What is the best tool to use on a stringer for finishing. I use a small spoke shave, but it still tears some. Is there a “magic” stringer finishing tool?
i haven’t had luck with spoke shaves. i use a baby block plane with as sharp a blade as i can get and adjust the blade as shallow as i can and still cut. that’s just what works best for me. if there is a magic tool it’d be cool to have for sure.
baby block plane for me too…by the time you get close to the finishing passes you’ll also have an idea of which way the grain is running at any particular point along the stringer. i always end up with basswood stringers and they can be tricky, the wood is pretty fibrous. you guys that have shaped hundreds, are the other species of stringers friendlier in this regard??
baby block plane for me too…by the time you get close to the finishing > passes you’ll also have an idea of which way the grain is running at any > particular point along the stringer. i always end up with basswood > stringers and they can be tricky, the wood is pretty fibrous. you guys > that have shaped hundreds, are the other species of stringers friendlier > in this regard?? …YEA!Red cedar I can do in my sleep.It carves so nice and smooth that I don’t want to stop sometimes.Also spruce is a easier wood to deal with.Basswood is probably the most trouble-some.Redwood is my all time favorite,but it’s costly ,and when I order redwood I usually get red cedar trying to impersonate redwood!Herb.
There is no need to use 1"+ of blade on 1/8" or 3/16" stringers to finish. Grind down your corners so they don’t touch foam, the corners of blades are the rippers and you don’t need the blade width!!!
Ditto, surfhungry!..I’ve also filed down my “wee” block plane’s edges!
i’ve used a small trim plane that i picked up at foam ez. works great, no problems, tears, etc. and i agree. red cedar is the best to work with. -steve