New LV Chairmaking Tools *LINK*

Re: New LV Chairmaking Tools

Bill Houghton, foggy mornings in Sebastopol, CA


>There is somewhat of a thread down there - look for the drool puddles.

Re: World's Ugliest Reamer

Thom D


>These are the standard tools. The reamers are on the fat side for my taste but that is the way they are supposed to be. I'm planing on buying all three, I think the small one should be perfect for tool racks. I don't think they are out yet...

I would like to review the scaper for something other than chairmaking.

I had a little problem this summer, when before leaving for the lake, I accidently buried my chairmaking reamers and spoon bits under a 26' boat I had moved into the shop... So I made one of these wooden ones with a drawknife and spokeshave, handsaw and drill. It works great and I hope someday to find the Umhoff ones I burried, but the rush is off.

Re: New LV Chairmaking Tools

Steve Kubien


>Hi Greg,

I got to play with the Pro reamer a while back and I was impressed. Perfect fit when using the tapered tenon formers. Th eone I used came all tuned up and ready to go so I didn't have to adjust the blade at all (or hone it) but I think the set screws are going to be handy when the time comes. I tapered some holes in white pine, elm, hickory and red oak and didn't seem to have any problems. It was easier keeping things round (instead of oval) in the hard woods. This is the first reamer I've ever used so that may be a normal thing.

I'll be happy when mine arrives.

Steve Kubien

Re: New LV Chairmaking Tools

John Jesseph - Bloomington, IN


>I have been meaning to post about these tools too. I had a chance to work with some prototype devils a while back. They were not the final design. Based on those, I think the devils are must-haves for me. I will probably buy all the reamers too. The "pro" is an interesting combination of the Emhoff reamer and John Alexander's saw steel reamer. I have not yet tried the tenon former but have had it for a while. I would prefer a narrower angle, but 12.8 will do. I have been curious how to align a chair leg to keep the tenon on center. If the tenon is shaped perfectly and is in perfect alignment, and the mortise is also perfect, it should take a lot of fussing out of the process. I am happy for the "workmanship of risk" to occur elsewhere in my chairmaking.

John Jesseph

Still months away from a usable shop...

Re: Alexander reamer.

Thom D


>I think these new reamers are real close to the Emhoff, they look like they should cut. The Alexander reamer, as in my ugly post, is a pure scaper action. At first I didn't find I could stear it like the Emhoff, but after a few legs were in I got the hang of it. It cuts by combining the action of a toothing scraper and cabinet scraper, and is surprisingly easy to make, use, and sharpen. It would have only taken me a few minutes to make one on a lathe, but it was a challenge with minimal tools. I love the fact it widens by 1/4" every 3 inches, it's easy to remember and to layout the tenons for. If you have a 5/8" hole you just mark the end of your blank to 5/8" and draw back to 7/8" three inches to the rear, drawknife the tapers and round them with the spokeshave. You have a tenon, and it's the long thin type.

The picture shows the keyhole blade pulled out of the holder. Instructions are on Alexander's site.