TOOL
Spokeshave
Shapes curved surfaces a plane cannot reach.
| Sole | Flat or round, 45 – 60 mm |
|---|---|
| Blade width | 38 – 51 mm |
| Adjustment | Screw or lever cap, fine depth control |
| Body | Cast iron, bronze or hardwood |
| Cut | Fine shaving, 0.05 – 0.15 mm |
| Use | Brace shaping, neck carving, curve clean-up |
| Blade angle | Low, bedded at 45° or less |
|---|---|
| Sharpening | Hone the bevel and keep the back flat |
| Mouth | Fine mouth for clean cuts in spruce |
| Grain direction | Work downhill; reverse at the first sign of tear-out |
| Maintenance | Flat the sole periodically on a stone or lapping plate |
| Price band | Moderate |
A spokeshave has a short sole and a blade held between two handles, which lets it cut curved and concave surfaces — brace ends, neck transitions, the inside of a cutaway. It removes material faster than a scraper and with more control than a rasp.
The flat-sole version is for convex work like brace shaping and neck carving. A round-sole version handles concave curves. Both need the blade set fine and the sole kept flat, or they chatter and tear the grain.
At this stage
A spokeshave is a shaping tool, not a finishing tool. It takes the brace or neck close to shape and the scraper and sandpaper finish the job.
Suits these instruments
- Steel-string acoustic
- Classical
- Archtop
- Electric
Works with
- Spruce or cedar braces
- Cabinet scraper
- Bracing chisel
- Neck blanks
- The blade is exposed and unsupported. Store it with the blade retracted and keep fingers clear of the mouth.
- Clamp the work. A spokeshave on a loose plate is a cut waiting to happen.
Working notes
- Set the blade fine. A deep cut chatters and tears spruce badly.
- Work downhill on both sides of a curve and stop before you reach the crest.
- A flat sole is the whole tool. Lap it on a stone when it stops cutting cleanly.
- For brace work, a spokeshave followed by a scraper gives the cleanest surface.
Related
Bracing chisel
Shapes braces to a measured taper without tearing the grain.
Radius dish
Gives the top and back their curve, consistently.
Go-bar deck
Clamps a whole braced plate at once, evenly.
Binding router bit
Cuts the channel that takes the binding and purfling.