Chair devil Mark II

Re: Chair devil Mark II 

Skip in Falls Church

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Re: Chair devil Mark II 

Skip in Falls Church

>

Re: Chair devil Mark II

Greg B�tit, Crown Point NY

>That looks great! The wear plate will make this one last through a couple generations of apprentices. It will be interesting to see if the wider throat configuration improves shaving clearance.

Thanks for keeping us posted on your progress!

Greg

You must be prescient

Garrett in Victoria

>Current issue of PWW has an article on.... Making Chair Devils!!! But, you scooped them! Well done.

We'll add this new material to that which you posted earlier and which we've turned into an article. Thanks, Skip.

Cheers, Garrett

Editor WC Articles & Reviews

Well done!

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond,CA

>Skip, Round tow look great! You going to carve them like your Mach 1's?

Did you use the same screws in these as in the first?

Ahhhh... Too many questions from me yet again. It looks REAL GOOD! Another fine looking tool Skip. I'd love to hear a follow up (comparason to the mach 1) after you've completed it.

Hmmm... You could scrape down a drumbstick down dang good with that thing...

Scott, Who's cat is going crazy trying to figure out that brineing turkey in the bath tub...

Re: Well done!

Skip in Falls Church

>Thanks Scott,

I decided not to carve them - takes up too much space raising the center of gravity. I used the same brass machine screws. I buy them "too long" then cut them flush with the back. When the blade is added it leaves them slightly below the back of the devil. When I get done with this one I'll do a comparison and let everyone know what I think.

Skip - my cats are crazy all the time. :)

Re: Chair devil Mark II

Skip in Falls Church

>Thanks Greg,

Bending the thicker brass strip was a lot harder as was getting it shaped right. I just finished bending and shaping the second piece for the second devil I'm making. What I learned from doing the first one made doing this one a lot easier. The wider throat may not be necessary - but since it was easy to do I figured I might as well do it. :)

Skip

Re: You must be prescient

Skip in Falls Church

>Thanks Garrett,

I really am working on a full blown article with pictures. But some of the issues that came up in the posts you mention made me want to "take a second look" at things. I'm a lot happier with the two I'm presently making. Hopefully I'll get you something in a week or two.

Skip

Re: Chair devil Mark II

john jesseph

>Looks great, should work well! I like the thickness of the brass, and there's no reason not to have a reasonable throat size...

Re: Well done!

Mike in Sac

>Very nice job. Couldn't you overcome your center of gravity problems (if you maintain enough room to carve) by lowering the handles on the body? You don't really need to worry about busting your knuckles when working a spoke.

Re: Chair devil Mark II

Jim Crammond in Monroe, Mi

>Skip,

Nice job, the Mark II looks great.

I do have a question, though. All of this talk of chair devils and Windsor chairmaking finally gave me the motivation to make one. It came out fairly well, but doesn't cut as well as I think it should. I made it so the blade is proud of the sole a little less than a semi circle, did not bevel the blade holder, and the throat opening is just less than 1/8". The blade seems to be sharp and cuts well out of the chair devil when tilted forward to about 70-75 degrees but when I put it back in the tool and try to cut with it, it only take small shavings and then not consistantly. I filed the blade at 90 degrees, honed the edge and then turned a burr as I would with a card scraper.

Anyone have any ideas?

Jim

Re: Chair devil Mark II

john jesseph

>Hi Jim;

I suggest filing and polishing the cutter to a bevel, maybe 25-30 degrees, and then turning a burr on the bevel so it is around 10-15 degrees from square. Worked for me anyway. I think the Ralston scrape was just beveled, with no burr, which is an option also...

Re: Chair devil Mark II

Jim Crammond in Monroe, Mi

>John,

Wow, that was quick! Your suggestion makes sense, by taking the blade out of the chair devil and tilting it forward, I'm basically tilting the burr to get a similar angle. I'll give it a try.

Jim

Re: Chair devil Mark II

Greg B�tit, Crown Point NY

>I'm wondering if your throat opening is enough. Keep your eye open for a clogged throat, or any other signs that you didn't leave enough space for the shavings to escape.

Greg

Re: Well done!

Skip in Falls Church

>HI Mike,

The real limitation is my carving ability! There is some room on the ones I'm making now - but I'm afraid that I can't do a good job of carving something that small.

Skip

Re: Chair devil Mark II

Skip in Falls Church

>Thanks Jim,

That is some of "your" apple on the first two I did. I had a little from another source to do these two - but I have stretched what you gave me a long way. :) I'm glad John could help you on the sharpening question - I still haven't used mine enough to be of any help.

Skip

Re: Chair devil Mark II

john jesseph

>Hi Jim- I was just scanning the boards post-festivities. I'd like to hear if it works or not...

Re: Bending the brass strip?

William Duffield, on the Cohansey

>If I were making one, I think I would start with a short brass pipe nipple, cut a section about the right length and cut it in two lengthwise. Of course, brass nipples are quite a bit more expensive than sheet stock.

That one looks great. I wouldn't be aftaid to take it out in the shop and USE it. The first one, I would be afraid of damaging, especially after all the work you put into it.

Re: Chair devil Mark II

Jim Crammond in Chicago

>John,

I'm out of town for a little while, so I am not sure when I'll get a chance to rework the blade of the scraper. I will post sonething after I spend some time on it.

Greg,

It didn't look like shavings were getting jammed in the throat, although I really wasn't taking enough to jam it. I will watch that a little closer when I do start using it, thanks for the tip.

Skip,

I used apple for the blade holder on mine because I had a piece that was about the right thickness. It does provide a nice contrast to the maple that I used for the body. It sure does smooth up nicely, too.

Thanks for all the help and encouragement, guys!

Jim

Re: Bending the brass strip?

Skip in Falls Church

>Thanks William,

I actually thought about using brass pipe - and there's no doubt it would work, but it does limit you on the sizes to nominally 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 3/4" and 1". Of course with the appropriately sized round anvil (read next size up piece of steel pipe) and a bit of hammering you could change the internal size upwards a bit.

With sheet stock you can (at least theoretically) make any size you want. I'd hate to try and bend that thick brass strip (about 0.09") to a small diameter. The thinner brass strip (about 0.03") I used on the first ones was much easier to bend and cut (I did most of the cutting on it with tin snips) - but obviously would not hold up as long in use. Although I suspect that for most people the thin stock would last a long time and would be easy to replace.

Cost of the material really didn't play into it - I happened to have the brass sheet stock that I bought at a hobby shop a while back to...., well, just in case. :)

The first two are just as sturdy as the ones I'm making now although I think they are not as balanced. I'm not going to have a problem using any of them. Although I think the current ones just look utilitarian - and that's not bad IMO.

Skip

Re: Bending the brass strip?

William Duffield, on the Cohansey

>I understand what you mean about small differences in materials costs. They are insignificant. In my case, my imagination is all too often limited by the types, sizes and quantities of the raw materials I have on hand. If I get an idea that requires a trip to the Borg or Woodcraft, I always make sure I buy a couple of extras, hopefully to rekindle the inspiration at some later date, especially after I have come back to the shop and gotten some experience working with the new material. Hoefully, next time, I'll just pick it up and start working with it, instead of bouncing around the shop looking for stock I don't even know if I have, or looking for the car keys for a two hour trip.

The need to work with standard stock sizes in metal components is also frustrating, since I don't have a metal shop. People keep telling me that brass can be worked on a woodturning lathe, but I have very little experience with that, only simple operations like shaping ferrules.