Spokeshave Q&A | Paul Sellers

Video Description

In this video Paul Sellers answers some of the most common questions he gets asked about the spokeshave. The spokeshave is a far more important tool than we might understand so we’d like to make it more understandable for you. Paul considers the spokeshave to be one of the most undervalued and underestimated tools and one he cannot imagine his own woodworking life without. We’ve had many questions over the years about spokeshaves and thought it would be a good idea to follow on from the coping saw Q&A with a whole Q&A dedicated to this amazingly versatile hand tool. Questions: 0:37 Which is the most versatile spokeshave? Which one will accomplish more tasks than the others, and which ones are your favourites? 1:36 When would I use a curved bottom spokeshave as opposed to a flat bottom? 5:13 What would be a good beginners spokeshave? 6:15 If you were going to own two spokeshaves, what would they be? 7:14 I have a Millers Falls No. 1 cigar spokeshave and find it almost impossible to get a shaving from. Do you have input on adjusting and also sharpening the blade? 7:44 Is your blade sharpened straight across, or does it have a slight crown side to side, like some smoothing planes? 8:33 I have my spokeshave bevels at 30 degrees, would 25 degrees be better? 10:10 [How do you] sharpen wooden spokeshaves? The blades seem so different from the cast handle spokeshaves which have blades like small planes. 11:42 When do you push vs. pull the tool? 13:20 How do you prevent chatter that is a result of the small surface area on the base of the spokeshave? 15:22 Are there any issues with having the spokeshave set for a lighter shave on end and a heavier shave on the other end? 16:36 How do I get an extremely fine cut when shaping curves 17:46 Is there a modification or adjustment to keep chips getting jammed under the blade. 20:11 How do I keep the spokeshave sole parallel to the flat surface or at the correct angle to the curved surface to get consistent shavings? It looks like I have to apply some force to tilt it a bit forward but my hands don’t feel when it is in the correct position. 22:11 noticed you perform straight planing with the spokeshave over wood wider than the blade itself, and get super thin shavings. Can you explain how you set the spokeshave for this? 23:56 I recently bought a wooden spokeshave and often find the blade works itself loose after a few passes, i close the mouth of the plane as much as possible but still find after a few passes it opens up and needs adjusting again. 25:40 Why are there two blade adjustment screws? 26:24 Are new cheap generic spokeshaves restorable? If not, what makes them unusable? I regret getting one of these, but it was also crazy cheap, so this information would help me understand what to look for in good ones. 27:35 I have a couple of wooden spokeshaves that I have trouble getting to work. The soles of these spokeshaves are quite worn out, so the mouth is very wide. I can’t seem to get thin shavings. I haven’t found any that don’t have this so can’t figure out if this is down to my technique or the tool. My question is: how can you tell when the sole of a wooden spokeshave needs fixing and how do you set the blade properly to get thin shavings? 30:31 Is the blade inserted bevel up or down? 32:03 The Stanley spokeshave I purchased online is a bit "rough" to say the least. Does one need to "prepare" it like with a handplane (flattening the sole and such)? Click the link below to read more about the uses of spokeshaves: https://paulsellers.com/2019/03/a-spokeshave/ For exercises that will work on your control of the flat-bottomed spokeshave and establish good patterns for continuously reading the grain visit: https://commonwoodworking.com/spokeshave-control/ Want to make your very own wooden spokeshave? See: https://woodworkingmasterclasses.com/videos/making-wooden-spokeshave-info-page/ -------------------- For more free woodworking videos, please consider subscribing to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/PaulSellersWoodwork?sub_confirmation=1 Want to learn more about woodworking? https://woodworkingmasterclasses.com for weekly project episodes https://commonwoodworking.com for step-by-step beginner guides and courses https://paulsellers.com/ for Paul’s latest ventures on his blog -------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paul.a.j.sellers/ Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/paul.a.j.sellers/ Twitter- https://twitter.com/Paul_A_Sellers