Thread: Tools to create a scoop in a chair?

Hi Amanda. Have you thought about using a router sled to the shape of your concave curve? Also BTW I'm in Melb and am setting up a small shop next year. (at the moment I am using a Harvey table saw in my lounge room). I have a small jointer and a thicknesser in storage. Maybe we should talk? Louise

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Originally Posted by AmateurAmanda

Hi All,

Im new to woodworking and am currently trying to tackle a project for my furniture elective at uni. Im currently trying to make a chair however as part of my brief the chair top cannot be flat, so i'm trying to create a scoop or circular dent in it if you will and am wondering what the best way to go about it is without spending too much money. I've been told to look into scorps, adze, travishers, spokeshaves and an angle grinder but thought I would turn to the forum which i'm new to too but has been of great help.

Does anyone have any recommendations for how I could go about making this scoop in my chair top? What tools are required at a low cost and where to buy them?

Looking forward to hearing your responses!

Cheers,
Amanda

Hi
Look up on YouTube carving a seat green stick timber woodworking
Look up arbortec tools from W.A. Turboplane I use one
What city do you live in maybe I can help

All on YouTube


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Mark it out first find the grain choose a timber that is easy to carve and use carving tools and lots o sand paper
There are various carving groups in sydney that I know of and I'm shore there are many else where find one close and talk I'm think one of the more senior people would be willing to help you


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Originally Posted by AmateurAmanda

I'm new to woodworking and am currently trying to tackle a project for my furniture elective at uni. I'm currently trying to make a chair however as part of my brief the chair top cannot be flat, so i'm trying to create a scoop or circular dent in it if you will and am wondering what the best way to go about it is without spending too much money. I've been told to look into scorps, adze, travishers, spokeshaves and an angle grinder but thought I would turn to the forum which i'm new to too but has been of great help.

Does anyone have any recommendations for how I could go about making this scoop in my chair top? What tools are required at a low cost and where to buy them?

Hi Amanda

Perhaps the most cost effective approach is to contact the Melbourne School of Fine Furniture and rent one of their benches (and tools) for an afternoon.
If you have any degree of eye hand co-ordination, sculpting the chair seat shouldn't take very long at all.

Lots of ways you can do this.

I use a 60 grit flapwheel in an angle grinder for quick but controlled stock removal. About $8 for a flap wheel from Bunnings. It does everything a turbo plane or arbortech does, but a bit slower.

Angle grinders are a tool that I don’t mind buying the cheap version of, because they are so simple they all tend to last pretty well. Bunnings again.

As a second choice, I would use a carving gouge and sandpaper. It’s a slower approach but lots of zen. Good carving tools are expensive though.

Cheers
Arron

Originally Posted by AmateurAmanda

Hi All,

Im new to woodworking and am currently trying to tackle a project for my furniture elective at uni. Im currently trying to make a chair however as part of my brief the chair top cannot be flat, so i'm trying to create a scoop or circular dent in it if you will and am wondering what the best way to go about it is without spending too much money. I've been told to look into scorps, adze, travishers, spokeshaves and an angle grinder but thought I would turn to the forum which i'm new to too but has been of great help.

Does anyone have any recommendations for how I could go about making this scoop in my chair top? What tools are required at a low cost and where to buy them?

Looking forward to hearing your responses!

Cheers,
Amanda

Hi Amanda

You can do this either with power tools (with lots of noise and dust) or hand tools (with quiet and music).

Power tools are based on a small grinder with carving and sanding attachments. Hand tools include scorps, travishers and spokeshaves. Shoemaker spokeshaves are also very useful (and generally cheap) if you can find one. eBay is your friend here, as are sales at Handtool clubs.

Have a look at the videos on Youtube for examples. Curtis Buchanan and Peter Galbert. Curtis has a sensational series on building windsor chairs. Peter is also available in a marvellous book.

