Tool List for Windsor Chair Class

The following tools are nice to bring if you already have them. Especially bring any draw knives, spokeshaves, or card scrapers that you have — we can sharpen and tune them up if necessary.

If you do want to buy some tools ahead of class you can’t go wrong with Lie-Nielsen’s Boggs flat bottom and curved bottom spokeshaves (if you can only afford one, get the curved bottom) or their drawknives— they are essential and excellent tools. 

PLEASE SEE THE SCHOOL PROVIDED TOOLS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE

Shaping and Windsor Chair special Tools

Draw knife: 6” – 8”. If buying new, Barr Tools or Lie Nielsen’s are excellent.. Good brands for old draw knives are PS&W, Swan, Ohio Tool, D.R. Barton, White, Witherby, Fulton, and Jennings. I have old, tuned-up draw knives as well as some new ones at the shop.

Spoke shaves: Straight blade wooden or metal body. The Lie Nielsen Boggs shaves (flat and curved bottom) are designed specifically for this work. If you can only afford one, get the curved bottom. Caleb James makes an excellent shave and there are some excellent old one on the market.

Adz: I use Barr Tools Dunbar Adz and have one in the shop to use I also have some short handles gutter adzes that are excellent.  One can get away without using an adz and just use a scorp.

Scorp: an essential seat carving tool, there are several in the shop. Again Barr Tools makes some nice ones.

Travisher:  there are several very good travishers out on the market including Claire Minihan, Allan Williams, Crown Plane and Windsor Workshop.

Card scrapers.

Scrub plane: for flattening and thicknessing the seat blanks

Smoothing or Jack plane: for smoothing out the seat blanks from the scrub plane.

Reamer: The leg mortise and tenons into the seat are tapered.  I use a 6° reamer most often but also used 11° reamers.  The reamers I have are from Tim Manney and Elia Bizzarri.  Lee Valley had a set of reamers and matching 11° tenon taper cutters.

Folding extension rule

Bevel gauge (2)

Winding Sticks  24” x ½” angle extruded aluminium available at most hardware stores

Carving Pfeil 11/5 u-gouge.

Marking gauge

 

The Florida School of Woodwork provides each student with:

  • Travisher by Windsors Chairs UK
  • Spoke Shave by Veritas
  • Draw Knife by Jason Lonon
  • Smoothing Plane HNT Gordan A5
  • Reamers by Tim Maney
  • Jack Plane
  • Scrapers
  • 6″ Shinwa bevel gauge
  • Drill