Spokeshave learning curve

[Bob Jones 5443]

Jim and Ken,

Yes, that's it: Glen Drake of Tite-Mark! And Ken, yes, his things are aesthetically superb. I didn't feel worthy of his stuff when I saw it in the spring. But a few more months of the kind of breakthroughs I've been having lately and I might just treat myself.

[Bob Jones 5443]

Jack,

I do concur that the Boggs is a top-quality tool that is capable of extremely fine work. However, I'm coming to think that the rough task I wanted to put it to is not its core strength –– cleaning up band saw marks. It's probably a better tool to go to after the initial marks have been eased out. The Boggs would probably act as a final smoother. Analogous (but not identical) to using a No. 4-1/2 to edge-joint a rough 40" board.

It's all about "right tool for the job." I can see that I jumped into the deep end with the Boggs as my very first spokeshave! Rookie mistake #2,385 in a continuing series. I just ordered a No. 151 because of its wider throat, although it's flat. I was hoping to find a 151MR, but no luck on Day 1. I'll keep looking. If I get those two Stanleys in house, maybe they can serve as the preliminary shavers, and then I can see if the Boggs indeed does take the surface to a smoother state.

Also, I want to try draw boring on my NEXT project (not this one; I'm not going to try something new on the parts I've already gotten nearly ready for glue-up). For the pins, I think I'll try to round off some square stock, and I know the Boggs will make this fun.

[Bob Jones 5443]

Ira, I think I was standing next to you at the table in Oakland. Did you buy a few other things besides the Boggs?

[Jack Frederick]

I bought the LN draw-bore pins a couple years ago planning to jump right into it. I'd walk by them and give a side-long glance. Nah, and I'd do it the way I always had. I ended up using them on a small door I built and it came out pretty well, me being a masher. On the topic of Boggs, I carried the 12/99 copy of FWW around for years. It has the plans for his shaving horse. I finally built it two years ago and now I am not fighting the material every time I put a blade to it. I know that is not the application you are looking at here, but having a good hold on the material is pretty nice.