SPECIAL BONUS FEATURES Making Tools

Making Tools: For Woodturners

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Woodturning FUNdamentalsInstructions for making your own half-round tool, scrapers, angled tools, micro tools, parting tool, beading tool, texture tool, dovetail recess tool, point tool, friction-fit tool, spur drive tool, tapping tool, cove tool, and more.

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From time to time, woodturners may find themselves in need of a

specialized tool or may have bits of material suitable for making a

custom tool. Don’t go out and buy another expensive tool, make

your own! There is pride and accomplishment in making your

own tools.

We have compiled these articles to help you safely make tools that

are effective, easy to sharpen, economical, and every woodturner’s

dream! Add to your tool collection with shopmade tools that are

truly yours, personalized, and meet your specialized needs.

Stay Sharp and Turn Safe,

Linda Ferber

[email protected]

Woodturning FUNdamentals

2018 Special Edition | woodturner.org

Woodturning FUNdamentals is published by the

American Association of Woodturners222 Landmark Center

75 5th Street W.St. Paul, MN 55102-7704

651-484-9094Toll free: 877-595-9094

[email protected]

Executive DirectorPhil McDonald

[email protected]

Program DirectorLinda Ferber

[email protected]

Gallery CuratorTib Shaw

Gallery Websitegalleryofwoodart.org

Marketing & Communications Director

Kim Rymer

Editor, American WoodturnerJoshua Friend

Editor, Woodturning FundamentalsJohn Kelsey

Board of DirectorsGregory Schramek, President

Jeff Brockett, VPKathleen Duncan, Secretary

Joe Dickey, TreasurerJohn Ellis

Wayne FurrDavid Heim

Molly Winton Rick Baker

Introduction Making Tools: For Woodturners

Dedicated to providing education, information, and organization to those interested in woodturning

Front cover: John Sake, Paul Fisch, and Kristin Royalty

Back cover: Bob Rosand

2 Making Tools: For Woodturners

Making Tools: For Woodturners TABLE OF CONTENTS

AAWEDUCATION

3 Make your own Half-Round Tool By Stacey W. Hager

7 Making Scrapers By John Lucas

10 Small Angled Tools By Robert Rosand

11 Make a High-tech set of Micro Tools By Wayne Fitch

14 The Hager Parting Tool By Stacey Hager

17 Shopmade Beading Tool By Bob Patros

20 Texture Tool By Bob Rosand

22 Inexpensive beading tool from gouges By Harvey Fein

24 Shopmade Dovetail Recess Tool By Mike Peace

25 Custom Tool for Plugs and Inlay By John Lucas

27 Make Your Point Tool By Stacey Hager

31 Friction-fit Tool By Bob Rosand

33 Spur Drive Seating Tool By Jim Duxbury

34 Tapping Tool for Turners By Jim Duxbury

38 The Cove Tool By Stacey Hager

42 Faceplate centering tool By Bill Wells

43 Simple bottle-stopper mandrel is kind to tools By Ruth Niles

43 Build a homemade hollow-vessel sander By Ronald Nelson

43 Low-cost texturing tool By Tom Savereide

44 Forgotten Handles By Alan Lacer

48 Custom Tool Handles By Carl Ford

53 Fancy Ferrules from Everyday Objects By Tim Heil

56 Safety Tips for Turning

58 Member Resources

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The half-round tool is a tradi-tional spindle tool that has been around woodturning shops for

centuries. It is easy to make, simple to sharpen, and performs just about every cut required in spindle work.

This tool combines some of the properties of a spindle gouge and a skew. However, its cutting action is a little different than that of either the gouge or skew. If you are having trouble with tear-out on beads or coves in a particular piece of wood, give this tool a try. My experience is that the half round tool often performs well on extremely, dense, brittle woods such as ebony and blackwood.

Steel optionsI often use discarded reamers and drill bits for my homemade tools, but you must be sure to test the end you plan to sharpen with a file to make sure it is hardened. (If the file skates across the surface, the steel is

hardened. If the file digs in, the steel is soft.)

For this tool, I used an old reamer shaft. The shaft was hardened to about ⅝" behind the flutes. I removed the flutes by grinding four deep notches just below the neck (in the top of the flutes). I then clamped the flute end in a vice and snapped it off. High cobalt tools are often hardened throughout their length.

The chuck end of most tools is left soft to reduce brittleness and to allow a better grip in a chuck. If you cut off the flutes, the adjacent portion of the shaft is usually hard-ened for a short distance.

You may find pre-hardened 01, W1, A2, or M2 precision drill blanks or M7 Dixie Pins (6" lengths) at machin-ist supply companies such as Enco, Dixie Industrial Supply, and MSC. The blank diameter could be from 1⁄16" to over 1", but ⅜" is usually most versatile. Dixie (dixiepins.com) sells

Special Decimal Diameter Dixie Pins in 6" lengths and diameters from .0001–.9887. (All pins are hardened to Rockwell 62–63 and ground to toler-ance +.0005–.0000 in.)

Grind the flatRemove excess steel by grinding with a coarse stone. (I use a standard 1×8" 36-grit wheel.) With the grinder stopped, rest the blank against the tool rest and the grinding wheel so that the wheel contacts the rod ½" to ¾" below what will become the tip of the tool.

With a permanent marker, make a reference line around the blank where it contacts the tool rest. Use this line to help you return to the same grinding position. Now, grind a flat on the rod to half its thickness. Quench often in water. If the steel hisses, you need to quench sooner.

Use a dial caliper to help you grind exactly to the center of the rod. Measure the diameter and divide by

Make your own

Half-Round Tool When your spindle work demands fine

detail and a clean cut, call on the half-round tool to finesse the job.

By Stacey W. Hager


two to get the thickness you are shooting for.

Stop grinding .005 –.010" before you get to depth and carefully slide the tool down the rest to continue the flat out to the tip.

Avoid rounding over the tip. You may wish to switch to an 80-grit wheel with an adjustable tool rest to make this step easier. To set this up, place the cove you just ground against the stopped wheel and adjust the tool-rest table until it is flat against the rod. Then slide the rod down the tool rest and continue the flat grind to the end.

Grind the bevelTo remove metal, shape the bevels by hand on the coarse stone. Your goal should be a 45-degree tip bevel angle and an 80-degree included side bevel angle. Eyeball each angle and grind a flat. Measure what you get and adjust as necessary.

If you use a jig, set the side angle first by moving the V-arm in or out. Then, set the tip angle by loos-ening the wing nut and moving the articulated head. Note: One adjustment changes the other, so

check back and forth until both are right on. I use a bright light and sight across the surface of the wheel toward the light, increasing or decreasing gaps between the

wheel and the tool surface until I get the desired angle.

