Steve Branam
Active member
Can anyone recommend a reference or describe the procedure for excavating carved trays and table tops (such as pie-crust tables) using hand tools? I've seen procedures using dado stacks, faceplate turning (for round ones), and running routers back and forth on rails, but none by hand. What did they do 200 years ago?
I would assume large gouges with broad sweeps, but there might be other methods using travishers, scorps, inshaves, widow's tooth, scrub plane, etc. I also assume it would break down into roughing phase for main stock removal, and fine phase for smooth surface. Some of it could probably be treated like surfacing a board, until you come up to the outside edges.
The challenges would seem to be depth control, consistency of thickness, and getting the final smooth surface.
I would assume large gouges with broad sweeps, but there might be other methods using travishers, scorps, inshaves, widow's tooth, scrub plane, etc. I also assume it would break down into roughing phase for main stock removal, and fine phase for smooth surface. Some of it could probably be treated like surfacing a board, until you come up to the outside edges.
The challenges would seem to be depth control, consistency of thickness, and getting the final smooth surface.