Spokeshave at work

[Jerry V Lape]

About 18 months ago I made a spokeshave using the Lee Valley hardware set and a sugar maple scrap.  Just got around to using it and it is certainly a worthwhile addition to my handtools.  Photos show my wife cutting with the spokeshave on a sugar maple stock.  It provides rapid wood removal with good control.  I know many on this site already use spokeshaves but maybe a few could use this information. 

[J Henry]

Spoke shave is a push tool,works much better pushing than pulling. Nice looking tool.I use mine alot,have several different profiles and set up.

[P.W.Berkuta]

A spoke shave is a great tool and it can be used by push or pull method - whatever works for the situation. I own and use all 4 along with a small (5") draw knife and small flat detail planes to shape gunstocks.

[Jerry V Lape]

P.W. Berkuta,   
Can you show me a photo of the detail planes please?

[Kermit]

Push or pull, listen to the grain. The name "spokeshave" comes from--duh--shaving spokes, usually on a shaving horse, pulling the tool toward you. Also good for shaping chair parts. But there are no rules.

[P.W.Berkuta]

P.W. Berkuta,   
Can you show me a photo of the detail planes please?

Jerry the small detail planes are both a Stanley and a Kuntz and are 1" wide by 2" long with flat blades -- I use them for small area details not as molding planes so maybe the confusion in my use of the word of "detail" maybe I should have said small area planes instead - sorry about the confusion.

[David R. Pennington]

My small antique wood spokeshave is one of my favorite tools.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

It is great to see such perfect control of a most effective tool.  But I use the spokeshave as a finishing cutter.  It takes too long to remove the bulk wood, so I use a razor sharp draw knife, bevel down, to get those corners down and shape the buttstock and lower forearm.



Watching grain direction is imperative, of course, and you still need to use a lot of control.  Otherwise, you could get into trouble fast. Shaping a butt this way takes only minutes.





You can see by the size of the shavings on the floor that the wood came off fast, but accurately.  My spokeshave is an iron Stanley, and I agree that it is very effective.  I'd like to own a pretty wooden one like the op has posted.

[Dennis Glazener]

All I can say Taylor is you have guts to use that drawknife on that curly maple! I used to use one on straight grain maple and walnut, worked great about 98% of the time then after a couple of 2% screwups I quite using it! They can get me in serious trouble quickly if I get complacent.

A spokeshave is much safer in my hands! I also often use small block planes.
Dennis

[JBJ]

My experience with a draw knife parallels that of Dennis. Taylor's warning about watching grain direction cannot be over emphasized. A spoke shave is another matter altogether. Yes, my old metal Stanley is slower to remove wood compared to a draw knife but creates fewer "oops" for me. Honestly, for my old hands a rasp and/or one of the Japanese saw/rasps gives me more control. I have been very impressed with the rapidity of removal and control using a Japanese saw/rasp. Further, I do not see any fiber bruising with them like I do on occasion with my conventional rasps. Wish I owned one of the wooden spoke shave in a smaller size but I need to buy more tools at my age like I need yet another hole in my head.
J.B.

[Scota4570]

My most used wood shaping tool is a Stanley spokeshave #12-951.  In 30 years I have abut worn the blade out.  It is a lot of tool for $20. 

[WadePatton]

My most used wood shaping tool is a Stanley spokeshave #12-951.  In 30 years I have abut worn the blade out.  It is a lot of tool for $20. 

I HAVE to get one of those.  I love using the single-edge tools for shaping wood, but my only spoke shave is a "tap-to-adjust" sort so I generally keep one side aggressive and the other side less. This works but is less than optimal.

Going shopping.

[WadePatton]

By the way, does anyone like that dual-slot/curved-flat sort of spokeshave?  I see a lot of them for sale and have held one in my grubby paws, but don't think I would like it for serious work.  Methinks two separate tools would be much preferred.  Am I wrong?

[JBJ]

Wade,
The one I had was a poor tool. Casting was rough and the blade "steel", if is was steel, was soft. So much so that I gave it away. You may have better luck than I did.
J.B.