Once the angles are set, grind the bevels. Use a light touch until you achieve a nice symmetrical finger-nail shape. Be sure to continue the grind around the sides until the rod is almost parallel to the surface of the wheel. This gives you long wings, which can be used like a skew. The tip profile should be a gentle (not quite round) parabola. Finally, shorten the bevel to about ⅛" by grinding a secondary bevel.

This grind corresponds to that of a standard spindle gouge. If you wish to use this tool for detail work, you may want to change the tip angle to 35–40 degrees and the side angle to about 70 degrees. This tip profile should be a narrow, fairly pointed ellipsoid. (The radius at the point may be as little as 1⁄32".)

This shape is great for tight places—perfect for tiny coves and the V between adjacent beads. The compromise is catchiness. With this grind you must make light cuts and maintain constant bevel contact.

Finesse, finesse, finesse!

Turn the handleSize the tool handle for your body. For this tool, I like a handle length

An 8"-diameter grinding wheel will produce the 4"-radius grind shown at left. An 8" wheel creates a nearly ideal hollow grind for most turning tools.

Illustration: Angelo Iafrate

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that reaches from the inside of my elbow to the break of my wrist (about 9" for me). This should allow the handle to swing past your body com-fortably. If you have a pear-shaped physique, you may want to make the handle shorter.

I chose crepe myrtle, a medium-density wood, for this handle.

The diameter should be such that your middle finger will barely touch your hand’s heel when wrapped around the smallest part of the handle (about one-fourth of the dis-tance from the end) as shown in the photo above.

I like the handle to swell gently until the thickest part is beneath my middle finger when I wrap my hand around the handle just below the ferrule. At this point, my middle finger is about ⅛" from touching the palm.

Unless you need the strength, I feel that bulkier handles make it more difficult to rotate a tool smoothly. British woodturner Allan Batty recommends pointing your index finger along the tool to enhance control.

First, drill the hole for the tool. Clamp the 1¼ × 1¼ × 13" stock in a chuck using the tailstock to center the opposite end. Rotate the handle at a low speed and back out the tailstock center. If the center-point wobbles, loosen the chuck, apply a little tailstock pressure, and retighten the chuck. If this does not get rid of the wobble, you may need to round down to a flat near the tailstock end and use a steady rest.

Once the blank is centered and rotating smoothly, replace the live center with a chuck and drill a hole 2–3" deep for the tool. I measure the tool with dial calipers and choose a bit that is .001 or .002 smaller. (In dense hardwood, you may have to drill the exact size.) A set of num-bered, lettered, and fractional drill bits with a decimal equivalents chart is handy. You’ll often find 115-piece bit sets on sale for under $40 in tool catalogs. The charts are usually free at machinists’ tool supply companies.

Place a small cone on your live center and begin turning your handle by rounding the blank to

about two-thirds the length of the handle. Make your blank 2–3" longer than you want your handle. This keeps your turning tools safely away from the chuck when you finish the far end.

Add a ferruleStainless-steel or brass tubing, brass compression fitting nuts, or brass oxyacetylene hose ferrules are ideal for handles. For this project, I chose an oxyacetylene hose ferrule pur-chased at a hardware store.

To fit the ferrule, measure the inside diameter of the ferrule with dial calipers or inside calipers. Transfer this measurement to outside calipers by adjusting them to just skim over the inside caliper blades or points.

Next, turn a tenon for the ferrule; I use a bedan. Begin at the tailstock end and check for a snug fit as you reduce the stock. If you use your dominant hand to make a peeling cut, you can hold the calipers in your other hand. (I do not use dial or vernier calipers because for this job because I find them too grabby


for one-handed turning.) Reduce the diameter until the calipers slip over the tenon easily. Check the fit, adjust as necessary, move up the tenon, and repeat until the tenon matches the length of the ferrule, plus about ⅛". If your ferrule has a reduced neck, you may need to turn a second smaller tenon. I like to make this second tenon protrude about 1/8" past the ferrule and trim it later. Press the ferrule into place. The fit should be snug but not overly tight, as it will tighten more as the tool steel is driven in.

To finish the fitted ferrule, sand with 600- to 1200-grit wet or dry sandpaper or fine crocus cloth. Follow this with a polishing com-pound and either wax or clear lacquer. Mask the ferrule to protect the finish.

With the ferrule in place, shape the handle, sand, and apply finish if you wish. I like the feel of raw wood, although a little wax and/or oil may help keep the handle cleaner and avoid attracting grime.

To mount the tool in the handle, bevel the end to remove sharp edges.

Start the tool in the hole by hand. Drive the tool home by striking the butt of the handle on a piece of soft wood supported by a heavy work-bench or concrete floor.

Put the tool to useUnlike a spindle gouge, you can plunge this tool straight in and work it back and forth to quickly shape a cove. You can then turn the tool up on edge (starting with the flat side vertical) and scoop out the cove to its final shape as you would with a spindle gouge.

Remember to aim the bevel in the direction you want the cut to go. The final cut surface is usually clean and smooth.

Roll this tool over on its side and lead with the handle, and you get a skew-like push or pull cut at about 10 o’clock or 2 o’clock from the tip. For this cut, rub the bevel. The flat ground surface should be about halfway between ver-tical and horizontal, and the cutting edge should be skewed about 45 degrees to the axis of the wood.

This is a handy cutting tool to use on long shallow coves, in tight

places, or when you just don’t want to reach for a skew chisel.

Stacey Hager ([email protected]) is a member of the Central Texas Woodturners Association of Austin. He has written four previous articles about homemade tools for American Woodturner.

Phot

os: F

ran

k M

iller

7woodturner.org

Making ScrapersAn easy way to heat-treat your own tools

I said, files are too hard and brittle to use as turning tools, but the temper-ing process I’ll discuss reduces the degree of hardness, making the metal much more useful for our purposes.

The heat-treating process can be divided into three main stages: Annealing, which softens the tool so it can be shaped; hardening which again makes the tool so hard that its cutting edge would be very sharp, but also very fragile; and tempering which helps you reach a compromise between sharpness and toughness.

When I first started turning wood, I built a lathe using a drill for the drive and a

lag screw stuck through a 2x4 as my tailstock. I didn’t even know shear cut-ting tools existed; I made all of my tools from old screwdrivers. These worked OK, but I needed something bigger. An older woodworker suggested files, and so I ground an edge on an old file and went to work. My tool didn’t even have a handle, and, though I didn’t know then, it was probably too brittle to be used safely.

After years of turning, I occasionally make special tools from an old screw-driver or a file. But, my methods have improved considerably — I’ve learned how to properly heat treat those metals to prevent injury and to improve their edge holding abilities.

Let me make two things really clear. First, it is dangerous to use a file straight off the shelf without some sort of tempering or softening. Files are extremely hard and therefore brittle. When they shatter, a piece could easily hit your face with extreme force. Second, good quality, commercially made tools will always be better than homemade, unless you have years of experience in heat treating metals and other aspects of metallurgy.

