scooping chair seats

scorp *LINK*

Dan Donaldson

>I believe that most use a scorp.


Scorp

Re: scooping chair seats

Scott in Douglassville, PA

>There's a series of tools you can go through if you're using hand tools. See the description at Windsor Chair Resources for a description.

I've always thought that Norm-izing saddling was a waste of time. Saddling is one of those things that lends itself entirely to hand tool work; it's relaxing, enjoyable, and dynamic. Hand tools afford you complete control of the process, and it doesn't take that long anyway.

Re: scooping chair seats

john jesseph

>Hi Tony;

I asssume you are building Windsor type chairs, is that correct? Lots of different ways to do it, depending on what you are doing and why. How deep do you want to scoop? Do you care about using hand tools or not, or are you just interested in getting it done? Planning on a one-time project, or making more? If you want to use hand tools, do you want to use traditional methods, or do you want to use the current prevailing technique (which is a bit different)?

Curtis Buchanan had a good Masterclass article in FWW a while ago, definitely worth looking over.

John Jesseph

Re: scooping chair seats

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>Jeff Miller and John Alexander have both made great videos/dvds on chair making. Jeff uses mostly power tools, but hand tools, like compass planes and travishers, for the saddle. John uses all hand tools.

John Alexander - Green Woodworking

Jeff Miller Chairmaking Techniques

Pam

Re: scooping chair seats

ThomD

>If we are talking aobut windsors, where they aren't saddled all that deep, and the woods of choice are softwoods, then handtools are really efficient, it takes maybe half an hour, by hand. Probably that can be done a lot faster. You start with a guttering adze, then move on to an inshave, then a plane or travisher. http://countryworkshops.org/store.html sells everything you need. I use their hollowing adze, rather than the windsor one. I like CW because they sell a lot of the tools unhandled at significant savings.

If you are looking at more modern chairs with say maple board seats, like Maloof and such, then you may need to consider the heavier techniques like chainsaw, lancelot type tools, and grinders. There is a lot of art to grinding, and it is very fast with agressive tools. More woodworkers probably own chainsaws than own hollowing adzes. Both tools require a lot of skill because they have pretty unlimited cutting geometry.

If your chairs are made out of multiple boards,you can waste a lot of material on the bandsaw prior to glueing. And another technique uses splines to force curvature into the seat blank.

Whatever you do, don't do like some instrument makers I know who carve jazz guitars out of hard maple using tiny violin planes. Get the big chips flying at first, it is much faster, your carpal tunnels will thank you, and accuracy is not affected.

Re: scooping chair seats

Darrell in Oakville

>Tony

I took a Windsor chair class, and we were taught to use an adze, scorp, compass plane, and finally a travisher. I built my own plane and travisher (it helps to have a friend with a forge!). Never bought an adze or a proper scorp. I just use a really big gouge to rough out the seat, followed by the travisher & plane. I haven't built too many chairs (4) so I'm still slow at the job. It usually takes me 45 minutes to shape a seat.

qv http://www.woodcentral.com/shots/shot676.shtml

Darrell

Wood Hoarder, Blade Sharpener, and Occasional Tool User

Re: scooping chair seats

John Hoffman

>Yes, you definately do not need to saddle the seat to deep. I have made two chairs and my friend has made about four. The chairs with the deepest saddling have become the most uncomfortable. I suggest you check out Drew Langsner's book. I have an inshave which is bigger then a scorp. If using other than elm you can do without the adze.

Good luck.

JH

Re: scooping chair seats

ThomD

>That's how I learned it too, though I never really understood the idea. Like finishing your table top Axe, plane, scraper, spokeshave. Demonstrator's Results looked good though.