I recently picked up a very old spokeshave at an auction (basically
similar to LV's "contour plane", but shaped more like their "low angle
spokeshave"). What a treat - it works beautifully! It was quite sharp
and adjusted well when I got it, and it already helped me smooth the
inside of a curve on my bed project. What more can I ask for $5?
Anyway, the body is partly cracked, and although I might be able to
glue/screw it back together, I don't really consider that a permanent
solution. It's not cracked all the way through, and I can sort of hold
it together while I'm using it for now, but I don't want to have to
always worry about that either.
So I'm thinking it would be possible to fashion a new wooden body, and
use the old blade. However, the blade is held in place with square
"tangs" that friction-fit into square holes in the body. How would I
drill a small (maybe 1/8"? I haven't measured) square hole? Or would a
(smaller) round hole work?
-OR-
Am I being way too cheap with this old mostly-broken spokeshave, and I
should just get one of LV's "contour planes" for $13, or if I'm carving
a body anyway, one of LV's spokeshave hardware kits for $30? Their
spiffy new spokeshaves (low angle or the $75 one) sure look nice, but
I'd rather save my plane money for something else that says LV or LN...
So, how do I drill a square hole, or would it not be worth my time?
Any advice?
Thanks,
Andy
"Andy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I recently picked up a very old spokeshave at an auction (basically
> similar to LV's "contour plane", but shaped more like their "low angle
> spokeshave"). What a treat - it works beautifully! It was quite sharp
> and adjusted well when I got it, and it already helped me smooth the
> inside of a curve on my bed project. What more can I ask for $5?
> Anyway, the body is partly cracked, and although I might be able to
> glue/screw it back together, I don't really consider that a permanent
> solution. It's not cracked all the way through, and I can sort of hold
> it together while I'm using it for now, but I don't want to have to
> always worry about that either.
> So I'm thinking it would be possible to fashion a new wooden body, and
> use the old blade. However, the blade is held in place with square
> "tangs" that friction-fit into square holes in the body. How would I
> drill a small (maybe 1/8"? I haven't measured) square hole? Or would a
> (smaller) round hole work?
> -OR-
> Am I being way too cheap with this old mostly-broken spokeshave, and I
> should just get one of LV's "contour planes" for $13, or if I'm carving
> a body anyway, one of LV's spokeshave hardware kits for $30? Their
> spiffy new spokeshaves (low angle or the $75 one) sure look nice, but
> I'd rather save my plane money for something else that says LV or LN...
> So, how do I drill a square hole, or would it not be worth my time?
Get the aluminum-bodied LV low-angle shave, though it looks like they beat
the adjustment problem pretty well on their wood-bodied kit as well. The
black beauties - I have two - set for concave or straight/convex are a treat
to use, and with the dual adjustable throat, you can hog so fast you'll
wonder why you risk your fingers to a drawknife, or take a shaving you can
see through.
As to square holes - mortising chisels will do. Or bore and pare by hand.
Not like it'll take forever, after all.
[email protected] () wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> I won't try to answer your other questions, but as far as drilling a
> square hole, here's a method I've used for small (1/4") square holes.
> I first saw this in aa magazine article that suggested using it for
> making holes for decorative "plugs" in Craftsman style furniture.
>
> Drill a hole of diameter equal to the width of the square, say 1/8" in
> your case. Get a piece of 1/8" square keystock, and grind a taper on
> one end so that it can enter the hole, then simply drive it through to
> square the hole. I can't picture exactly what you are trying to do, so
> I don't know if the geometry of your spokeshave will work with this
> method, and it would be a good idea to experiment first on a scrap and
> make sure the drilled hole is a good working size so the key stock
> doesn't case a split, etc. Good luck!
>
>
That's basically how a mortising bit works.
Puckdropper
--
Wise is the man who attempts to answer his question before asking it.
To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm
Square holes like those in your old spokeshave are made by drilling a round
hole and then forcing the square tang into it. The hard part is getting
the angle EXACTLY correct. Lew has good advise above; if the crack is not
too bad epoxy may be the best bet.
