Dave,
Get out your axe and build a log cabin.  You have the tools now.

Jack

I like the narrow blade but would want to see how the folding handle works. Should be absolutely fixed it’s how you control the cut. Wide blade will produce plane like shavings a useful cut.

As a rule I get fairly close to the line with the drawknife real close with a spokeshave and finish with a hand held card scraper. Moving from one to the other depends on the wood, complicated grain more conservative cuts.

Boats

Hi Bob, I may try that flap disc on my grinder for the Winder stock I’m making. Since you are following it you know the grain is going every which way, I have the Winstead drawknife but as you said it’s really best on straight grain wood. I’m 85 years old and don’t have the arm strength and for that matter any of the strength I had in the past. I had a long course grained Liogier rasp that I gifted to Jim Chambers as I was not strong enough to use it but I can still use my trusty Nicholson #50. Where can I find your thread on the grinder sounds like that would do the trick!
Cheers Richard

Thanks, Bob,  interesting tip on using the angle grinder and flap wheels.  I use them on steel all the time, no reason not to on wood.

Another similar expedient for roughing out work is a die grinder with a carbide burr.  I've used that in the past, as well as an air powered grinder with burr.

In the past year, I got an additional foredom flex shaft with the heavy duty square drive, and 1/4" collet chuck.  I could use it also with carbide burrs.  I'll have to try that one of these days, but as you said, not for use in the shop because of the mess.

I've had a standard duty foredom forever, since I was a goldsmith many years ago.  Oddly enough, I don't use it as much as I should, I often use a dremel instead.  I dislike having it in the way at my workbench, so have to hang it up and plug it in to use it, so it's often easier to grab the dremel.   

I got one of the heavy duty units last year, have thought it would be more useful for wood work than the standard chuck one.   It's a lower speed, higher torque machine with a heavier flex shaft drive. The handpiece gets hot on the smaller one with steady use for longer periods of time, this one shouldn't.  I have both collet and jacobs chuck type handpieces for this machine.  Haven't used it much yet to see how I like it and how it works.

I do a lot of things the same way I always have, I get little enough done without having to take time to try out and learn new things, so sometimes takes me a long time to implement changes.  Like the draw knives.  Have to sharpen them, find a place to hang them, remember to use them.  Meanwhile the chisels and rasps are in their familiar places on the bench, sharp and ready to use!

I use the flap sanding disc on a 4" grinder, and it works well, but I have also found that they make a coarse rounded carbide wheel for the grinder also.  It is extremely aggressive on removing wood and works well for the initial rough shaping.  I follow it up with the sanding flap wheel.   
Bruce

Holy Crap Bruce, that thing looks hard to handle. I still do it all with hand tools, band saw, horse hoof rasp, cabinet maker's rasp, coarse cross cut file, 80 grit sandpaper. Then I get into finishing sanding and detailing it. I remember reading about Al Linden rough shaping a stock with a hatchet.