Apologies for previous OT post. A little closer to the point: I was doing a bit of reading on my lunch hour and came across this:
http://www.popularwoodworking.com/articleindex/metal-bodied-spokeshaves
I like Chris Schwarz's writing. I have his book on hand planes. Although I get by with a little block plane for anything that needs it (which ain't much around here) I can seriously appreciate high-end tools and the techniques to use them. Also I could spend dangerous amounts of money on a plow plane that I'd probably use once a year.
I was interested to read his review of some of the available spokeshaves. He seems to think well of the Veritas and Lie-Nielsen models and also thinks the only reason to tune up an old Stanley (or Stanley clone like I have) is because you're a masochist. I don't swing that way but I see that in the newest Lee Valley dogalogue there's this:
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=60545&cat=1,50230
A nice A2 blade for almost what I paid for the whole shave! Schwarz mentions making a replacement cap iron for the blade out of something more substantial than the one that's on there, and as it turns out I have a nice little piece of steel in the "Might Need That For Something" bin that would be a good starting point for that.
I prefer A2 to O1 -- I've made knives with both and while O1 is easier to sharpen, for small blades that will be used hard A2 can't be beat IMO, unless you start into the high-end steels and powdered-metal sinters. O1's easier to harden, though...
OK, I can hear heads shakin' all over the board: "What the hell's ol' Skiv doin' turnin' a 20 buck Oriental spokeshave into a 50 buck Oriental spokeshave?" I'm just weird that way, I guess. It's like this: if I'm gonna use it, I want it to work. I can't see keepin' it once the Veritas arrives, if it's such a piece of @#$% that I can't bear to look at it -- and frankly if I was gonna throw away $20 I'd just go put a bill in the first Sally Ann kettle I walk past. At least it'd do some good.
So I'm gonna make it at least decent. Might not use it much, but for damn sure I ain't loanin' out the Veritas to the neighbour. Lunch break's over; back on yer heads!
http://www.popularwoodworking.com/articleindex/metal-bodied-spokeshaves
I like Chris Schwarz's writing. I have his book on hand planes. Although I get by with a little block plane for anything that needs it (which ain't much around here) I can seriously appreciate high-end tools and the techniques to use them. Also I could spend dangerous amounts of money on a plow plane that I'd probably use once a year.
I was interested to read his review of some of the available spokeshaves. He seems to think well of the Veritas and Lie-Nielsen models and also thinks the only reason to tune up an old Stanley (or Stanley clone like I have) is because you're a masochist. I don't swing that way
but I see that in the newest Lee Valley dogalogue there's this:http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=60545&cat=1,50230
A nice A2 blade for almost what I paid for the whole shave! Schwarz mentions making a replacement cap iron for the blade out of something more substantial than the one that's on there, and as it turns out I have a nice little piece of steel in the "Might Need That For Something" bin that would be a good starting point for that.
I prefer A2 to O1 -- I've made knives with both and while O1 is easier to sharpen, for small blades that will be used hard A2 can't be beat IMO, unless you start into the high-end steels and powdered-metal sinters. O1's easier to harden, though...
OK, I can hear heads shakin' all over the board: "What the hell's ol' Skiv doin' turnin' a 20 buck Oriental spokeshave into a 50 buck Oriental spokeshave?" I'm just weird that way, I guess. It's like this: if I'm gonna use it, I want it to work. I can't see keepin' it once the Veritas arrives, if it's such a piece of @#$% that I can't bear to look at it -- and frankly if I was gonna throw away $20 I'd just go put a bill in the first Sally Ann kettle I walk past. At least it'd do some good.
So I'm gonna make it at least decent. Might not use it much, but for damn sure I ain't loanin' out the Veritas to the neighbour. Lunch break's over; back on yer heads!