Cockbeading on serpentine drawer

[Mark Rainey]

I am working on some cockbeading on a serpentine drawer. I got a Dave's low angle shave many years ago, and got a Lee Valley flat spokeshave a year or two ago. Both have served me well, but I had trouble with concave curves. I recently bought a Brian Boggs curved spokeshave from Lie Nielsen, and it is a dream. I can use it on concave curves, but also flats and convex curves. beadingk a.jpgbeading 2.jpgbeading 3.jpgbeading 4.jpg

[Mike Allen1010]

Mark, I'm not exactly sure what you're asking. The concave drawer front in your pictures is really sophisticated work so you clearly know what you're doing. If you're trying to create a cock bead along the outer perimeter of the existing drawer front in the pictures (as opposed to frame surrounding the drawer opening), I've had the best luck establishing the shoulder with a marking knife (to limit potential for cross grain spelching) and then using a fenced bead scraper plane (I have an old Stanley model whose number I forget), to gradually create the desired profile, and shallow passes.

If I understand your pictures correctly, looks like you have a of veneer show surface for the drawer front. That may not be thick enough to incorporate technique I'm suggesting. Alternative would be to create a shallow rabbit along all 4 sides of the drawer front that you could glue an added cock bead into. With the curved drawer front in your pictures that will be a real headache! You could create the rabbit easy enough with a fenced rabbit plane and lots of futzing around with a marking knife, but you still have to bend the cocked beading to the drawer front profile which is way over my head.

Thanks for the feedback on spoke shave you're using – super helpful tools in my book. I suspect I misunderstood your question but look forward to seeing the results.

Best, Mike

[Mark Rainey]

Mark, I'm not exactly sure what you're asking. The concave drawer front in your pictures is really sophisticated work so you clearly know what you're doing. If you're trying to create a cock bead along the outer perimeter of the existing drawer front in the pictures (as opposed to frame surrounding the drawer opening), I've had the best luck establishing the shoulder with a marking knife (to limit potential for cross grain spelching) and then using a fenced bead scraper plane (I have an old Stanley model whose number I forget), to gradually create the desired profile, and shallow passes.

If I understand your pictures correctly, looks like you have a of veneer show surface for the drawer front. That may not be thick enough to incorporate technique I'm suggesting. Alternative would be to create a shallow rabbit along all 4 sides of the drawer front that you could glue an added cock bead into. With the curved drawer front in your pictures that will be a real headache! You could create the rabbit easy enough with a fenced rabbit plane and lots of futzing around with a marking knife, but you still have to bend the cocked beading to the drawer front profile which is way over my head.

Thanks for the feedback on spoke shave you're using – super helpful tools in my book. I suspect I misunderstood your question but look forward to seeing the results.

Best, Mike

Thanks for the input Mike. I wasn't asking any specific question, just posting some pictures on some hand tool woodworking and commenting on my enjoyment of my Lie Neilsen spokeshave. I am going to cut a rabbet all around the drawer. The cockbead is already cut out in the shape needed - you can see it in the first photo and set in place in the last - but before I cut rabbet. In any event, I appreciate your extensive pictures and explanations in your recent build. It is so good to see hand tools at work in the Neander forum.

[Phil Mueller]

Mark, looks like an amazing build. Please share when you can.

[Mike Allen1010]

My bad Mark - thanks for clarification- I get it now. Beautiful work. Agree with other posts, would love to see more pics.

[Tom Bender]

Nice work Mark

[lowell holmes]

You would have to show the Lie Nielsen shave, now I have to get one.

[Rob Luter]

You would have to show the Lie Nielsen shave, now I have to get one.

After the great tool purge of 2018 I purchased a flat and curved version of the Boggs shave. I'd struggled with shaves for years. My rationale was that if I couldn't get them to work, it wasn't because the tool was inferior. They are wonderful users, and surprisingly easy to set up.

[Mark Rainey]

Thanks Tom. Lowell, the LN Boggs spokeshave is a beauty. Rob will testify to that. I am cockbeading serpentine drawers and the spokeshave is invaluable. Some more picksbead1.jpgbead2.jpgA 1/8 inch bandsaw veneer is placed under drawer front.bead3.jpg

[Mark Rainey]

The curve is traced on veneer bead4.jpgbead5.jpgbead6.jpgbead7.jpg

[Mark Rainey]

Spokeshaves do the job bead8.jpgbead9.jpgbead10.jpgbead11.jpg

[Mark Rainey]

Some more pics bead12.jpgbead13.jpgbead14.jpg

[Mark Rainey]

some final pics

bead15.jpgbead16.jpgbead17.jpg

3 drawers done, one more to go bead19.jpg

[Christian Hawkshaw]

That is going to be a beautiful piece.

[Christopher Charles]

Impressive! And I love your parts holder in the second photo of your last post.

What is the veneer? Mahogany?