So why make your own tools? It’s fun. You get a feeling of pride and accomplishment that I think the old time toolmakers must have experi-enced. You also learn about metal and heat treating which can help you in all your woodworking; you’ll cer-tainly have a better understanding of why high-speed grinders come with warnings that overheating a tool will

remove its temper. And, the process gives you an economical way to experiment with different grinds and cutting angles on your tools.

Now that that’s out of the way. I will discuss heat treating in general, then show you how to heat-treat a tool in the simplest way I found — using your barbe-cue grill and the kitchen oven. Who say’s men never use an oven for anything?

The simplest tool to make is a scraper or skew from an old file. I look for nice thick files at the flea market. I haven’t paid more than a dollar for one yet. As

The author’s arsenal of home-made tools, all made from salvaged or readily available

materials: above, from left — miniature bowl gouge from a press pin, scrapers

from screwdrivers and allen wrenches and parting tool made from a keyhole saw. At right, a flat skew from a file, a round skew

from drill rod and a hollowing bit made from a file. Photos by author.

John Lucas


pieces evenly. Then I read an article by toolmaker Ron Hock, recommend-ing using an oven to temper the steel. Then a knifemaker friend recom-mended using a barbecue grill to anneal the steel. Now I had a simple process that anyone could handle.

My simple processHere is how my method goes. Start up the charcoal grill and bury the file in the coals. When the coals get red-hot, the file should be also. Ideally the metal should be non-magnetic, but I find this hard to achieve over more than a few inches. The file won’t be soft enough for serious work, but will work for what we are doing. The metal must cool slowly, so just let the coals and the file cool down overnight. It is now soft enough to work with common tools. Check it by remov-ing some of the teeth with a good file. I use a grinder to shape the metal and a belt sander set on its back to grind the teeth off the old file. Grind and file the tool into the shape you want.

A well-tempered tool will be hard enough to take a good edge, but soft enough to resist chipping and shattering. The level of tempering must be suited for the tool: a surgeon’s scalpel must be incredibly sharp, for example, but it doesn’t have to be as tough as an ax.

Annealing metalThe first step is to anneal the file, which softens the metal so it can be shaped and bent without breaking. Blacksmiths do this in a forge, heating the tool to cherry red, then plunging it into dry sand and leaving it there, so that it cools slowly. Blacksmiths often worked in the shade, so they could judge colors more accurately. When ferrous metals like steel become cherry red, they lose the ability to attract a magnet; some workers like to check the temperature this way, as well.

After the metal is annealed, it is soft enough to be shaped and ground to the profile you desire, either with another file or some type of grinder.

The shaped metal will still be too soft to hold an edge and must be hard-ened before it will make a good tool. Do this by heating the steel to its criti-cal temperature (cherry red or non-magnetic) and then quenching it in oil or water to cool it rapidly. This will make the metal very hard and again it will be too brittle to use.

Tempering is the next step. The tool is reheated, but this time you don’t want the metal to become cherry red. The goal for the metal we are using here is to heat it until it is the color of straw and quench it again. Tempering removes some of the brittleness and makes it easier to sharpen but leaves it hard enough to hold an edge. This process takes a skilled blacksmith to get the tem-perature just right; it’s difficult to judge the color and easy to let the piece get too hot, especially if the edge is thin.

At first I used a propane torch and then a hotter Mapp gas torch to heat the file. This worked on small pieces, but I had difficulty heating large

An ordinary charcoal grill is used for both softening and hardening the metal The metal can be softened, a process called annealing by heating it in the grill, then letting it cool overnight. To harden the metal it is heated to cherry read, using plenty of fuel, fanned by air forced in from a high dryer or other source, then plunging it into peanut oil, which you can buy in most grocery stores. Hold the metal and swirl it around in the oil to promote even cooling. Work outside, and have fire extinguisher handy, in case the oil catches fire.

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heat treating temperatures if you really want to know. I use a small propane torch and heat the tip to cherry red, then quench it in water. Polish the steel so you can watch the color and slowly heat it until you reach a slight straw color then quench it again.

This only hardens the 1st ½-in. or so but on small tools this will last through quite a few sharpenings. When the tool seems to dull quickly just pull out the torch and reharden the tip. It will only take a minute or so to reharden and you’ll have a good usable tool again.

There are obviously more precise ways to heat-treat a tool and the quenching medium you choose will cause a lot of argument among blade smiths. This method is based on the safest and easiest way to heat treat an unknown steel by someone who is not a blacksmith. If you are going to make very many tools a forge or Oxy-Acetylene torch would obviously be easier.

Hope you have as much fun making tools as I have.

When he is not turning in his shop in Cookeville, TN, John Lucas is a professional photographer, as well as newsletter editor for the Tennessee Association of Woodturners. He is also the new TIPS editor for the Journal.

Now it’s time to harden the tool. Fire up the old grill again. Bury the tool in the coals and heat it until it is cherry red and non-magnetic. If you have trouble getting it this hot, blow on the coals with a hair dryer or other small concentrated fan. You’ve seen old blacksmiths do this with a bellows. Sometimes it can be difficult with thick metal. Pile on plenty of charcoal and try to get the air under the coals. When it reaches the proper tempera-ture, leave it there for 30 minutes per ¼-in. of thickness. This insures that the tool will be more evenly hardened. When the time is up (or you run out of patience), grab the metal with a pair of tongs or pliers and plunge it into a bucket of peanut oil. Keep the tool moving in the oil, so it is cooled quickly and evenly. Used motor oil will work, but there is a very real hazard of fire and disposal of the used oil is a problem. Peanut oil is cheap and has a higher flash point. Work out doors and keep a steel lid handy to put out the fire if it happens. I’ve done this about a dozen times and have not had a fire, but the potential is there. It is also wise to keep a fire extinguisher handy.

Now the steel is very hard and brittle. To temper the tool, use an oven. The tool should be heated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. More heat makes the tool softer and less heat makes it harder. Your oven is probably not accurate. Mine was off 50 degrees. Buy an oven thermom-eter and let the oven stabilize at 375 for 30 minutes or so. Place the tool in the oven on a brick. This helps heat the tool more evenly. Heat the tool for 30 minutes per ¼-in. of thickness. When it is done plunge it into the oil to stop it from changing. Using my thermometer and oven the tool changes to straw color around 390 degrees so that’s the tem-perature I use.

The tool is now ready to sharpen. I wanted the tang area to be softer for strength, so I wrapped the blade with wet towels and heated the tang with

a propane torch until it turned blue. You could heat it red hot and let it cool slowly which would really make it soft, but it’s harder to keep the blade at the proper temperature.

That’s all there is to it. If you want a tool in a hurry just heat the file to 375 degrees and quench it. It will now be soft enough to use safely. It’s a little harder to grind off the teeth and it may not bend without breaking but it won’t shatter dangerously. If you want to run a test put the file in a vise and bend it about 90 degrees. A properly annealed tool will bend a pretty good ways before breaking and won’t shatter. Do this test with a scrap file. You can still use the broken file to make cutters for hollowing tools. Obviously you should have on all the proper safety gear before trying this.

