Popular Woodworking 2004-04 № 140, страница 91
ANANT A151 SPOKESHAVE This was the most frustrating tool in the test to set up. Right out of the box, the underside of the iron was stuck to the tool's body. When I pried the iron off, it took a fair chunk of paint from the body with it, revealing a black primer coat beneath. I'm guessing the tool was assembled while the paint was still tacky. The iron itself didn't fit perfectly on its adjustment knobs and the knobs didn't move as smoothly as those on the other tools in the test. Overall, this India-made tool had the lowest level of fit and finish. The knobs were rough, and the cap iron didn't fit well on the iron and required quite a bit of work to get it functioning well.The red paint job was uneven in places, and the bed of the tool is not machined. Unfortunately, the tool works about as well as it looks. When faced with any wood harder than cherry it screeched in protest and chattered - no matter how tightly I set the cap iron or how lightly I set the iron. With a cost of only $15, you might think that it's at least a decent bargain tool to start with.You would be wrong. Save your money or buy a vintage tool. Available from Woodworker's Supply, 800-645-9292 or woodworker.com KUNZ ADJUSTABLE SPOKESHAVE This was actually the first spokeshave that I ever bought.And I have spent hours upon hours tuning it up to squeeze acceptable performance out of it. For this test I bought and tuned up a new specimen to see if anything had changed in the last decade at the Kunz factory in Germany. It hadn't. While the tool is a fair bit better than the Anant and Stanley in fit, finish and performance, it does have some problems worth noting. The brass adjustment knobs are a nice and refined touch, but they spin freely more than any of the others in the test.You have to twirl each knob for two full turns before it will engage the iron.The tool's bed is merely cast and painted - and roughly at that - with no machining in this critical area.As a result, this tool protested when asked to take a heavy cut or when subjected to hard maple.With a price of $18.50, this tool is an acceptable choice if you work only in softer woods or are willing (make that "overjoyed") by tuning, tuning and tuning your tools. Available at Tools for Working Wood, 800-426-4613 or toolsforworkingwood.com LIE-NIELSEN SMALL BRONZE SPOKESHAVE This little jewel is based on the British-made Preston tools that are highly desirable among collectors. But this tool isn't designed to just sit on a shelf. It works incredibly well when you need to make precise cuts. Your hands almost totally enclose the bronze body, which gives you a high level of control. Like the Boggs Spokeshave, this U.S.-made tool has a completely machined bed, a thick iron and a heavy cap iron that is machined in two places on its underside. Out of the box, I found it necessary to file and polish the leading edge of the cap iron to allow the shavings to easily escape the throat; otherwise, the tool's throat would occasionally clog. The entire procedure took about 5 minutes, which isn't too much to ask in my book. Like the Boggs Spokeshave, this one doesn't have knobs to adjust the depth of your cut. But because there is only one thumbscrew (instead of two) to tighten, this tool is quite easy to learn to adjust. Owing to the tool's small size and tight throat, it's probably not the only spokeshave you should have in your shop (you can't buy just one, by the way). But because of its outstanding performance it's a strong No. 2 choice. Available from Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, 800-327-2520 or lie-nielsen.com LIE-NIELSEN BOGGS SPOKESHAVE I've been using the Boggs Spokeshave for nearly nine months now, and it never leaves my bench. Once I got used to setting the iron without adjustment screws, I was hooked.This U.S.-made tool is capable of almost anything I ask of it. The secret to its performance lies in how the tool is made. The tool's bronze bed is fully machined and the .125"-thick iron fits snugly in a channel milled in the body. (Note thatyou need to sharpen the iron pretty close to square because there is only a little bit of lateral adjustment in the tool.) The cap iron is completely flat on the underside and mates with the iron over its entire face. Add to that the fact that the cap iron is secured with two large thumbscrews and you understand why this tool is so incredibly stable. The only difficulty to report with this tool lies in setting the two thumbscrews.To set the blade you need to hold the iron in place as you tighten the two screws, and this requires a little bit of finger acrobatics. Once the iron is set, however, the tool is comfortable to use for hours and hours thanks to the well-shaped hickory handles and bronze body. The Boggs Spokeshave - which was developed with the assistance of chairmaker Brian Boggs - is the most expensive tool in our test ($125), but worth the price. Available from Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, 800-327-2520 or lie-nielsen.com 88 Popular Woodworking April 2004 |
