Millers Falls MF1 Revisited

[jimi43]

My recent acquisition of the unusual Millers Falls MF1 spokeshave or the "cigar" spokeshave as it is often called, left me still pondering about the sharpening technique which has tested the most experienced of us.

This thing is pretty unique in that it has a semi-cylindrical cutter which has a pretty scary profile...

After some research and with some logic, I concluded that this should be treated like a standard plane iron but with the understanding that it is just bent into a tight curve.

The inside of the cutter is the back (or face) and should be "flattened".

The bevel is therefore on the outside and ideally should be flat...meet the "back" at a point and have no secondary bevel or curvature.

First...to smooth the back. If we consider this similar to an out-canal gouge in technique...there is no reason why a suitably radiused slip stone should not work so I assembled the "kit" together along with some Camellia oil to act as a lubricant, a course and fine slip:

The edge was...as we can see in the picture below, not quite meeting at a point...

....so I abraded the inside face thus...

Once the edge was close I then moved on to the fine stone...

Care has to be taken to keep the radius original.

Then with the flat of the slips and the cutter locked into the handle, I proceeded to grind the bevel flat with a view to meeting the radiused edge ground and honed above...

I let go to take the picture but you get the idea....then I honed with the fine slip...

I still have a way to go yet...but we are getting pretty close....

The middle of the edge has a few chips as you can see....and I want to get these out but it is a fairly slow process so more tomorrow. But for now, this is becoming pretty sharp...and I have already tested it and can achieve pretty fine shavings in a very easy and controllable way.

I can't wait to get out and test it properly tomorrow but for now..I am pleased this is working well.

More later!

Cheers

Jimi

 

[Richard T]

Very envious Jim - I've wanted a one of them for ages.
Wouldn't the flat next to the tighter curve on the slip make a better job on the "back"? I know it's not so smooth as the other stone but maybe you could get a truer grind in there, with the tighter angle ? Jus' wondrerin'...

 

[jimi43]

Very envious Jim - I've wanted a one of them for ages.
Wouldn't the flat next to the tighter curve on the slip make a better job on the "back"? I know it's not so smooth as the other stone but maybe you could get a truer grind in there, with the tighter angle ? Jus' wondrerin'...

I'm not sure I understand you Richard but experience has taught me that you probably have a very valid point!

The radius on the wide end of the wedge was almost perfect for the inside curve of the cutter and the "bevel" was easily ground on the flat of the slip by tilting to and fro to "feel" the bevel flat...rather like you do with a chisel the other way around. I then moved the slip along the bevel as you would with draw filing....not front to back.

It seemed to work anyway as tests today by me and Douglas showed...

The difference from my original attempt at sharpening was quite marked...I could also control the depth of cut almost intuitively by just rolling back the barrel slightly. You can go from fine to aggressive quite easily and also you can get cuts that are virtually the circumference of the shave itself....

This is quite an amazing design...very clever and perhaps a bit misunderstood.

Cheers

Jimi

 

[Richard T]

Jimi wrote: "I'm not sure I understand you Richard but experience has taught me that you probably have a very valid point!"

Steady on matey, I wouldn't go that far .... =;

It just looked to me as if the finer stone had a wider and less curved end profile, and I wondered if the inside of the blade would sit on it as well as it would on the slip. Though by the look of those shavings my worries were groundless. =D>