Using drill rod for toolsI use polished drill rod to make my small hollowing tools and small round skews. Drill rod is fairly hard when you buy it and will cut fairly well without hardening. It is very simple to harden the cutting edge with a propane torch.

I buy AISI-W-1 drill rod. This is a water-hardening metal. That means that water is the correct quenching medium for this metal. You can get a chart from your dealer showing the

The metal can be tempered, a process which balances its edge-holding ability with toughness in a home-kitchen oven.


SMALL ANGLED TOOLS: High-speed steel and silver solder do itRobert Rosand

In the September 1991 issue of American Woodturner and the December 1993 issue of American

Woodworker, I wrote articles on making hollow-turned ornaments. The edi-tor of American Woodworker expressed interest in an article on the angled tools that I used to hollow the inte-rior or my ornaments. Unfortunately, I never got around to writing that article, I wasn’t sure that I had much to offer on the subject. After all, the tools were very simple, nothing more than bits of high-speed steel (HSS) silver-sol-dered to shafts of mild steel and sunk in a handle. Since 1993, I have given numerous demonstrations, and I still get lots of questions about the steel I use, the silver solder, the angles of the tip, etc. So I decided that I better get busy and write that article.

A cursory glance at the most wood-turning catalogues will tell you that there are numerous angled tools on the market, but if you have access to some mild steel, HSS tool bits, silver solder, and an acetelyne torch, you can make some very inexpensive, service-able angled tools.

I cut 6-inch tool shafts out of ¼-inch mild steel that I get from a local machinist. (Keep in mind that I am talking here about making tools for hollowing Christmas ornaments. You can shrink these tools for turning miniatures or enlarge them for larger hollow turnings.) I then grind the shaft at about a 40 to 42-degree angle. To be honest, I usually eyeball the angle. Next, cut pieces of HSS tool bits to the appropriate length. I purchase

mine from Enco Mfg. (800.873-3626). Part # 383-5312 costs about $.75 for a 2½ × 3⁄16-inch piece {1997 prices}. I gen-erally use lengths from about ½ to 1 inch. I find it useful to have a few tools with different lengths. The shorter ones are great for getting around the corner when beginning the hollow-ing process and the longer ones work better when you have a bit of room to work in the interior of the turning.

To weld up the tool, I lay the shaft of the toll on a piece of fire brick, upside down to the way it will be used. Then I lay the HSS tool bit in the proper posi-tion to be silver-soldered. I follow this procedure so that when the tool is fin-ished and in working position, the top of it will be flat, and I can hone the top of the tool as you would any scraper. Don’t forget to ensure that the pieces are clean and fluxed. Generally, I just touch the edges to be silver-soldered on the grinder and apply a bit of flux.

Most silver soldering requires that the pieces be a very tight fit. The silver solder I use (Eutectic model #1630 XFC) requires a slight gap between the pieces to be soldered. This is what makes it easy for the beginner. In the

years I have been using this produce, I have experienced only one or two fail-ures. With the parts in position, I heat the pieces to be joined until they begin to get red and apply the silver solder, allowing it to flow into the joint.

When cool, I sink the shaft of the tool about 2 inches into a handle. Since the tool shaft is square, I drill a hole that will accept the shaft and use 5-minute epoxy fills in the gaps.

Now, I grind off all the extra tool steel and the rough edges, shaping a round-nose profile and a double bevel on the cutting edge of the tool. I also hone the top of the tool so I can raise a burr when sharpening. In actual use hollowing ornaments, I rarely hone the tool, only occasionally finding it necessary to do so.

I use the tool after I’ve excavated as much as I can with the round-nose scraper. At the beginning of a cut (really a scrape), I work on the left-hand side of the tool. As the cut continues, I begin cutting on the tip, and finally on the right-hand side of the tool.

Bob Rosand, a frequent contributor, is a professional turner in Bloomsburg, PA.

11woodturner.org

Make aHigh-tech set

Top: Wayne Fitch machines all of his micro tools with a ¼" shaft to fit into the same custom handle. Shown are ¼", ⅛", and 1⁄16" micro tools. He machines the ¼" tools with two ends.

Bottom: A full-sized gallery of Wayne’s hollow vessels from lower left: maple burl and ebony, blackwood, curly koa, unknown Asian wood, and maple burl and blackwood.

Microof

ToolsWayne Fitch

S ome of my friends have accused me of making life harder than it has to be. So when I took up

small-scale vessels in the last year, they weren’t surprised that I tackled making my own miniature tools, too.

Turning small scale is a rewarding form of turning, and I’ve found that the techniques carry over to larger turnings. In my opinion, the chal-lenge of turning small emphasizes attention to details. I usually avoid a “miniature” label that would go into a doll house, although numerous people collect this size of turning.

Anyone who has turned small- scale objects has placed a lot of thought with the tools that are available—and more precisely, that aren’t available. Returning to my premise that I make life more challenging, I began creating my own tools.

I gathered design opinions from friends who primarily turn miniature-size vessels. From these ideas and the time-tested machinist cutter shapes, I have designed my own set of small-scale

tools. Here’s what I’ve learned about making small-scale turning tools.

Although not necessary, it’s helpful to drill and turn these tools at a metal lathe. I traded for an EMCO Compact 5 small precision lathe (retail cost: about $1,200). There are several

less-expensive brands of small metal lathes on the market.

Begin with the handleI first realized that a common handle would be more convenient than a sepa-rate one for each tool. I decided that the


handle should be hollow so each tool shaft could be adjusted for length as needed when cutting and shaping wood.

With that as a starting point, I con-sidered different materials. I found a material called drawn over mandrel (DOM) or what non-metal people call steel tubing. This type of tubing already has an accurate hole through the center and is available in various inside dimensions (ID) and outside dimen-sions (OD). The DOM that I selected is a ½" OD x .120W steel tube available at a local supplier of metals catering to the machinist or www.MetalMart.com.

This size leaves just a few one thou-sands ID over the ¼" needed for the tool shafts to slip in—an ideal match.

I decided on ¼" tool shafts, as this size would be the largest I planned for my turnings. I then studied turning supply catalogs for something com-fortable to cover the handle. I settled on a clear vinyl hose that is reinforced with nylon cord. This is available in various ID and OD diameters at home improvement stores.

To build the handle, cut ¾"-diameter solid brass rod at least 1¼" inch long and center bore a ¼" hole. This fitting at the front of the tool will receive the ¼" rod for the cutter. After boring the ¼" hole, I reverse it in the chuck and face the end of the brass to give it an even cut, then center bore a ½" hole approximately ¼" deep. This will be

the end that will be epoxied and press-fit on the DOM tube. At this step, you may add decorative turning to the front end of the brass rod.

