Oval Shaft?

Posted by Kurt Maurer on Jun 18, 2007

Norm asks: "So you prefer an oval? Any particular reason?"

It was partly a sense of ergonomics, and partly engineering instincts. I imagine oval is stronger than round as long as it's oriented correctly, but the jury's out on comfort. Guess you got me treed, now I need to make a round one and find out.

Then: "When you attached the blade, did you "slice" into the shaft, and then glue the blade in place?"

I cut the shaft at a 12-degree angle, trued it precisely, added a cap of cedar blade stock (1/4" thick), faired that in, re-trued the flat, and finally glued the blade on. Used Titebond II, as usual (I have yet to laminate anything with epoxy). I then added a fillet of dookie-schmutz, and finished 'er off with one layer of 3.25-oz fine weave cloth on the power face of the blade.

The thing weighs 12.2 ounces. Yeah, I finally bought a digital scale at Office Depot for just under $40.

In Response to: Re: Birdsmouth Stuff by Norm on Jun 17, 2007

Replies:

No Replies.