Replies

1. 
   Alan | Aug 20, 2002 11:42pm | #1

   Stan,

   If you're "into" hand tool use, the traditional way was to begin with an adz, smooth that up a bit with a scorp (sort of a curved draw-knife) then a compass plane (which has a sole rounded both fore and aft and side to side) and finally a travisher (a kind of big spoke shave with a gently curved sole).  If you don't own all of those tools it would be a large investment to acquire all of them.  You can get by without the adz and the compass plane, but I think you couldn't do as well without a scorp and the travisher.

   If you're more into making noise and sawdust with forked tail screamers (instead of blissful quiet and shavings) I've seen it done with nothing more than one of those flexible sanding disks on an electric drill.  But I'm sure the more electric-minded ones will have much better suggestions.

   Alan 

1. 
   StanMD | Aug 21, 2002 06:48pm | #5

   Thank you, Alan, and everyone else who gave such helpful advise.  Your's sounds like the best compromise between cost, artistry, and speed.  I'll let you know!

   Stan.

2. 
   cherryjohn | Aug 21, 2002 01:49pm | #2

   I make windsors and all I use to carve the seats ia a compass plane and a travisher.  Forget that Adz!  you are supposed to stand on the seat and swing that thing down on to the seat.....yea right!   I did that once and all I could look at was my ankle thinking " how bad is it going to hurt if I miss with this ?"  I bought a scorp....... wanna buy it?  I never use it.  Most of the time my seats are pine but I have made a couple cherry seats too.  The compass plane on a cherry seat ( I scoop my seats out to 1" deep) take a little time....like over 3X as long! and it requires that you put the plane down and rest your hand for awhile but it works.  After the travisher I uas a random orbit sander on the whole thing.  A good compass plane and travisher will set you back about $60 each...maybe a bit more.  Crown Plane in Portland Maine made mine.....good tools.

1. 
   TomS | Aug 21, 2002 05:46pm | #4

   I use an adze for all of my chair seats.  I find the 'roughing-out' process to be efficient and relatively safe.  Again, if I was making only 1 or 2 chairs it may not be worth the expense, but in the long run it is a good tool to have in your 'arsenal'.

   Tom

2. 
   wmalcolmg | Mar 16, 2004 03:26pm | #6

   John, I'll buy the scorp if the offer is still open, Thanks  Malcolm granberry,  1758 Rice Blvd. Houston, Tx 77005   [email protected]

3. 
   BenM | Aug 21, 2002 02:56pm | #3

   The adze is very efficient.  It looks dangerous, as alluded to by a previous poster, but actually is not.  The swing is very controlled.  However, swinging it is a workout, and I need several breaks before I'm done.  After the adze I use an inshave (some may call it a scorp).  If the inshave is correctly sharpened it will bring the surface to nearly finished.

   If you plan to only make one chair the hand tools are too expensive (figure on $500 for a good adze, good inshave and good travisher).  Try an angle grinder and one of those Lancelot wheels (never done it myself).

4. 
   RickL | Mar 17, 2004 05:59pm | #7

   Besides the scorp and travisher go to woodcraft.com and look at the Lancelot as someone already suggested. Pretty ragged and hard to control so look at the Tunsten Carbide grinding wheels. Easier to control and not as aggressive. The arbortech is kind of like the lancelot but leaves a nicer finish. Look into carving machines that use a router. You can make a master and copy them over and over. Fast and simple. Can't recall the author offhand but I have a book on sign making at home with simple DIY instructions on making a carving machine. Someone was trying to market a seat scoop machine a few years ago.  Pretty simple design and similar to the carving machine but instead of the pattern being next to the blank it was underneath on a shelf. Basically reorienting the carving machine a bit.