For the butt end of the handle, begin with a brass piece approximately 1¼" long. On one end, center drill a ½" hole approximately ¼" deep. You can turn decoration at the opposite end. The length of the handle is personal prefer-ence; I usually ask a supplier to cut the DOM tubing in 6" lengths. After I glue and press one end on the DOM tube, I push the vinyl hose over the tubing. You’ll need a straight cut on the end of the hose for a square fit up against the brass end. The fit is tight on this tubing; with a little effort the brass piece slides on. Next, cut the vinyl hose ¼" short for the fitting of the other end of the brass end, which also is pressed and glued.

For the final handle step, drill and tap with a ¼" x 20 tpi set screw on the end that receives the tool rod. The ¼" rod will probably hit an obstruction because of burrs from drilling and tapping the set screw hole, so remove the burrs with a round file. I recommend using a bottom-ing tap (one with a flat end); this creates a better set of threads through the brass. For appearance, polish and lacquer the brass.

Now, make the rodsI next turn my attention to the rods that hold the cutters. After several trials, I settled on ¼" drill rod for about $2.50 each (36" length). One mail-order source for this rod is Reid Tool Supply (800-253-0421 or www.reidtool.com). This drill rod is a good quality low-car-bon content steel available in a variety of sizes and types, depending on

which hardening method you intend to use. The rods I have found are:• O-1, which is an oil-hardening type.

This is the rod I rely on because it’s machinable when purchased and it is designed to be heat-treated in oil after final machining.

• W-1, which is a water-hardening type. It’s hardened in water after machining. Because I’ve had good results with O-1, I haven’t tried the W-1 rod.

• A-1, which is an air-hardening type. Ambient temperature of the air hardens the rod after heating and machining. This type is more dif-ficult to machine before hardening, but bears your consideration.To accomplish the hardening of O-1

rod, bring up the temperature of the piece with an acetylene-oxygen torch (mapp gas also would work) to a cherry red color, then quench the hot piece in peanut oil purchased from a grocery store. This oil has a high flash point and can tolerate high temperatures. I haven’t had any sur-prise fires but I leave nothing to chance.

All machining must be done before hardening. For straight cutters, I center-drill ⅜" holes in each end. I usually make a double-ended rod to save mate-rial, (the other end slides out of the way into the handle). To drill a straight hole for the cutter, you’ll first need to face the end of the rod square. I’ve found ¼" rod fairly easy to drill straight, but start-ing the hole with a machinist center drill produces a nicer hole.

Before gluing the cutters, heat and cool the drill rod in peanut oil for 60 minutes in a 400-degree oven. After an hour, I cool the rods at ambient (room) temperature. This step accomplishes

Wayne undercuts the inside of a 1"-diameter hollow form with ⅛" curved tool.

Wayne trues up 1½" diameter Praduak burl with a micro tool ground similar to a ½" round nose scraper.

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surface, it may shatter. However, if you have a friendly machine shop or access to a diamond wheel, carbide cutters reduce trips to the grinder.

I made a few carbide cutters for special occasions and to continue my quest of complexity. I have had carbide ground in ⅛" inches and in ¼" for cutters in larger tools. Yes, carbide does cut better in some woods. However, I don’t think the added expense of carbide is worth the time and money. It’s convenient to walk to the grinder and sharpen the HSS, and then walk back to the lathe and continue work.

After further consultation with turning friends, I realized that a smaller set of tools would be helpful. I pur-chased some ⅛" O-1 drill rod and some 1 ⁄16" HSS round material. While creat-ing this set, I realized why machinists charge the rates they do. After quite a few missed drilling attempts trying to center this small of a hole, I made a trip to a local machine shop and paid the price to have the holes drilled properly. After a little more research, I discovered a smaller set of centering drills to start the hole and a short drill bit used in drilling machines. You can purchase these from any machinist supply or Reid Tool Company. A regular drill bit with the standard length has too much flex with the pressure that is needed to drill the hole. This shorter drill made life easier, so I purchased various sizes of shorter bits. (Because the center drills and bits occasionally break, keep a few spares on hand.)

These ⅛" cutting rods are cut shorter and I have made only two styles: a straight one and one curved

for undercutting. I use only round HSS for the cutters in this size tool. To allow these to fit the same handle, I use ¼"-diameter brass rod that I cut to approximately 1" in length and face the edges, then center-drill a ⅛" hole ¾" deep. After heat-treating the drill rod, I glue the cutters in place, shape on the grinder and glue the ¼" brass rod on to the drill rod.

To take these tools to another level, I came up with one final size. A profes-sional turner who specializes in minia-tures recommended 1⁄16" cutters fitted into a ¼" brass rod. The material I use is 1⁄16" 0-1 drill rod, and so far I’ve only made a straight and a curved cutter.

Before gluing the cutter into the brass, I heat the drill rod to cherry red, which takes far less time than larger diameter drill rods. I again quench in the peanut oil. I made the first batch without annealing and found the metal too hard and broke easily. I then began annealing them, which improved the performance.

This is a synopsis of what I have learned through trial and error and welcome your ideas on improving the miniature tools.

Wayne Fitch ([email protected]) is a member of the AAW and works part- time at a Fort Worth, TX woodworking store. Wayne has a 34-year career in law enforcement and has found turning a beneficial method of stress relief.

two important things. First, it brings the hardness down slightly, which is referred to as annealing. Secondly, the annealing gives my wife something to talk about as the peanut oil has an odor when heated. After I explain the multi-uses of a kitchen oven, the domestic situation improves.

For an undercutting tool, I drill and bend the rod to the desired shape when heat-treating. I use either medium or thick viscosity cyanoacrylate (CA) glue to hold the cutting tips. When I need to change a tip, I apply heat to the cutter and it pulls out easily.

Have fun making cutting tips. I’ve found the choice of cutting tips can be either inexpensive or expensive. HSS cutter stock is inexpensive and is readily available in the round and square stock I prefer.

When you drill the hole in the end of the rods, the ⅛" round HSS cutter will require a ⅛" hole and the square cutter will take a larger hole to allow for the square corners. When drilling, the hole is slightly larger due to a small amount of play as you drill the rod. Using the square HSS cutter creates a larger cavity for the CA glue to bond with.

Carbide is a more expensive choice for the cutters. The expense of carbide is a little more, but the expense really ramps up when grinding to shape and sharpen-ing. Carbide requires a diamond wheel to cut; you can’t use the same ordinary grinding wheel to sharpen HSS to shape or sharpen carbide. Carbide requires the expertise and expense of a machine shop with the proper tool grinders. Another carbide drawback is that it’s brittle; if you drop the tool on a hard

Bent-neck hollowing tools in ¼", ⅛", and 1⁄16" sizes.

