workshave

Workshave is a term used in some manufacturing and woodworking contexts to describe the deliberate removal of small amounts of material from a workpiece in a controlled finishing pass, with the aim of achieving precise dimensions, surface finish, or alignment. The term is not universally standardized, and its exact definition can vary between industries and practitioners.

In practice, workshave can refer to both manual and automated operations. It may describe using hand planes or scrapers to pare away thin shavings for finishing, or performing light finishing passes on machines such as planers, lathes, or CNC mills to pare down stock by small increments rather than executing a full-depth cut. The emphasis is on incremental material removal and careful measurement to minimize error and avoid overshooting tolerances.

Methods associated with workshave typically involve iterative measurement, selective lubrication or cutting conditions, and attention to tool wear and workholding. The process aims to improve surface quality, achieve nominal dimensions, or true an assembly without introducing excess distortion or internal stresses from aggressive cutting.

Because workshave is not a formally standardized term, its use tends to be informal or context-specific. It may appear in industry notes, shop floor discussions, or marketing materials as a descriptive concept rather than a defined, universally recognized process. Users should consult discipline-specific sources to understand how the term is applied in a particular setting.

See also: planing, finishing, material removal, truing, stock dimensioning.