Chairmaker's spoon bits

[Sheffield Tony]

In another thread, AndyT mentioned chairmaker's spoon bits, in the context of boring clean holes at an angle into chair legs. I had tried an auger, which was too aggressive, so gave up and used a forstner in a cordless drill.

These bits used to be made in Sheffield by Clico, who are now sadly defunct. The bits can just about still be found in some sizes if you shop around, eg Woodsmith experience. Over the pond, Lee Valley still make a set, thougfh they don't go quite as large as the Clico ones.

I got to wondering that I have never seen an old spoon bit looking anything like either of these. I see shell bits; a half cyclindrical bit with various ends - some have a central lead screw, some jiust a fingernail shaped end, and mostly quite long and slender, better for boring holes to peg tenons than chairmaking I think. Also some tapered shell bits that look like a reamer; the tip being too fragile to bore a hole from scratch. But none with the half rounded end like the recent ones, or the large sizes and sturdy constriction.

They sound just the thing. They give you the deepest possible hole into a round leg without bursting through the other side, and allegedly can be started off vertically, then steered to quite an angle. They can, I've heard it said, be manipulated to bore a hole that is wider at the bottom, so that spindles can be retained more securely by the wood shrinkage. We have evidence that chairmakers of old used them, e.g Philip Clissett, in the form of round bottomed holes in the chairs they made. So where did they all go ? And do I need to snap up a set whilst I still can ?

 

[AndyT]

In one way, no you don't need them - you are clearly able to make lovely chairs without them.

But on the other hand, you appreciate their virtues, you understand why they are different to other bits, and they were made in Sheffield!

If that's not enough, and you buy some and don't like them, I am sure you will be able to re-sell them without making a loss.

 

[bugbear]

I'm fairly sure I recall a post/review by a handtool specialist woodworker on the Lee Valley ones where he decried their modern appearance and poor finish but conceded that they actually worked rather well.

BugBear

 

[Sheffield Tony]

I've just spotted a useful picture in this earlier thread. I have examples of all these styles, except what is labelled there as a spoon bit. I suspect those all ended up ground down to a shell bit over time. Again though, it looks to me like these patterns are not very substantial for boring, say, 5/8" or 3/4" holes. And I've not seen them in anything bigger than about 1/2", which is about the smallest size useful for chairmaking.

 

[AndyT]

One of the links in that thread is now dead - it led to Clifton's own website and a list of sizes. However, the wonderful Wayback Machine has saved the page for us here - http://web.archive.org/web/201312230901 ... spoon-bits

It gives this info on sizes - so maybe the most useful sizes were the first to disappear!

The Parallel Spoon Bits are primarily used for boring holes - either vertically or at an angle - to take the back "spokes" of Windsor chairs; thus hole may be bored in the seat, the curved back or the "stringers" and arms. The range of sizes should accommodate the majority of "spokes" regularly used.
Dia. 3/8" 7/16" 1/2" 9/16" 5/8" 11/16" 3/4"

 

[Cheshirechappie]

One reason that vintage Chairmaker's spoon bits (as distinct from the fairly common small size spoon, shell and nose bits used by joiners) are so uncommon may be that chairmaking was a fairly niche profession, especially outside the Chiltern beech woods areas. Consequently, not many people needed the bits, so not many were manufactured. That's probably why Clico revived the bits; chairmaking has become more popular in recent years, but the tools used are pretty much unobtainable on the second hand market. I think Bristol Design revived the manufacture of travisher irons for a while, for much the same reason. A niche market, for sure; but pretty much a captive one!

 

[undergroundhunter]

I've just spotted a useful picture in this earlier thread. I have examples of all these styles, except what is labelled there as a spoon bit. I suspect those all ended up ground down to a shell bit over time. Again though, it looks to me like these patterns are not very substantial for boring, say, 5/8" or 3/4" holes. And I've not seen them in anything bigger than about 1/2", which is about the smallest size useful for chairmaking.

That bit was found at a carboot sale in Great Yarmouth. I can tell you all even though its now sharp it doesn't cut as well as a shell bit and no way new as good as a nosed bit. From memory I think its about 3/8" so no good for chairs.

Matt

 

[custard]

I've used spoon bits for windsor chairmaking, maybe it was just me but they were a pipper to get sharp enough to cut cleanly through Elm without tearing!