Dave
"Andy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I recently picked up a very old spokeshave at an auction (basically
> similar to LV's "contour plane", but shaped more like their "low angle
> spokeshave"). What a treat - it works beautifully! It was quite sharp
> and adjusted well when I got it, and it already helped me smooth the
> inside of a curve on my bed project. What more can I ask for $5?
> Anyway, the body is partly cracked, and although I might be able to
> glue/screw it back together, I don't really consider that a permanent
> solution. It's not cracked all the way through, and I can sort of hold
> it together while I'm using it for now, but I don't want to have to
> always worry about that either.
> So I'm thinking it would be possible to fashion a new wooden body, and
> use the old blade. However, the blade is held in place with square
> "tangs" that friction-fit into square holes in the body. How would I
> drill a small (maybe 1/8"? I haven't measured) square hole? Or would a
> (smaller) round hole work?
> -OR-
> Am I being way too cheap with this old mostly-broken spokeshave, and I
> should just get one of LV's "contour planes" for $13, or if I'm carving
> a body anyway, one of LV's spokeshave hardware kits for $30? Their
> spiffy new spokeshaves (low angle or the $75 one) sure look nice, but
> I'd rather save my plane money for something else that says LV or LN...
> So, how do I drill a square hole, or would it not be worth my time?
> Any advice?
> Thanks,
> Andy
>
I won't try to answer your other questions, but as far as drilling a
square hole, here's a method I've used for small (1/4") square holes.
I first saw this in aa magazine article that suggested using it for
making holes for decorative "plugs" in Craftsman style furniture.
Drill a hole of diameter equal to the width of the square, say 1/8" in
your case. Get a piece of 1/8" square keystock, and grind a taper on
one end so that it can enter the hole, then simply drive it through to
square the hole. I can't picture exactly what you are trying to do, so
I don't know if the geometry of your spokeshave will work with this
method, and it would be a good idea to experiment first on a scrap and
make sure the drilled hole is a good working size so the key stock
doesn't case a split, etc. Good luck!
--
Larry Wasserman Baltimore, Maryland
[email protected]
"Andy" <[email protected]> wrote in news:1152253171.759297.279020
@m79g2000cwm.googlegroups.com:
> So I'm thinking it would be possible to fashion a new wooden body, and
> use the old blade. However, the blade is held in place with square
> "tangs" that friction-fit into square holes in the body. How would I
> drill a small (maybe 1/8"? I haven't measured) square hole? Or would a
> (smaller) round hole work?
I would guess that forcing the square tang into a suitably sized
round hole will produce a square hole, and is probably how the
original square hole was made. Try it out with a piece of scrap
of the wood you're planning to use.
> Am I being way too cheap with this old mostly-broken spokeshave,
The quality of old blades is often well above what you can get
today, so I'd say you should try to either save the old body or
put the old blade in a new body. Well worth saving the blade,
one way or another.
John
> On 6 Jul 2006 23:19:31 -0700, "Andy" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>I recently picked up a very old spokeshave at an auction (basically
>>similar to LV's "contour plane", but shaped more like their "low angle
>>spokeshave"). What a treat - it works beautifully! It was quite sharp
>>and adjusted well when I got it, and it already helped me smooth the
>>inside of a curve on my bed project. What more can I ask for $5?
>>Anyway, the body is partly cracked, and although I might be able to
>>glue/screw it back together, I don't really consider that a permanent
>>solution. It's not cracked all the way through, and I can sort of hold
>>it together while I'm using it for now, but I don't want to have to
>>always worry about that either.
>>So I'm thinking it would be possible to fashion a new wooden body, and
>>use the old blade. However, the blade is held in place with square
>>"tangs" that friction-fit into square holes in the body. How would I
>>drill a small (maybe 1/8"? I haven't measured) square hole? Or would a
>>(smaller) round hole work?
>>-OR-
>>Am I being way too cheap with this old mostly-broken spokeshave, and I
>>should just get one of LV's "contour planes" for $13, or if I'm carving
>>a body anyway, one of LV's spokeshave hardware kits for $30? Their
>>spiffy new spokeshaves (low angle or the $75 one) sure look nice, but
>>I'd rather save my plane money for something else that says LV or LN...
