Spokeshave frustration

[tvrgeek]

I like the wheel adjusters, so the Veritas would be preferable. The Melbourne is a little less and looks like well machined.

 

[jlimey]

That is my thought too on the LN.

But since Scott prefers the veritas adjusters, for $55 more you get a proven performer with wooden handles rather than cork infill and a pm-v11 blade. Likely can get one on ebay for less that the Melbourne model

 

[Cuthriell]

This may not come across as I picture it, but I tap the brass part of the handle on the edge of the bench or whatever is near by to bring the blade of the Boggs in or out. Light taps work well for very fine adjustments. It is easy because you do not have to break your working rhythm. I have a 151 and an Indian 151 clone and like both, but never had the problems you describe with the clone.

 

[Hjanes]

I found an old "user" some years ago at Ed Lebetkin's shop above Roy Unerhill's school/shop. It was already tuned up and needed very little to get going. Not much money, 60 or so as I recall. What's happened to Ed's tool shop now that Roy closed up?

 

[mdbuntyn]

What's happened to Ed's tool shop now that Roy closed up?

He'll be selling at local MWTCA Meetups, and you can email him to see if he has anything that you're looking for.

 

[tvrgeek]

JB Weld is setting up on the curved sole. I should be able to file it to shape tomorrow.

 

[tvrgeek]

FAILURE BY DESIGN!
OK, and now it works.
Besides the mouth not being flat, mouth way too big, iron not flat, it has a major design flaw. Goes back to the original Stanley 151 I imagine.
Here is what happens. As you snug the cap, the blade pivots on the back end of the mounting surface, pulling it off contact with the throat. Chatter!
This is caused by the thumbscrews having no support so even if the surface was flat, the geometry where the retaining screw is and no support will rock the blade.

So, no wonder the Hock blade was a little better. It is thicker. My hack is three layers of foil tape behind the screw to move the pivot point behind the screw so the cap actually presses the iron to the mouth.
It works. I can get decent shavings now with only my lack of skill limiting it. I made the mouth slightly uneven so I can kind of have a variable mouth along with variable cut with the blade depth slightly skewed. Only practice will tell me if that was smart. I can always file it strait.

Manufacturers could easily extend the back of the mounting surface and then mill the surface flat. They could cast the mouth a bit smaller. I also think ( will test) if elongating the cap slot so it moves further forward would help. Change the leverage points just a hair.

Moral of the story: Buy the freaking LN or Veritas in the first place.

 

[tvrgeek]

Moving the cap forward by elongating the slot helped quite a bit too. Easiest change. Went almost 2 mm.

 

[tvrgeek]

And they even cut with the Taylor blades. I noticed about a dozen retailers sell the same spokeshave. A slightly different version by several others with the same design flaw of no support under the thumbscrew, and then the really cheap junk. The junk one I had the adjustment screws were tilted and the cap did not fit. I won't say where I got it, but it was sold to me as a Stanley ( with a fair for Stanley price) and having never seen one, did not know what to look for. Also a " verified as square" nice try square for a premium price for being tested square. It was not, but I did square it myself.

I also noticed that the higher quality, Veritas as one, who make a 151-ish tool, the throat is much smaller on all three of theirs. I imagine the bevel up design ( Boggs as one) would do better on end grain, but I have not had that need and will cross that if I ever get there. I prefer Craftsman/Stickley furniture which have no curves and provincial Chinese which does have some. That is where I got into the beading #45 vs router vs scraper problem.

Anyway, I can now use both tools. It is no wonder so many have trouble with them as most are junk as supplied. Once the blade was supported, it took only a few swipes to get even the curved sole to work. Not hard. From my manufacturing quality background, I see no reason that the $25 tool could not be correctly made and machined for a retail of $35 needing only tuning up and own the market. These are simple tools. I guess a symptom of race to the bottom, no monitoring of the off-shore manufacturing, and retailers just not caring. Sad. Very sad.