With the undercut tool (middle tool shown above) Wayne hollows outa 2"-diameter Praduak vessel.


Parting TheHager

By Stacey Hager

It worked! In fact, it cut so cleanly, and so smoothly, and with so little effort that I regretted not having another person awake at 1 a.m. to watch as those delicate ribbons floated onto my forearm.

I have given “Hager Parting Tools” to friends and visiting demonstrators who have stayed at our home. Many say they use them regularly. Here’s how to make one for yourself.

Choose a bladeStarrett, Ingersoll-Rand, Lenox, Disston-Porter, Borg-Warner, and Armstrong-Blum manufacture power hacksaw blades. Grainger (www.grainger.com) is one well-known catalog source. I’ve had good luck with high-speed steel blades, but you’ll also find welded bi-metal and high-carbon steel blades. Dimensions range from 12" to 30" (length), 1" to 2⅝" (width), .050" to 100" (thickness). For general use, I prefer 18" × 1¼" × .062". Prices range from $5 to $70 for new blades.

I get free used blades from the welding department at my local community college. For ultra-thin kerfs (.027"), I prefer perforating blades from the printing industry. Zimmer Industries and Simonds, Inc. manufacture these high-carbon steel blades. Your local printers may discard used blades. Note: You’ll need to add a handle on the printer blades, as the metal edge may cut into your palm.

Tool

I t was a dark and dreary midnight seven years past. (All good stories begin like this.) I was well into

turning a lidded box with grain that promised to be a bear to match at the joint.

What I needed was a thin-kerf parting tool like the one I had watched Chris Stott use several months before. I began scrounging around my shop for something from which I might make a reasonable facsimile.

I found an old power hacksaw blade. With my metal chopsaw,

Put power hacksaw blades to use at your lathe

I cut off one end at about 30 degrees.

I started to grind the edge and then remembered a sentence from the sharpening instructions pack-aged with my Oneway Wolverine jig. To paraphrase, laying the blade flat on the grinding platform (Photo H) produces a slight hollow grind (Photo C), which is ideal for clean parting. I found this advice difficult to follow with my regular diamond-profile parting tool, but why not try it here with this new thin parting tool?

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Grind off the teethBecause you can heat high-speed steel until dull-red without losing hard-ness, you can grind without concern for temper, as shown in Photo A. If you heat high-carbon steel much above the boiling point of water (212˚ F), you risk losing the ability to hold an edge. If carbon steel turns blue, you must carefully grind back to uncol-ored metal in order to find properly tempered steel.

Establish 30-degree angle At a metal-cutting chopsaw, wedge or clamp the blade at the proper angle as shown in Photo B. (You may not be able to hold the blade firmly enough with just your hand.)

5 Advantages of a thin parting tool• Thin kerf: The usual kerf is 1⁄16" (.062"). I

made one ultra-thin parting tool that cuts a .020" kerf. This is ideal for lidded containers.

• Clean cutting: The points of the curved tip cut fibers before the center rakes out the chips, as shown in Photo C.

• Stability: The cutting tip is low on the tool. This eliminates the tendency to twist, which increases as you raise the center of force (cutting edge) above the level of the tool rest. Start parting with the parting tool horizontal or tilted slightly downward. This scraping start prevents “fuzzing-up” the beginning of the cut. Once started, drop the handle (which raises the tip) and “turn the tangent,” as shown below.

• Doubles as scraper: For cleaning up the sur-face in tight spaces, this tool also scrapes. Just tilt the blade a few degrees off vertical and into the work. The sharp edge of the hollow-ground angle will shear-scrape beautifully.

• Safety: The long handle gives enough lever-age to prevent large forces from transmit-ting to the hand. If any parting tool begins to bind in the kerf, you should back out and widen the cut. You may choose to add a wooden handle to this tool.

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TURN THE TANGENT

As the diameter of the cut diminishes, the tool cutting edge follows this path. The “sweet spot” lies on this line in almost all turnings.


Round the handleTo prevent the corners from digging into your palm, gently cure the handle end of the parting tool as shown in Photo D.

Break the sharp edgesA hardened hollow-ground edge will destroy your tool rest rapidly. To avoid this, round the top and bottom edges of the blade slightly with a hone or sandpaper as shown in Photo E. Make the blade feel com-fortable in your hand without com-pletely destroying the flatness of the bottom edge.

Hollow-grind the major and micro bevelsAdjust the tool rest on your grinder so that the center of the rotation of the wheel passes through the center of your saw blade when it is extended over the tool rest past the grinder shaft as shown in Photo F. You can confirm this adjustment by hollow-grinding a section of the blade, then flipping it over and lightly touching the same edge to the wheel. Because the wheel should grind exactly the same curve when the blade is reversed, you should see no facets.

Adjust the tool rest by tapping with a small hammer as shown in Photo G. Hollow-grind the major bevel as shown in Photo H. Then flip over the blade and form the micro bevel by lightly hollow-grinding the

bottom edge of the tip at approxi-mately 30 degrees. The micro bevel should be less than 1⁄16"—just enough to raise the cutting tip above the blunted bottom edge of the tool.

Retired teacher Stacey Hager ([email protected]) of Austin, TX, is a member of the Central Texas Woodturners Association.

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SHOPMADE BEADING TOOL

Improving your woodturning skills is a progressive journey. When you feel comfortable turning

bowls, what is the next step? For me, it was finding an efficient way to add a decorative element—beads. I have tried commercially available beading tools, but the best beads I have turned were made from an old ⅜" (10mm) spindle gouge converted into a beader. Repurposing and custom-grinding tools is an inexpensive and creative way to get the results you want. So if you are ready to add a simple

decoration to your bowls and have an old spindle gouge that is ready for a new life, take to the grinder and make this simple tool.

New life for an old spindle gougeBefore you start grinding your spindle gouge into a beader, know the integrity of the tool steel you are converting. If not done carefully, grinding anything other than high-speed steel (HSS) could yield problematic results. What’s more,

not all tools marked HSS are alike, and some may not be made of the quality of steel advertised. Tools made of carbon steel, or even HSS that contains some carbon steel, can overheat easily. “Bluing” results when a tool is overheated, and this can permanently alter the hard-ness of your tool steel. So the rule of thumb is to take your time when grinding to avoid overheating the tool, especially with carbon steel. Once converted, either an HSS or carbon steel tool will do the job.

Bob Patros


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and steady as you proceed. Take your time and grind until a flat bevel and two points are established (Photo 2).

A ⅜" gouge will produce a bead of the same size; use different sized gouges to vary the size of your beads. What size bead would look best for the size bowl you are decorating?

Sharpening your “new” tool is easy. You can quickly hone the tool’s edge

(Photo 3) or take the beader back to the sharpening wheel for a gentle touch up. If you sharpen the tool at the grinder, present the tool as you did when first shaping it. With either method, be careful not to round the two points.

