Curves

[Racers]

If you are an amateur you can take as long as you want, you are making shavings for pleasure not for profit.

I love spoke shaving.

Pete

 

[Garno]

If you are an amateur you can take as long as you want, you are making shavings for pleasure not for profit.

I love spoke shaving.

Pete

Never a truer word said.

 

[xy mosian]

There's a whole group of planes designed to work on hollow boards from the adjustable type with a spring steel sole - compass planes I think they're called - to wooden planes made with fixed curves for different jobs. Not something I've used myself. but I image some members here will have experience of them.

I have used a flexible soled plane, Stanley 113, and although far from an expert I can offer the following. On long grain , straight edge, for both concave and convex curves there is a point where the plane is working directly against the grain. Another snag is that if the curvature is set at the beginning of the work, then the very first cuts are very short. Basically the plane is really best used for final trim cuts giving perhaps a more repeatable final curve.
The OP has not mentioned the radius of the curve they are making. My money would be on rough cut to the curve, by whatever means are available, and finish with a spokeshave. Lots of fine cuts give best finish.
xy

 

[Garno]

There's a whole group of planes designed to work on hollow boards from the adjustable type with a spring steel sole - compass planes I think they're called - to wooden planes made with fixed curves for different jobs. Not something I've used myself. but I image some members here will have experience of them.

I have used a flexible soled plane, Stanley 113, and although far from an expert I can offer the following. On long grain , straight edge, for both concave and convex curves there is a point where the plane is working directly against the grain. Another snag is that if the curvature is set at the beginning of the work, then the very first cuts are very short. Basically the plane is really best used for final trim cuts giving perhaps a more repeatable final curve.
The OP has not mentioned the radius of the curve they are making. My money would be on rough cut to the curve, by whatever means are available, and finish with a spokeshave. Lots of fine cuts give best finish.
xy

The length of the curve will be appx 10" - 12" going down to appx 1/4" - 1/2" somewhere in the middle, that's how I am picturing it, Hopefully it will resemble that but it depends on any adjustments I need to make due to mistakes :roll:

 

[xy mosian]

Hi Garno,
" The length of the curve will be appx 10" - 12" going down to appx 1/4" - 1/2" ".
That I would consider a 'gentle' curve probably quite graceful. Spot on for the general consensus 'cut and smooth'. Tight curves, much tighter than that, often respond better to power sanding, there comes a point when hands and fingers get in the way of each other. The smoothing will need to be done from each end, to drop down the grain, watch out for the place where the grain changes.
My personal preference is for wooden spokeshaves but they can be tricky to sharpen, especially if you have a particularly blunt one. They are worth the effort, mine get used quite a lot.
I hope you enjoy forming the curve, as well as the tray.
xy