USING SMALL CURVED SOLE SPOKESHAVES

The small curved spokeshave is designed to do tight inside curves. It is a difficult tool to control as there is no support in front of the blade so it wants to roll as you start to push.

If you use the photos and the information below you will learn how to master this very useful tool. You can do inside and outside curves, plus flat surfaces once you master this tool.

The adjacent photos show the hand grip where I get best control and results. When using the curved sole shave I generally push it but it can be pulled. The only part of my hand which exerts any great pressure is my thumbs on the flat part of the shave directly behind the blade. The rest of my hands have a light grip on the squarish handles to prevent the tool from rolling which keeps the blade cutting. I have a little weight down on the wood and my thumbs then do the pushing and drag along the wood to help steady the body. My wrists are flexible so I can roll with the curves.

If you need to remove any saw marks from the initial shaping process set the blade depth to take a reasonable shaving and do some short quick cuts with the shave. Once you have a reasonable surface, back off the depth of cut and slow your speed of cut down to leave a nice finished surface. This shave will be capable of cutting against the grain on most woods. If you do get any tearout on real cranky woods you may need to plane with the grain by reversing the direction of cut to suit.

The adjacent photos show the tight complex curves this spokeshave is capable of handling.

The radius of the sole is 3/8"(9.5mm) but in reality and practical woodwork you would be limited to a 3/4" (19mm) radius which I have used the shave on but it is tricky work to get a good finish. The tight curves in the adjacent pictures of the ukele neck and the bottom end of the cabriole leg they are curves with about a 1 1/2" (38mm) radius and the spoke shave is very comfortable with these curves.