In Tricks of the Trade

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Flattening the back of a spokeshave’s blade on sandpaper is a pain. The blade is so small that it’s hard to get a grip on it. A 1-1/2″ thick MDF block sized to fit my hand makes the job easy.  I stick the blade to the block with double-faced tape.

One problem: If the blade gets too hot from friction, it won’t stick to the tape anymore. The solution is easy. When the blade starts to get warm, just set the block–blade side down–on a cast-iron surface, such as a tablesaw’s top, for about 30 seconds. Cast iron absorbs and dissipates the blade’s heat quite rapidly.  –Bill Larsen


Product Recommendations

Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.

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