How to choose & use spokeshaves
If you like working with a good hand plane, you’ll love working with a spokeshave. Both tools excel at removing mill marks, smoothing rough or uneven surfaces, and chamfering edges. Although the spokeshave earned its name by helping wheelwrights create smooth, uniform parts, I’ve come to rely on spokeshaves for all kinds of shaving and shaping work.
Thanks to the small sole that surrounds a spokeshave’s blade, this tool can be used in tight quarters or on curved surfaces that would foil even the smallest block plane. But unlike a block plane, a spokeshave can’t be used with one hand. Despite other differences, all spokeshaves come with a pair of handles. Using both hands enables you to control the pressure and direction of your shaving action.
Push downhill. When smoothing a curve like this, always work from both sides so you can shave in a downhill direction to avoid tearout.
Chamfering champ. Along curves or straight edges, the spokeshave offers excellent control for chamfering, rounding and shaping.
Straight or curved?
The first spokeshave to buy is a straight-bladed version. You can use a straight-blade spokeshave to smooth concave surfaces as long as the radius isn’t too small (see photos below). Spokeshaves with convex or concave blades are really best for specialized work – like hollowing wooden seats (convex) or shaping curved legs (concave).
My Pinnacle spokeshave has become my favorite, mainly because of its quality construction and the twin thumbscrews that make it easy to fine-tune the blade’s position. Models without thumbscrews tend to be less expensive, but I find them trickier to adjust. A straight blade for a spokeshave is sharpened just like the blade for a hand plane.
Pay attention to grain direction
Before I put my spokeshave to work on a project, I usually test the blade adjustment on some scrap stock and fine-tune as necessary. Make sure to clamp your work securely, because you’ll be applying pressure with both hands. You can pull the tool toward you to take a shaving, or push on the handles; choose the approach that feels most comfortable to you. But above all, pay attention to grain direction to avoid splitting and tearout. When shaving a concave surface, always work in a downhill direction, as shown in the photos. In other situations, make sure that you’re not shaving into rising grain.
Choose your weapon. Straight-blade spokeshaves like the Pinnacle and WoodRiver offer the most versatility. Curved versions are good to have for hollowing or rounding work.
Tune in for more from Tommy Mac
You’ll find Tommy’s videos at our website and at www.tommymac.us. Also check out Tommy’s award-winning show, Rough Cut – Woodworking With Tommy Mac, on your local PBS station.