>>So, how do I drill a square hole, or would it not be worth my time?
>>Any advice?
>>Thanks,
>>Andy
Drill smaller round holes, heat the tips of the tangs up to a dull red hot,
getting as little else of the tang or blade hot, and then force the hot tang
in the round hole slightly shy of full depth. Once it cools a bit tap it the
rest of the way on.
John
Andy wrote:
<snip>
> Anyway, the body is partly cracked, and although I might be able to
> glue/screw it back together, I don't really consider that a permanent
> solution. It's not cracked all the way through, and I can sort of hold
> it together while I'm using it for now, but I don't want to have to
> always worry about that either.
<snip>
> Any advice?
Epoxy.
It will still be there long after the wooden parts have returned to
compost.
Lew
Drilling square holes?!?!? Easy as
3.14217938271203938277384595948378373283939......
http://upper.us.edu/faculty/smith/reuleaux.htm
-Zz
On 6 Jul 2006 23:19:31 -0700, "Andy" <[email protected]> wrote:
>I recently picked up a very old spokeshave at an auction (basically
>similar to LV's "contour plane", but shaped more like their "low angle
>spokeshave"). What a treat - it works beautifully! It was quite sharp
>and adjusted well when I got it, and it already helped me smooth the
>inside of a curve on my bed project. What more can I ask for $5?
>Anyway, the body is partly cracked, and although I might be able to
>glue/screw it back together, I don't really consider that a permanent
>solution. It's not cracked all the way through, and I can sort of hold
>it together while I'm using it for now, but I don't want to have to
>always worry about that either.
>So I'm thinking it would be possible to fashion a new wooden body, and
>use the old blade. However, the blade is held in place with square
>"tangs" that friction-fit into square holes in the body. How would I
>drill a small (maybe 1/8"? I haven't measured) square hole? Or would a
>(smaller) round hole work?
>-OR-
>Am I being way too cheap with this old mostly-broken spokeshave, and I
>should just get one of LV's "contour planes" for $13, or if I'm carving
>a body anyway, one of LV's spokeshave hardware kits for $30? Their
>spiffy new spokeshaves (low angle or the $75 one) sure look nice, but
>I'd rather save my plane money for something else that says LV or LN...
>So, how do I drill a square hole, or would it not be worth my time?
>Any advice?
>Thanks,
>Andy
Andy wrote:
> I recently picked up a very old spokeshave at an auction (basically
> similar to LV's "contour plane", but shaped more like their "low angle
> spokeshave"). What a treat - it works beautifully! It was quite sharp
> and adjusted well when I got it, and it already helped me smooth the
> inside of a curve on my bed project. What more can I ask for $5?
> Anyway, the body is partly cracked, and although I might be able to
> glue/screw it back together, I don't really consider that a permanent
> solution. It's not cracked all the way through, and I can sort of hold
> it together while I'm using it for now, but I don't want to have to
> always worry about that either.
> So I'm thinking it would be possible to fashion a new wooden body, and
> use the old blade. However, the blade is held in place with square
> "tangs" that friction-fit into square holes in the body. How would I
> drill a small (maybe 1/8"? I haven't measured) square hole? Or would a
> (smaller) round hole work?
> -OR-
> Am I being way too cheap with this old mostly-broken spokeshave, and I
> should just get one of LV's "contour planes" for $13, or if I'm carving
> a body anyway, one of LV's spokeshave hardware kits for $30? Their
> spiffy new spokeshaves (low angle or the $75 one) sure look nice, but
> I'd rather save my plane money for something else that says LV or LN...
> So, how do I drill a square hole, or would it not be worth my time?
> Any advice?
> Thanks,
> Andy
>
Practicing on scrap first, drill a slightly under sized hole then square
it with a small needle file
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=4614 or
equivalent. You can mark the corners you need to square with the tang
of the blade then use the file to open the hole a little more. File a
little, test repeat. Maybe even count the strokes for the real piece.
Joe