Travisher iron radius

[lowell holmes]

My first travisher is one I purchased from one of the woodworking tool stores. It is one that has a prominent chairmakers name associated with it. It is a good tool and I have no complaints. The radius of the iron on it is about 4 1/4".
I was attending a Windsor chair class at Homestead Heritage near Waco and one of the other attendees had a travisher he made. He loaned it to me when I was smoothing the chair seat and I had better luck smoothing seat with it than with my own travisher (purchased from the store). I liked it so much thatI was able talk him into selling it to me. The radius on the iron on it is 5.6". The flatter curve in the iron makes for very fine cross grain carving.
I have a question for you tool makers in this group. Have you made travishers and if so, what consideration did you give in determining the proper radius of the iron. Is there a standard?
I have no reason for asking other than curiosity. The maker of the second travisher said he formed the iron on an old automobile brake drum. It must have been a 10" drum.

[Johnny Kleso]

The raidus depends on maker I think more than standard..

I think the way yours was sharpened might have been the difference more than raidus, that and position of handles to edge..

A smaller raidus will cut more easy than a large of course..

I know nothing about sharpening then but check uTube for a video

[Jim Crammond]

Lowell,

I have made several travishers of varying radii. I think the tightest radius I have is about 3" with the flatest about 8". I use the travishers with the tightest radii for the step immediately after using an adze or scorp and at the back of the seat next to the gutter. I use the flatter ones near the front of the seat and for final smoothing before scraping.

I don't know if there is a standard for travishers. I have had the opportunity to make several of them, so I thought that I would experiment with different sweeps to see which I like best. One any given day, my favorite is the sharpest.

Jim

[Doug Roper Chairmaker]

Travisher radius is sometimes a matter of preference and sometimes a matter of need. Seats that are carved deeply with the deepest point farther to the rear of the seat, require a tool with a small radius. Also, depending on how you carve a shield seat, small radius travishers can be used in the transition area of the spindle deck and flank area. Large radius tools work well in the larger, flatter areas of the seat and leave a surface that requires less scraping when finishing the seat. Adjusting seat depth and it's low point location will allow you more flexability with your tools.

Learning to use a travisher properly will make more of a difference than the radius. Most people begin using this tool with a scooping motion at the end of their cut. They do this by applying pressure and pushing under with their thumbs. This usually causes problems. For best results, when coming to the end of your cut, learn to roll the tool forward to back out of a cut. Also, skewing the tool will decrease it's radius in tighter areas.

Remember, grain dictates and uphill never works.

[lowell holmes]

Thanks guys. It is as I thought, sharpness is the key element.

I was blown away with the concept of making the iron out of tool steel. It shows a skill level that I will never achieve, but I have made seven chairs, with one underway.

[Johnny Kleso]

I have a bad tutorial on heating tool steel on my website..
I hope to update the whole site as I start feeling better..

I would say unless you want to start making tools and not chairs buy some old or new tools and make chairs.. In my woodworking quest I have jumped around so much have little to show in wood for all my efforts..

My advice become a great chair builder them start making tools :)

[lowell holmes]

Exactly what I have in mind.

I'm in the process of building a rocking chair for each of my children. After the one on my bench is finished I have one to go.

[george wilson]

Probably the radius of your rear end will be sufficient! Really!

[lowell holmes]

George,
I'm not sure I could measure that radius. :)