Planes, Spokeshaves and Rasps

This course is about planing and shaping. From two rough-sawn blanks you will make a cheese board and knife using bench planes, spoke shaves, rasps and scrapers.

Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of the objects; there are a lot of skills to be learned as well as some challenging three dimensional thinking in this course.

Firstly you will learn how to flatten and straighten timber accurately using the bench plane. This is a fundamental skill for a woodworker and the essential starting point for most projects.Secondly, you will learn how to form curved surfaces using spoke shaves and then finally you will use a series of rasps and scrapers to shape the knife.

Throughout the course, we will talk about how these tools work, including how to tune and maintain them. You will have the opportunity to try a variety of different makes including Lie-Nielsen and Veritas as well as vintage Stanley, Turner and Falcon. We will also talk about the structure and properties of wood and in particular the importance of grain direction.

This course is suitable for beginners and those wishing to build on their existing skills and knowledge.

Materials Provided‍
All required tools, jigs and materials will be provided for your use on the day.

What To Bring
An apron to cover clothing, drinks and lunch.

Safety
Please wear sturdy footwear, shoes with leather uppers preferred.

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