Using the toolIt is worthwhile to plan your bead enhancement to your newly turned bowl. I have been told you should never turn an even number of beads side by side, as this detracts from the bowl’s balance and aesthetics. The distance from the rim of the bowl to the bead is also worth careful consid-eration. Drawing pencil lines on the bowl prior to cutting will help you visualize the final look.

With the location of your bead indi-cated in pencil on the bowl, present the beader flat on the toolrest with the flute facing down. Ensure that both points touch the surface of the bowl at the same time (Photo 4). This will facilitate exact placement throughout the process.

Once you have established both point marks on the surface of the bowl, the tool action is to rock the tool gently from side to side while applying forward pressure (Photo 5). The tool always

To start the conversion, set your grinder’s toolrest to about 50 degrees. Using a rough-grit shaping wheel, place the spindle gouge flat on the toolrest with the flute facing upward and slowly push it straight in, being careful not to overheat the tool (Photo 1). Since the round profile of your tool is the part that is resting on the toolrest, you will have to hold it even

Hold the round profile of the gouge firmly and evenly on the toolrest to begin grinding the tool into a beader. Preventing the tool from rocking while grinding is essential for creating symmetrical points.

You have completed the conversion from gouge to beader when the two points are established.

Sharpen the beader as needed. Firmly hold the beader’s bevel to a stone and hone in the direction of the length of the tool (not side to side). You can also sharpen the tool on the grinder with the toolrest set at 50 degrees (the original angle used for shaping). With either method, be careful not to round over the two points.

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remains flat on the toolrest with the flute facing down, and the shaft of the tool remains close to horizontal. During the cutting process, pull your tool back frequently and stop the lathe to see how your bead is taking shape. With the lathe still off, rotate the bowl by hand to ensure you are forming the bead com-pletely. When re-engaging the beader after evaluation, be careful to present the points in their original location.

SandingWith its flat top bevel pointing down, this beader essentially cuts like a neg-ative-rake scraper and leaves a smooth surface that requires minimal sanding. To touch up your bead after tooling, use a small, folded piece of abrasive and sand lightly from the groove toward the top of the bead with the lathe speed at about 500 rpm (Photo 6). By sanding

the bead within the grooves and working your way carefully toward the top, you will avoid flattening the round of the bead you have created.

Woodturners are known for making their own tools—or adapting an exist-ing one—for the job at hand. This shopmade beading tool is no excep-tion. It works great on bowls and spindles alike.

Special thanks to John Sake, Paul Fisch, and Kristin Royalty for the photographs in this article.

Bob Patros enjoys a wide variety of turning projects, including pens, bowls, and hollow forms. Living in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Bob has been a member of the Coulee Region Woodturners for ten years and of the AAW for almost as long.

You read the article—now see the video!This article has an accompanying online video in which Bob Patros demonstrates the tool conversion described here—and the proper use of this shopmade beader. To view the video, visit tiny.cc/beadingtool or scan the QR code with your mobile device.

Present the two points of the beader to establish the grooves, or outside edges of the bead. Note the inside of the bowl has been roughed out but not completed. The depth of the beader points is a consideration when determining wall thickness (don’t ask me how I know).

While maintaining the tool’s points in the grooves and the tool flat on the toolrest, gently move the handle left and right to form the curve of the bead. Fine shavings imply a sharp tool and good positioning.

Using a small, folded piece of abrasive, sand the bead from the outside groove to the top. Be careful not to hold the abrasive too long on top, which would flatten the bead.


Bob Rosand

Two of the great benefits of demonstrating at chapters around the country are that

demonstrators get to show mem-bers how they turn and learn from others—if they keep their eyes and ears open.

About a year ago, I visited the Ohio Valley Woodturner Guild. Before the weekend was over, I spent several hours in John Lannom’s shop. John has a great shop and turns some wonderful work, but the thing that caught my eye was a wide-rimmed platter that had some very nice “orange peel” texturing. I commented that the texturing must have been time-con-suming. John’s response was that it took only four or five minutes to texture the surface.

Using the technique he learned from Trent Bosch, John textured his platter with a needle scaler. This is an impact tool that welders rely on to remove scale from welds. The scaler requires about 90 pounds of air to operate properly.

I’m having fun with my own scaler and since buying it, I’ve tex-tured lidded boxes, tool handles, oil lamps, paperweights, platters, and bowls. Here are two projects that show off these texturing tech-niques. Both have been featured in the journal in the past. If you would like more details on turning an oil lamp like the one featured here, review the Winter 1999 issue of American Woodturner. The Winter 2004 issue featured Alan Lacer’s article on turning tool handles.

Select a 4×4×2" square of maple burl or other suitable turning stock. After mounting it in a scroll chuck, drill a ¾"-deep hole with a 1½"-diameter Forstner bit. (Verify the diameter with a tea candle or confetti candle purchased at a grocery store or crafts store.)

As you shape the body with a ⅜" spindle gouge, leave the shoulder square. You will later turn down the shoulder, but leave it in place for now so you can texture the body without affecting the final surface.

Turn off the lathe and begin texturing with the needle scaler.

Apply light pressure and keep the tool moving. Note that the tool is positioned about 90 degrees to the work. It doesn’t matter if the needles hit the squared neck of the oil lamp because you will turn away that section later.

To remove stray tool marks, turn the shoulder with a sharp square-nosed scraper. Create separation between the neck of the lamp and the body by cutting a V-groove with a small spindle gouge sharpened to a razor point.

To turn the base, part the oil lamp from the lathe.

Oil lamp

Because the shoulder will be contoured later, you can texture right up to the neck.

You can steady the bowl with one hand while you texture the oil-lamp surface.

Texture Tool

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Remount the piece on a friction-fit waste block. Then turn a slightly concaved base. When you’re satisfied with the shape, texture the base as previously described.

To finish your lamp, rub it with 0000 steel wool or synthetic steel wool saturated with walnut oil or a tung-oil product. If you apply a tung-oil, add a coat of paste wax, then buff.

Use a small spindle gouge to separate the neck and body.

After turning the base of your oil lamp, texture the bottom with the needle scaler. Note how the tool is held at 90 degrees to the surface.


The scaler is an impact tool. Air drives a small piston that randomly drives the gun’s needles in and out, which marks the work.

From the factory, the needles are blunt. The first thing I did when my scaler arrived was to disassemble the scaler, remove each needle, and round over the tips on my grinder. Then I clamped each needle in a three-jaw chuck and sanded them smooth. After reassembly, I was ready to work.

The needle scaler requires little maintenance. It does require peri-odic lubrication (a couple of drops of oil before each use), but so far, I have yet to break a needle.

After you use it for a while, you will begin to notice little black specks appearing on your work. These are bits of old lubricant and dirt. When this happens, remove the needles, clean them and the scaler interior, and reassemble.

