I like chamfers as much as I like grits. And making stop-chamfers with a little lamb's tongue detail at the end is like adding crispy pork belly and goat cheese to my grits.
As a result of my design fetish, I feel like someone in New Britain, Conn., was thinking of me when they invented the Stanley No. 65 chamfer shave. This fantasy is unlikely, however, because I wasn't even a fetus at the time.
In any case, I finally purchased a vintage No. 65 in 2010 and it quickly became one of my favorite specialty tools. If you don't cut stop-chamfers, don't bother buying one because that's pretty much all the sucker does. But if you need an accurately sized chamfer, there is no finer tool.
The beauty of the No. 65 is its two adjustable fences. These slide left and right and lock with thumbscrews. With the fences set, you scoop out your chamfer and the tool stops cutting when you reach your finished depth. Even a grits-loving Arkie can do it.
The fences and the sole of the shave are curved, so it takes a few minutes of practice to find the sweet spot with the tool. But once you find it, you won't want to leave it.
The original Stanley comes outfitted with a blade that is 1-1/2" wide, and the fences open to that full width. I've never tried a chamfer that wide. But then, I don't build many barns. With the two fences closed all the way you'll merely break the edge of a board ? you can't even tell you are making a chamfer.
The tool represents everything I love about older Stanley products. My version is from the company's Sweetheart era, which makes it circa 1919 to 1932. It is rugged. Simple. Easy to adjust. And the iron is firmly bedded in the shave.
If you can't find a vintage No. 65, you have some other options. You can add chamfer guides to your drawknife, which transforms the tool into a very large chamfer shave. Record also made a version of this tool for about 10 years. Search for the A65 when you are in England. And Kunz still makes a No. 65. You can buy it at TraditionalWoodworker.com for a reasonable price.
For years before I purchased a Stanley No. 65 I considered buying the Kunz, but I'd had such awful experiences with two different shaves from Kunz that I just couldn't do it. If anyone out there has the No. 65 Kunz shave and would like to chime in with their two cents, I'd appreciate it.
? Christopher Schwarz
Other Handtool Resources to Explore
? Don't know much about Record planes? You should. The company produced many fine handtools, even as Stanley was giving up on the woodworking market. Get to know the RecordHandplanes.com site. There is lots of good information there.
? Another good source of Record-centric information is the book "Planecraft," which has been in print for what seems like forever. Despite the fact that it was produced by Record, there is some good (and not so good) information in it. Definitely worth your time.
? Want to learn more about spokeshaves? Get Tom Lamond's book on the subject "Manufactured and Patented Spokeshaves & Similar Tools." And visit his web site to read all the free information he's posted there: yesteryearstools.com.
? Brian Boggs has an excellent DVD on chairmaking tools such as spokeshaves called "Drawknives, Spokeshaves and Travishers."
Source: http://blog.woodworking-magazine.com/blog/Stanley+No+65+My+Favorite+Tool+Of+2010.aspx
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