Official Luthiers Forum!

For neck/heel carving, wanting to evolve from rasp/files/abrasives to drawknife/chisels ....

I'm looking at 3" straight or 5" curved drawknife (Flexcut)....any comments or recommendations??

Thanks in advance.
Doug

I have this one:

http://www.woodcraft.com/product/200134 ... knife.aspx

Which is nice. I prefer that type of handle to the straight handle types.
Don't know about curved blades. I've never tried one.

Then there is this micro drawknife:

http://www.northbayforge.com/dk.htm

Which might be more suited to the task, not that I've had the chance to try one.

Hi Doug,

I also have the Pfeil drawknife that Michael mentioned. I find it very good for removing a lot of material from the neck blank initially. However, I switch over to a spokeshave as I get closer to the neck shape I'm shooting for.

Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

No. I'm not quite brave enough either!

Spokeshaves are a nice next step too. I like the Lee Valley low angle spokeshave and have gotten quite comfortable with it. I imagine the unbedded blade of a drawknife takes a somewhat higher skill level - can't say, haven't tried.

I usually use a fairly flat carving gouge for most of the heel shaping, after hogging off the bulk of waste with a regular chisel.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

japan woodworker has a small 4in drawknife.and the chinese make a ebony or rosewood spoke shave that is adjustable and can take hog cuts, e-vil bay japan woodworker,lee valley/. I also have a frost double bevel drawknife tricky to learn and a 8in old american one that has a single 30 deg bevel $8 at a yard sale. can be used with a shaving horse.

I use the 5" curved Flexcut. I like it a lot.

I also have the Pfiel drawknife with the angled handle. Works great. Although a bit light but I have gotten used to it. You should plan on complimenting it with a spokeshave. Drawknife hogs off lots of material, then move to a spokeshave, then finish with ~80 grit sandpaper. A drawknife is also good for getting what the spokeshave can't get around the headstock area (particularly if doing a volute). These are simple tools so any ~5" will do, just make sure it's sharp. I haven't tried a 3" but it seems like it might be a bit too small.

Here is my method for carving the neck: 1st facet with a drawknife, 2nd and 3rd facet with spokeshave, further refinement with spokeshave and use drawknife around headstock area to get what spokeshave can't get to, smooth out the humps with 80 grit using a long, thin sanding block, then further smoothing with cross strokes and no sanding block (think shoe shine). Once you get the hang of it, this whole process goes very quick.

The Flexcut is a very thin, flexible (delicate) design which is really only good for fine work. For roughing things out, I would recommend a bigger stiffer draw knife. Seems realtively easy to find good vintage ones for very reasonable prices. If you want new, Barr tools makes some very nice ones.

-jd

I use the Flexcut 5" (bevel down), a chisel, and a rasp to got from square to rough shape. I use a spokeshave to refine the shaft. Then I go to sandpaper to clean it up. I have a good, stout 12" drawknife. It's too fast for me the way I do necks, but I do use it to clean bark when I'm processing a new log.

I use a drawknife similar to this http://www.woodcraft.com/product/200134 ... knife.aspx with a 10" blade. I've had mine for over 25 years and it has no markings on it, so not sure of brand. If you keep it sharp, it makes quick work for rough shaping a neck.

Chuck

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Thank you all for the helpful information.....seems like Lee Valley low angle spokeshave and 4"-5" drawknife will achieve my goals....thanks again.

p.s.-I had a spokeshave years ago, but really never liked its' bulkiness...Lee Valley looks much cleaner....aloha.

i bought a cheap chinese slag matal drawknife last winter, and it was a hunkahunka burnin' crap. i also am following this thread as i'd like to have one that actually works somewhat

I have taken a couple of windsor chair classes, and the drawknife is one of the major tools used. It is remarkable watching a skilled person taking a 20 inch long 3/4 x 3/4 inch piece down to a round back spindle that is 3/8" at the top and 5/8" at the bottom in about a minute, and that piece needs perhaps 30 seconds with a spokeshave. What I have learned is that flipping the drawknife over can make all the difference with certain pieces of wood - try both ways to see which works better for the situation. Also, make sure that the edge is a chisel edge, not a knife edge - one bevel against a flat surface rather than 2 bevels.

Ed Minch

I have the flexcut curved drawknife and I like it. I have some of their carving chisels too. I also have a large old one that I found on Ebay in excellent shape. Don't know what brand it is though.

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Another day, another dollar.