Teach me about spoke pointers and hollow augers

[Harlan Barnhart]

I would like to make some benches like my grandfather made with a heavy slab top and angled legs joined much like a windsor chair. I've been watching hollow augers on the bay but I don't know what to look for. Are some designs better than others?

[Dave Matson]

I have two. One is the E C. Stearns type with the large round disc that is preset for common tenon sizes which is nice as it eliminates the guess work in setting up the tool. I picked up a second hollow auger a few months back at an estate sale, but haven't gotten a chance to use it. It's an A.A.Woods adjustable hollow auger. Patrick leach had one for sale in the june email list and he described the tool as the best design of the type, which may just be salesman's hype. It certainly looks much cooler and more precise the the Stearns auger though and I would recommend it. Also it would be helpful to get a 12, 14 or 16" in sweep brace as hollow augers can require a lot of torque, and its more fun to have an excuse for a new tool than to make do with what you have.

[Harlan Barnhart]

Thanks Dave. Anyone else? Does anyone know of any tutorials on these things? How to use, superior designs ect...

[harry strasil]

I have my grandfathers spoke pointer and tenoner(hollow auger), both are Woods, and work well, as you can make tenons a little under or a little over at will and up to 1 1/4 inch.
You will need a drawknife also for making the legs and also for pre sizing, working down the ends so that there is less material to take off with the tenoner.

Tip, drill a scrap piece with the size tenon you want to make to use as a guide as to how far to taper the end with the spoke pointer, some have the shank that is used to turn the pointer so that its adjustable to only cut so far before it bottoms out and quits cutting.

[Harlan Barnhart]

I have more questions about using these tools to attach legs windsor style. Is there a standard angle for reamers and spoke pointers? Or is there another tool used to create the tapered tennons?

[harry strasil]

spoke pointers and tenoners (hollow augers) don't do tapers except the pointer makes a taper so the tenoner will start where you want it to.

The only thing I can think of for trying to use a tenoner for a chair leg fastener to a seat is to use a tapered reamer for the top part of the hole and then cross wedge the tenon into the taper for a sturdy tight fit.

The only thing I have seen some do is make a tapered hole in the underside of a split lot with a reamer then make the taper on the leg top with a drawknife and a spoke shave.

A turning lathe will do the tapers on the top of the leg.

[Mike Siemsen]

I posted a blurb on on my blog with a couple of photos about spoke pointers and hollow augers.
http://schoolofwood.com/node/32
Mike

[Harlan Barnhart]

The only thing I have seen some do is make a tapered hole in the underside of a split lot with a reamer then make the taper on the leg top with a drawknife and a spoke shave.

A turning lathe will do the tapers on the top of the leg.

Very interesting Mr. Strasil. I saw a pencil sharpener like hand held device in the Lee Valley catalog for making tapered tennons and I assumed there must have been an historic version of it. I guess not.