Assorted Bladed Tools

Spokeshave

Spokeshaves are a type of bladed instrument used for taking shavings from a workpiece. Originally, as the name suggests, they were intended for rounding and shaping the final diameter of wheel spokes. The small construction and relatively thin sole of the spokeshave allows for easy manoeuvrability across the surface of a rounded workpiece. The two handles on either side of the blade allow for comfortable and secure holding of the tool. The small blade can be adjusted incrementally with a set of screws to adjust the depth of cut. A few varieties of these cutting tools are available, one with a flat sole and one with a rounded sole. The flat sole is used on the outside of workpieces, with the rounded sole being more conducive for taking shavings from internal faces of curved pieces. These planes are more commonly used in joinery in modern times and see no real application in residential construction.  

Drawknives

Drawknives are a timber processing tool that are designed for the rough shaping of timber components. The tools feature a long, sharp blade with a handle on either side. With one hand on each handle, the blade is pulled towards the user across the surface of the timber, taking large shavings from the material. They are the perfect tool for fast and effective material removal, and a sharp blade can leave a fairly smooth finish. This being said, smaller tools like planes and spokeshaves are typically used after a drawknife to give the material a smoother finish. They are also used for stripping bark from log beams during post and beam construction practices. They do not find much use in site carpentry, tending to be better suited to use in the workshop in bespoke applications.  

Card scraper

Card scrapers are small metal sheets with sharp edges that are used in the finishing process of a project. The scrapers come in many different shapes and sizes and can easily be made from scratch in the workshop from scrap metal. The thin edges of the scraper are flattened and polished with a sharpening stone or sandpaper. After this, a burnisher is used to roll the edges and create very fine and sharp micro burrs on the scraper. By flexing the card and pushing or pulling it along the surface of a workpiece, fine, wispy shavings can be taken, leaving an incredibly smooth surface finish. The sharp edges of the card cut the fibres of the timber in much the same way a plane or chisel would. Some plane bodies are specifically designed to receive a card scraper, for ease of use during extended scraping sessions. Using a properly sharpened scraper will leave the finest and smoothest finish of all the cutting tools, requiring minimal to no sanding after the scraping process is carried out. They are especially useful for smoothing the inside of rounded components or in areas where other finishing tools do not fit.

Burnishers

A burnisher is a hardened steel rod set into a handle, used for rolling the edges of card scrapers. The hardened steel is pushed across the edge of the card scraper to fold the softer metal edges of the scraper over. The resulting rolled edges are very thin and sharp.

Scrapers

Scrapers are a tool that feature a sharpened edge, designed for scraping surfaces. Some types of scrapers are able to take disposable scrapers or utility knife blades. These can be used for scraping wallpaper or labels off of glass for example. Other types of scrapers feature fixed metal alloy blades that can be resharpened. These sharp tools are used for scraping the surface of timber, in order to remove surface finishes like paint or varnish.