Some of us are just a little slow...

I followed this discussion with great interest
last month on the problems with tuning a Millers
Falls number 1 spokeshave.  I have one that I
had sharpened, and I'd made some shavings with
it, but never *really* used it.  Today I was
working on a frame saw, and I thought that MF #1
would do the trick on some curvy bits.

Well, the only way I'd gotten this thing to take
shavings before was by opening the mouth about 
3/8".  I took heed of some of the advice I'd 
overheard on the Porch, here, and started grinding
the bevel of the blade.  I removed metal from the
heel of the blade so that there would be a more
acute angle at the edge.  I tried to avoid taking
away any metal right at the edge, just trying
to grind a sharper bevel so the heel of the blade
would sit lower.  The more acute I made the angle,
the more I could close up the mouth and still take
a shaving.  Once I got it to about 1/16", I left
it.  Works MUCH better now.

I can understand how uneducated users of these would
grind steeper bevels on them if they didn't know
any better.  It takes some work to grind it correctly.
This is probably why there are lots of old ones out
there that "don't work very well."

By the way, mine has a patent date of Feb 19, 1884.
It has four screw holes, a shallow bevel about 1/16" 
wide inside the mouth, and both handles screw on 
clockwise.

Now what was it I was going to use it for?

Ted