Thread: Spokeshave chatter

It might not be either........it might be having the blade set for slightly too deep a cut.

The thing I've noticed about spokeshaves is that they chatter less and less the more I use them.....but they are most likely to leave marks the closer I get to the sandpaper stage.
I'm not using mine on big curves though ( you're working on a rocking chair? ), just for fitting handles to tools.

Have patience, an expert will be with you shortly..............

Spotty is very very hard, and so you will need a sharp blade with a very shallow cut. I had the same issue on Jarrah and changed the angle to shave slightly skewed and it improved significantly.

I also ended up pulling towards me rather than pushing away, as I found I could maintain the power through the stroke.

Cheers,

Tom

and I'll add that you might check that the bed for the blade is sound, no bumps, shavings or irregularities, and that the blade is wedged nice and tight. Any movement at all will make the tool more prone to chatter if the blade is not quite sharp enough or if the cut is too deep.

hmm, also, it's a round sole so you don't have the support on both sides of the blade and the tool can rock almost imperceptibly, allowing vibration if you don't have a good hold of it. don't choke it, just nice and firm.

Apart from the good advice already given, also check your technique. Chatter often occurs when you don’t have the sole running correctly on the timber (when its tilted forward a bit to much)

Originally Posted by SHIPPERS

So im working my way through the various bits and pieces of my rocker and its time to get out the spokeshave. A HNT inspired copy same high angle.
Anyway the timber im attempting to plane is spotted gum. The chatter occurs when planing with and square to the grain, however if i angle my approach i dont get chatter. Oh this is a curved sole ss im refering to.
So my question to the hopefully more knowledgeable and or experienced is, although i think the blade is sharp is it not sharp enough or might it be the timber or a combo of both.


Shippers

Hi Shippers

Your experience indicates that your cutting angle is too high. When you angle the spokeshave what you are effectively doing is lowering the cutting angle.

It is possible that you are lifting the spokeshave when pulling or pushing it in a forward direction, and thereby increasing the cutting angle. Or you are using too much blade projection.

Regards from Perth

Derek

See......I told you experts would show up.

Thanks; Lignum and Derek Cohen, for that hint about the angle, it's probably the final piece in the puzzle of spokeshave use.
I'll try and be more aware of the angle of the blade when I'm using the shave in future.

Are you using the curved sole on the inside of the arc or the outside. A flat sole would serve you better on the outside of a curve while curved would be better on an inside curve. When you skew the shave it also effectively lengthens the sole.
Mike

Thanks for the replies.
ok
im planing the inside radius.
i prefer pushing rather than pulling as i feel i have more control.
it is quite feasable that in doing so i am rolling my hands forward though this doesnt really account for satisfactory results when skewed.


Shippers

i forgot to add that i will post some pics of the shavings produced.
they arent as i would expect


shippers

I agree with TomH - the biggest improvement in my spokeshaving technique came when I changed from pushing to pulling....much better control.

The way you grip the tool also makes a BIG difference - you need your grip/point of pressure on the handles to be as close to the bed of the spokeshave as possible. For the first couple of weeks I had my new Veritas curved spokeshave I was having all the problems you have described, but by changing my grip and going to a pull stroke it suddenly just 'clicked' and has been working well ever since.