Also get hold of Nancy Hillier's "Making Things Work" for a great rundown of working with woodworking and interiors.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Hi Amanda . I have always wondered why no one that Ive seen doing a chair seat has tried a converted wood bodies smoother or roughing plane . I think some one must have . I haven't really watched enough seat shapers at work though . I have seen converted planes that may have been used for this but they are just sitting in a box away from their intended use , so its any ones guess what they were converted for.
If you got a cheap wood bodied plane , they turn up for $10 to $15 . They have excellent blades in them . And you radius the sole in the two directions needed. You then radius the blade to match . And I think you have something you could really get behind to shift some timber with . I reckon even better than the travisher ( I imagine )which has side like spoke shave set handles . That may be for fast removal and the travisher may be better for fine removal . I don't know . It will be something I try one day to see for myself though .

Rob

Hi Rob

You get better control and flexibility with a travisher. When you lean it forward it will take a light shaving. Lean it back for a heavier shaving. The wing handles are not held (like a bike). The travisher is held on the body and the wings act as a visual guide.

Regards from Perth

Derek

I think Auscab is talking about something like this. This one is actually made from scratch with a salvaged blade. It does work quite well, and I did use it to hollow out a chair seat.

All these suggestions work, but I do find travishers, spokeshaves, adzes, scorps and staub planes take a while to get familiar with.

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Originally Posted by derekcohen

Hi Rob

You get better control and flexibility with a travisher. When you lean it forward it will take a light shaving. Lean it back for a heavier shaving. The wing handles are not held (like a bike). The travisher is held on the body and the wings act as a visual guide.

Regards from Perth

Derek

I have a HNT Gordon radius plane which is basically the plane Rob describes and a Claire Minihan travisher. I am embarrassed to admit I haven't put these tools to use on a project yet as I bought them after shaping one seat using a Holey Galahad grinding disc on a small angle grinder and was looking for a hand-tool option. However, I have played around with both a little and initially I prefer the travisher, which just seems to offer a lot more control as stated by Derek. I am not yet convinced that it's much slower overall than the radius plane either. I bought both at the same time at the lost-trades-fair in Kyneton earlier this year on the same logic as Rob's; use the radius plane for coarse removal and the travisher for finer cuts, but I'm not sure the radius plane is that much faster. However, like I said I haven't used them in anger (pleasure?) yet, so my comments are based on initial and brief use. I also picked up a Veritas pullshave to play around with but haven't even tried that out yet so no comment.

I will say that the grinding disc did a great job, was quick and fairly easy to control. I finished with a flappy sanding disc on the grinder and then a little work with a spokeshave where I could and some hand sanding. The main downside is the noise and especially the dust. It's also easy to make a mistake and get into trouble quite quickly. If using a grinder do your work outside and wear a proper respirator with a P2 or P3 particle filter.

Cheers,

Dom

Heres something for you to consider and if the budget will allow its the Kutzall. Its a disc that fits onto an angle grinder, I have the set of 3 they are briliant. The fine is probably all you need. https://www.timbecon.com.au/carving-...-carving-discs

Originally Posted by derekcohen

Hi Rob

You get better control and flexibility with a travisher. When you lean it forward it will take a light shaving. Lean it back for a heavier shaving. The wing handles are not held (like a bike). The travisher is held on the body and the wings act as a visual guide.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Yeah !! The Fancy wings I have seen on them are a visual guide and not a handle ? interesting . Thanks Derek.
One thing Ive always wanted to do is shape a custom mount for my self.
A simple seat but extra comfy, maybe a stool .
A converted plane like Arron's picture and a curved scraper is what I was hoping would do the job.
Rob

Originally Posted by rod1949

Heres something for you to consider and if the budget will allow its the Kutzall. Its a disc that fits onto an angle grinder, I have the set of 3 they are briliant. The fine is probably all you need. https://www.timbecon.com.au/carving-...-carving-discs

Ive been wondering what the tool is that does the sculptured look I keep seeing done on decorated wood slabs on instagram .
That's got to be it Id say .
That would have to be one of the fastest ways to do a good seat for sure .
And a lot of other stuff.
Thanks Rod . I have to get some of them for sure .

Rob