Travisher recommendation?

[Reinis Kanders]

I am making some Hedeby style viking treasure chests for kids and need to hollow the lids. Recent FWW had a story about travishers, one from Peter Galbert, another from travisher.com Pretty pricey tools. I guess I could just sand it, but where is the glory in that:) Also I prefer to leave somewhat textured surface.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

[paul cottingham]

I use a pullshave from leevalley. Do a search of the Creek as a few other guys have modified them, but I think it's a great tool.

[Craig Regan]

I just bought the travisher "kit" from trvisher.com. With the recent Brexit currency drop, the price was about $90 USD. Anther option is Crown tools travisher at $105 - available from Crown tool in Maine or Highland Hardware.

I have the LV pullshave, it is well made but sometimes the starting angle can be hard to find. Have not done the mods to the tool... maybe that would improve its performance?

Travishers are a dream when working with soft wood. Hardwood is a little trickier with tearout and such but still doable.

[Megan Fitzpatrick]

I haven't used a huge range of travishers, but among those I have, my favorite is Claire Minihan's: http://cminihanwoodworks.blogspot.com/

[Allen Jordan]

I tried Claire's travishers at handworks last year and they were great. Beautifully finished, too.

[Stephen Clement]

I have Elia's and it is great. It isn't nearly as flashy as others, but that is reflected in the lower price. Having not tried others, I can't compare it, but I found it to be effective and trouble free.

http://handtoolwoodworking.com/travishers/

[lowell holmes]

I have two travishers. One is from popular tool vendor. The radius of the iron is 4.2"

The other one has a 5.6" radius of the iron.

I prefer the longer radius. I have better control afforded by the longer radius.
That's just me, but having both travishers, I have my choice and it always is the flatter radius.

[Bob Glenn]

Sounds like you could use a scorp, also known as an inshave. Travishers are meant to be finishing tools, thus the price. An inshave will do the job quicker and leave the rougher finish you are looking for. Bob

[Reinis Kanders]

Sounds like you could use a scorp, also known as an inshave. Travishers are meant to be finishing tools, thus
the price. An inshave will do the job quicker and leave the rougher finish you are looking for. Bob

Thanks, I thought about it, but I have an adze coming and I figured that might be enough and I could skip the inshave. I plan to do the lip to trough transition with a gauge and Mora crooked knife (after I get it sharp). I started to dabble in carving for thiese chests and sharpening carving tools has been fun, but pain in the neck because I am so used to the hollow grind.

I appreciate everyone's suggestions. I might end up trying LV pullshave or travisher.com travisher since it is readily available. Everything else is on a long back order.

[Mike Holbrook]

Claire and Elia make slightly different versions of the Peter Galbert design. You can often find a cobblers "shave" which is sort of a small travisher and they are frequently much less expensive. Curtis Buchanan uses a cobblers shave to make his chair seats. So far I have not mastered the LV Pullshave, it works very differently than a spokeshave or travisher. Let me know how you like the English travisher.com tool, if you order one.

You can probably do the job you mention with a cambered blade in a plane. Travishers are designed to get down into recessed areas in chair seats, thus the curved handles.

You can mount a sanding cylinder in an electric drill to hollow grind curved blades. There is a good deal you can do with a CBN wheel with curved edges too.

[Paul Saffold]

travisher.com has video showing hollowing a seat with their travisher.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7eBtcQxnw0
Also on youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEc2_75IKZU
I have one and like it but have never used any of the others so can't compare.

[Craig Regan]

Thanks, I thought about it, but I have an adze coming and I figured that might be enough and I could skip the inshave. I plan to do the lip to trough transition with a gauge and Mora crooked knife (after I get it sharp). I started to dabble in carving for thiese chests and sharpening carving tools has been fun, but pain in the neck because I am so used to the hollow grind.

I appreciate everyone's suggestions. I might end up trying LV pullshave or travisher.com travisher since it is readily available. Everything else is on a long back order.

I just went through the same thing. Needed to add surface tooling marks to some paneling. Purchased a pullshave, travisher and adze. Sharpened my scorp but later found my small convex plane worked best. Adze left some good vertical blade marks but would easily tear out the grain. The pullshave was expensive and did not cut deep and wide enough to leave good looking marks. Travisher was good but tricky in hardwood. Scorp worked nice but slow. In the end I used an ibex 90mm finger plane - which is usually used to carve arched tops in cellos and double basses,

Good luck

https://www.lie-nielsen.com/product/convex-sole-block-plane

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/ibexluthiersconvexsolepalmplane90mm.aspx