Spoke Shave tips needed

[autologus]

I need some help, I recently bought a spoke shave but I am having some problems with adjustments I guess.  I have a hard time keeping it from chattering, if I make it any shallower it will hardly take anything off.  I have a feeling I am not doing a very good job of driving and need some tips to operate this piece of equipment properly, so any tips would be wonderful.

Grady

[Pat B]

Grady, I traded my spoke shave. The only wood I could get it to work on was yew or ERC. Everything else it chattered on. It could be the adjustment or the blade sharpness but for me a draw knife, a rasp and a good sharp scraper. Sorry, not much encouragement. 

[chamookman]

I hate to say this, but put it in a tool box and forget about it. I never found one to be of any use Bow making. A good selection of scrapers will outdo and surpass anything a Spoke Shave possibly could do. Bob

[autologus]

So far, this is the exact experiences I have been having.  I would not take anything for my farriers rasp or my Nicholson 50 and the card scrapers I have will peal off shavings you could read through but the spoke shave is a bugger.

Grady

[PEARL DRUMS]

I gave mine away. Im okay at setting up tools and have a good grip on using them, but I cant even start to make it work on a bow. On the edge of a board? No problem. But I don't do much board work of any type.

[Del the cat]

Spoke shaves are great ... well some of 'em.
Has it got a flat sole? I use a flat sole one and made the mistake of thinking a curved sole one would be a good addition... nope, it's hopeless.
So...  if it's a flat sole one check out the interweb for spokeshave adjustment tuning articles. I tend to use one when the draw knife is in danger of digging in and tearing, after the spokeshave it's rasps. Maybe it's not so handy on Osage, but I've used mine on Yew Ash hazel etc.
It's only a cheapo one, but I took trouble to clean it up as per advice on the web.
Blimey I even get kids using it at bow making demos, they love making curly shavings
Del

[RBLusthaus]

Ditto to what Del says.  I love my shaves.  I have three or four on the bench set for different depths.  Would be lost without them (slight exaggeration).  Flat sole only.  Never able to get the round ones to work properly.  When pulling, you must always keep the pressure in front of the blade.  2 points of contact with the work - blade and front of sole.   I like to enlarge the blade opening in the 151s but not mandatory for the light shavings of bow work.  I use mine even to clean up after rasping. 

In all, a very good tool - once u get the hang of it.  Don't give up on it is my advice. 
Russ

[autologus]

OK that may be the problem because it is a convex sole.  I have a 4" belt sander that I bet could make it a flat sole spoke shave.    If I screw it up, oh well, it isn't working very well anyway.  I can get it to make shavings on the edges but not in the middle so the flat sole thing makes since.  I will modify it and let you all know how it goes.

Grady

[Del the cat]

BTW, the young kids think it's funny when I explain what chattering is...
"Just like when you get told off for chatting at school...
Making too much noise and not working properly "
Del

[mullet]

I hated the first one I had and gave it away. Then I picked up an antique, homemade one that is flat and it will really curl some osage. And really likes yew and ERC.

[Del the cat]

My brother picked up one of those old wooden ones (Beech I think) where the blade has two prongs which come up through the wood and you adjust the cut by tapping on the blade or tips of the prongs. It even had the makers name on it proudly proclaiming "Made in Sheffield" . He gave it to me and I cleaned it up and sharpened the blade, it cuts like a dream. I save it for demos where I'm trying to look medieval (e.g Haven't shaved for 2 weeks ) Some of those old tools cut waaay better than the new.
Del
PS. Just found a couple of pics of it assembled & dismantled on the foot of this post on my blog:-
http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/belly-patch-bow-full-draw.html

[RBLusthaus]

I also suggest holding the shave at an angle so that the cut is more of a slicing motion.  Kinda like skewing a plane, if ya know what I mean. 

[JW_Halverson]

I love spokeshaves and I make sure that the blade is shaving sharp.  It's a cutting tool, it should cut, not beat the material up with blunt force trauma.

Many people take the blade out to sharpen or what have you, then replace it UPSIDE DOWN! The bevel should be down, giving you a shallower cutting angle.

The Stanley's are fine enough, but the tool bed where it mates to the removable blade is often nowhere near flat enough.  I have used fiberglass bedding material to help flatten the tool bed.  As for the sole of the tool, it should be absolutely dead flat and the leading edge just slightly relieved or rounded a bit. 

When I bought my Veritas from Lee Valley Tools I knew I had the right tool for the job finally.

[Marc St Louis]

It helps to sit your thumbs on the blade

[mullet]

Del, mine looks almost identical to yours. I've got to go and check it and see.