More Ramblings

    Meanwhile, I am working on a miniature Windsor side chair. The plans I am using are from Make a Windsor Chair by Michael Dunbar in American Woodworker #24, January/February 1992.  The bow of the back was bent several months ago and now I am working on the seat.  In his 2003 book, Dunbar lists and illustrates the following traditional tools/processes used for hollowing a seat : roughing out the top surface with a gutter adze, followed by a scorp to clean up the adze marks and to improve the contours.  He then finishes the surface with a compass plane, travisher and small spokeshave, and, finally, scraper and sandpaper.

    I do have miniature spokeshaves but I need more than just these.  My choices seem to be carving gouges, or make miniature whatevers to get the job done.  Since I have a few carving gouges these are my first choice. 

    Now, I've been an architectural woodworker for thirty years and during that time I sharpened my planes, chisels and a few gouges using a medium grit oil stone and never had a problem,  But now I'm working on a small scale with pine, everything has to be much sharper.