draw mode....because filed metal surfaces certainly can go straight from drawfile to buffer and be dead flat...it's really not anymore difficult than freehand honing a plane iron. I wouldn't go to the trouble of cementing abrasive paper on the jointer table for anything smaller than the sole of a smoothing plane.

And, of course, many of us make oars and spars and gunstocks and other rounded stock often and successfully without ever owning a concave spoke shave. I'm sure they have their uses...I just don't see the need for one. The soles of convex spoke shaves and travishers so useful for chair seats could also easily be flattened by drawfiling.

[Marc Hills]

Bob,

Another superb how-to article, and just the ticket as I try to eke decent performance out my Kunz and Tawainese spoke shaves.

I've gone back and forth on the coarse stone versus file issue. I used to true cap irons using a stone but found the process way too slow. I switched to a file and finished up with stone: much faster and very accurate. Now I wonder if I need to use the stone at all.

I had to chuckle seeing your use of Vice Grip welding pliers to hold the spokeshave iron. That's the perfect solution to the problem without having to resort to an expensive accessory like the magnetic Veritas adaptor that Dennis mentions. I use a small pair of regular Vice Grips and find them very effective.

For those of us who sharpen freehand, many already have something in their existing tool kit to hold spokeshave irons without having to buy a specialized tool.

Thanks for another great post.

[Chuck Radgowski]

WOW :eek: perfect timing The thread that led to this thread was the first one I read tonight I just won a Stanley 151 on ebay for 7.00 + 7.50 shipping and now I know how to tune it up and use it. thank you very much. The shipping was a little high but I still like the deal :)