Dumb drawknife question

[Lucasade]

I was under the impression that drawknives are agressive tools and can remove pounds of wood quite quickly. I've been reducing a yew stave and in about 3 hours work I've filled a wine box with shavings. Am I doing something wrong or do I need to realign my expectations/learn to use a hatchet? It seems to be acting more like a scraper a lot of the time, and I've started using my billhook like a drawknife to speed things up a bit.

[Pat B]

For fast, heavy wood removal use the draw knife with the bevel up. For a more controlled cut use the bevel down.

[Drewster]

And keep your drawknife sharp with the back absolutely flat.  I've seen some people use their drawknife for a scraper but you won't find me doing that.  That's what cabinet scrapers are for.

[Carson (CMB)]

I just spent some time with a drawknife and a full size yew stave and had it reduced to bow dimensions in less than 5 minutes.  So no, you arent mistaken, the drawknife can remove a lot of wood fast.  I almost never use the hatchet.  Drawknife works plenty fast for me.

However, Knots in yew wood can really slow your drawknife down, especially if your stave has lots of them. If that is the case, keep a course wood rasp handy or a farrier's rasp and knock the knots down with the rasp between drawknifing.

Last thing, your stave has to be secured so that it does not budge every time you pull the drawknife.  A solid bench vise mounted to a solid bench, or a stavemaster bench is great. Stave press is good too.

[Lucasade]

I've been finding with the bevel down (flat side up) it digs in so I've only been using bevel edge up.

I've tried to keep it sharp and I'm not scraping with it, but it's generally taking very fine shavings and leaving an almost polished finish on the wood. It's a bit better on the sapwood (takes off a mm or so) than the heartwood.

I'm currently using a Black & Decker Workmate (don't have a workshop so I'm in the garden or kitchen). I've got the stave strapped to it with a ratchet strap and I brace against my body weight. It's not ideal certainly but after March I'll have access to shave horses and a brilliant waist level vice on a Tudor farm I volunteer at.

I'm wondering if I'm using the wrong drawknife? I got it second hand off Ebay so maybe the edge while it feels sharp isn't so good?

[mikekeswick]

All good points raised above.
I keep my drawknife sharp enough to ping hairs off my arm, if it isn't sharp then you have to put more effort in to get the same result - more effort = less accuracy and you get tired quicker. Granted they don't really need to be that sharp but you get what i'm saying.
I did the workmate thing to start with but you really do need a completely solid vice/bench set up to use a drawknife to it's full potential. Or to look at it another way a solid bench makes it easier to learn the tool.
Personally if I was using workmate for clamping then I would be using an axe for stave reduction. Again super sharp is the key.

[George Tsoukalas]

I keep it sharp and use it bevel up. You can remove more wood by varying the angle of attack. The steeper the attack the more wood is removed. Vice versa.

Takes a little practice but you'll get it.

Jawge

[lenador]

I had me er used a draw knife in my life until.I began making my first bow and it was a steep learning curve to say the least. But now I find my self enjoying the use of the draw knife.
 I too wasn't getting much wood removal but once I learned how.I could flip the bevel and vary my angle I was zooming along.

[Badger]

  My draw knife will work pretty fast, its the drawer that seems to be slowing down! Your speed will pick up as you gain physical conditioning to that particular kind of work and experience using the tool. I took several months off and it slowed me way down comming back.

[Buckeye Guy]

  its the drawer that seems to be slowing down!

I hear ya loud and clear!!

[Lucasade]

Thank you very much everyone - lots of sound advice and I'm glad I'm not imagining things. I've got plenty of wood to practice on so I'll have the hang of it by the time I'm cutting stuff that needs to be right. I don't mind hard work but futile exercises aren't my thing!

[DC]

You might try tying the workmate to your truck or something else that's heavy.

[Lucasade]

There's a thought...

[bushboy]

May try standing it up against a tree and pulling down with the drawknife.pretty sure you will note a difference. Good luck!

[JW_Halverson]

  My draw knife will work pretty fast, its the drawer that seems to be slowing down!

Sorry to hear things are slowing down in your drawers, Badger.

Having the wood clamped solid and immoveable will help.  Is the cutting edge of the blade good and sharp?