What to use to "scoop out" chair top?

[Imperial]

Looking for help on what to use to scoop out the top of a chair ala maloof type thing. Have an angle grinder but have no idea what to buy to attach to it to use. Dont want something too expensive as it'll probably be a one off item. Dont want to do it with hand tools for various reasons

Thanks for any replies :wink:

 

[ED65]

You want something like the Holey Galahad (yeah who comes up with these names?) I think.

 

[bugbear]

You want something like the Holey Galahad (yeah who comes up with these names?) I think.

IIRC think those style of discs started off with "Excalibur" and went downhill from there.

BugBear

 

[Phil Pascoe]

One way or another, you'll pay.

 

[custard]

There are a few low cost options.

If you've got a power router you can mark up the surface of the chair with lines representing "depth contours" (think an Ordnance Survey map), then hog out most of the waste with the router. You just need to make sure you've got an end cutting bit and work down in easily controlled steps of a mill or two at a time. Start from the deepest depths and work out in order to retain a flat surface to support the sole of the router.

Alternatively find a used scorp on Ebay. Sharpening an internal curve isn't too difficult because most scorps aren't particular hard steel (Elm, the traditional timber of choice for chair seats, is pretty soft and easily worked, if it's a Maloof style chair there's a fair chance you'll be working in Black Walnut, again that's an easily worked timber), if you don't have the correct sharpening slips then no problem, just wrap some course abrasive paper around a thick dowel and then work through the grits.

For a one off you can get most of the waste removed with a gouge, you need an in-cannel gouge with the bevel on the inside of the curve. Sharpen it as per the scorp. They're plentiful used and not expensive.

I've saddled many chairs using many different tools. My two personal favourites are a gouge or guttering adze along with a scorp, or do the entire job with a RAS 180 Festool disc sander and 24-80 grit papers; all the methods work but these two control the dust which otherwise means you're working in clouds of dust and it then takes a long time to clean up both the workshop and yourself.

Good luck!

 

[ED65]

IIRC think those style of discs started off with "Excalibur" and went downhill from there.

I think so. What can we expect given the ever-so-slightly cringeworthy company name?

Good products though by all accounts! But there are many competitive disks/wheels of the same type available.

 

[custard]

Dont want to do it with hand tools for various reasons

A Maloof chair requires hours of hand spokeshave and hand sanding work to fair the components into each with those flowing, organic curves. Saddling the seat with hand tools is a breeze by comparison.

 

[g7g7g7g7]

https://www.classichandtools.com/acatal ... els-1.html

Carving wheels for grinders at a reasonable price, don't think I've seen them cheaper.

 

[Imperial]

I'm not making a maloof chair only the style of seat, maybe, had thought about drilling depth holes and then routing, but expect the easiest route is the grinder, as I said no hand tools. Prices of the discs are not cheap, so might keep looking to see if a 2nd hand something can be found :roll:

Ta much for replies...

 

[SVB]

For cheap, get coarse grip flap wheel for angle grinder, 24 grit will do it, and work outside are there will but much dust!

 

[PAC1]

I used, router ala Custard, travisher (much under rated for chair seats), spoke shave, good hand stitched rasps and then a sander. You can use more aggressive machines but they are noisy and you would be amazed what can be achieved with a well tuned travisher used across the grain.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

Best by hand tools - adze, scorp and travisher. Agreed that the travisher is a great tool to use, and can do the whole job with a bit of patience.

If patience is not available, Arbortec. Plus a change of underwear.

 

[Jacob]

chain saw?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Adzes, scorps, travishers, hand stitched rasps, chainsaws, Arbortechs, Saburr Tooth wheels ... so far only flap wheels come in as not very expensive for a one off job.

 

[ColeyS1]

I reckon Phils suggestion of a flap disc should make light work of it.

That's 24 grit and it's rapid ! I did this earlier in the week when it was 30 + degrees. I went home shortly after, i just couldn't stick the heat. Homebase sell packs of 5 circular 24 grit pieces of sandpaper. About 7 quid I think. You'll need to buy the backing pad also but the discs last ages and ages ! - mind the flesh though :lol:
Coley


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[Phil Pascoe]

Packs of ten flap wheels aren't expensive on line.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

Adzes, scorps, travishers, hand stitched rasps, chainsaws, Arbortechs, Saburr Tooth wheels ... so far only flap wheels come in as not very expensive for a one off job.

Travishers don't have to be expensive. You can make your own:
travisher-t79785.html

This was the only tool other than a card scraper I used on the seat of my last chair:
wip-a-smoker-s-bow-t94506.html

 

[Kev]

Have just scalloped (is that the right word) the top of a bar stool today using this.
http://www.yandles.co.uk/rotarex-r2-115mm-shaping-disc/p20661

Not done it before and came out quite well. I, like you, didn't want to spend a lot of money mainly because I didn't know how well I would get on with it. Anyway as I said it worked quite well. Just take your time and got good results.

kev

 

[ColeyS1]

Packs of ten flap wheels aren't expensive on line.

That's true. I haven't found anywhere that sold really course ones though. I'd say the 24 grit is a milder version of the arbourtech. It still moulds/shapes really quickly, it just seems more controlled. 40 grit seems to be good at refining shapes. When I first bought them years ago I didn't expect much.Really useful piece of kit though, especially useful for creating wany edge looking champfers on edges of boards

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[Paul200]

I use a basic Arbortech blade in an angle grinder to carve the lids of jewellery boxes like this -

It looks like an accident waiting to happen but once I got used to using it I could achieve some quite fine results. Not sure they sell this type any more though. Like the look of the Yandles shaping disc - might have to give that a try.

Cheers, Paul