There are numerous needle scalers on the market, but some of them are

Tool handle

Your next texturing device

Turning a handle for a lathe tool is a simple project that illustrates some of the effects you can get with the needle scaler.

With a roughing-out gouge, turn the handle shape from a 1½×1½×10" blank. (Cherry is shown in these how-to photos.)

At one end, turn and fit a ferrule from a piece of ½×½" copper tubing. Then, finish shaping the tool handle with a ½" skew.

Now, texture the surface with the needle scaler. Apply downward pressure and keep the tool moving. You will need to occasionally tighten the tailstock because the vibration of the scaler may loosen the mounting.

Texture the end of the tool, being sure to keep the scaler at about 90 degrees in relation to the area being textured. The lower handle at right shows four decorative lines cut into the handle. You may finish the handle at this point with walnut oil or tung oil.

For an aged appearance, apply a coat of black water-based milk paint, which dries fast, is durable, and sands off easily. The milk paint also darkens and ages the cherry. When you sand off the paint, you’ll have three color layers: black paint, the darkened cherry, and a lighter layer of freshly exposed cherry.

After sanding with 220, 320, and 400 grits, apply the finish of your choice.

cumbersome for this type of detail work. The scaler shown is a Sioux Tools mini-needle scaler model no. 5263. (Contact Sioux at 800-722-7290 to find a dealer near you.) This model has 12 needles and is relatively compact. I paid about $140 for my scaler, but I’ve talked to some people who found them for about $75 on the Internet. I’ve talked to some turners who purchased larger, cheaper scalers and they found them heavy and difficult to use.

This is one of the few tools that will to some extent hide shoddy workman-ship. If you have some very minimal surface flaws they will in all prob-ability disappear, but larger tear-outs and flaws will definitely be noticeable. If your tool control is good, you can probably get away with not sanding the piece before scaling the surface.

The scaler works best on end grain because you are impacting or pushing down the end-grain fibers. It also works well on side grain, but the scaler markings are not quite as distinguish-able or precise.

The down side to this tool is that the random needle marks are hard to control and may wander into an area you don’t want textured. Advanced planning eliminates this problem like the neck of the oil lamp.

When you use the tool, hold it at about 90 degrees to the surface. If you don’t, it will tend to “skid” off the surface. Apply a little downward pres-sure and keep the tool moving.

The texturing will be more defined if you leave the piece chucked while you texture it or leave it between centers like when texturing a tool handle. The results will be far better than if you try to hold the piece in your hand while texturing.

Bob Rosand (RRosand.com) is an American Woodturner contributing editor who lives in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. He will demonstrate this technique at the AAW symposium in Overland Park.

Inexpensive beading tool from gougesHere is a way to salvage an old gouge. I make a small beading tool by grinding it at a sharp angle. I use it face down at a 45-degree angle. I can control the size and shape of bead by changing the angle.

When I move the tool rest in close, I eliminate chatter and tearout. I also have a ⅜" gouge cut the same way.Harvey Fein, New York, N.Y.

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Apply a coat of black water-based milk paint to the handle, then allow to dry.

Establish the shape of your lathe-tool handle and fit a copper ferrule to the tenon end.

Hold the needle scaler at 90 degrees to the piece while you texture the entire length of the handle.

Sand high spots of the handle with 220-, 320- and 400-grit sandpaper. This reveals three color tones.


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Dovetailed recess

SHOPMADE DOVETAIL RECESS

TOOLMike Peace

I f you use a four-jaw chuck in expan-sion mode to hold a bowl or platter, and your chuck has jaws that are

angled like a dovetail, you need to cre-ate a recess with an angled outer wall to accommodate the jaws (Photo 1).

You can use a variety of tools to cut this recess, such as a bedan or skew or even a commercial dovetail scraper, though most of these tools are difficult to use with the tailstock in place. It can also be a challenge to consistently form the correct angle on the outside wall of your recess to match the dovetail jaws of your chuck. One solution is to make a customized scraper, ground so that the handle clears the tailstock’s live center and the recess walls are automatically formed at the correct angle (Photo 2).

The dovetail angle on my chuck jaws is 10.5°, so I have ground the cutting surfaces on my recess tool to approxi-mate that angle. Your chuck’s dove-tail angles may be different. Ideally, you would cut your dovetail recess to match the jaws exactly, but it doesn’t have to be perfect. My tool cuts about an 8° recess. Too steep a dovetail, like 15°, is worse than one that is angled a bit less than ideal.

If you don’t have a surplus tool to repurpose, you can buy a high-speed steel (HSS) tool blank and make your own.

Using the toolHolding the tool flat on the toolrest, guide the recess-bottom cutting edge (surface 1 in Photo 2) in first, then move the tool to the left to form the angled wall. With a little practice, you will be able to form flat-bottomed recesses with your desired wall angle every time (Photo 3).

Mike Peace enjoys a wide variety of turning, from ornaments to hollow forms. He is active in several AAW chapters and enjoys teaching and demonstrating in the Atlanta area. You can see pictures of Mike’s work and his previously published woodturning articles at MikePeacewoodturning.blogspot.com.

The author’s shopmade dovetail recess tool, made from an old skew ½" (13mm) wide and a bit less than ¼" (6mm) thick. Edge 1 forms the bottom of the recess, and edge 2 forms the angled wall. The angle between these two edges should match the angle on the outside of your dovetail jaws (in my case, about 80°). Since edges 1 and 2 are being used as scrapers, their bevels should be ground at a 70° to 80° angle.

Chucking in expansion mode. This cutaway shows an accurately formed recess whose outer wall is angled to match the splay of the chuck jaws. A simple shopmade tool will produce the correct angle every time. Two jaws removed for cutaway illustration only.

This picture shows the tool can be used even with a live center in the way.

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Custom Tool for Plugs and Inlay

John Lucas

I have been adding wooden plugs and inlays to my turnings

for a long time—cut a hole or groove, turn a plug or ring, glue them in place, then finish-turn everything (Photos below). Plugs and inlays add a nice touch to many turning projects. To accomplish the mating of the plug and hole or the ring and groove accurately, however, requires precise measurements. If a dimension is just a few thousandths off, I have to either start over or fill the gap with colored epoxy.

One day, while inserting a Morse taper into the tailstock, I thought of a solution to the problem: make a taper on the wooden plug or inlay

that fits a matching taper on the hole or groove!

The advantage of this method is that you can sneak up on a perfect fit. All

you need is the right tool, a little patience, a hacksaw, and a file.

The tool is a scraper with two custom-ground 5° angles.

Angle jig and toolMake a jig to use for check-ing the angle at which to grind the cutting edges of the scraper (Photo 1).

The jig does not have to be exactly 5°—all you need is

something close. Take a thin piece of metal and color it with

a chemical dye or simply use a marker. Scribe a line across it at

The clock measures 8" (20 cm) in diameter and is made from mahogany. The plug in

the middle is made from laminated wood to achieve a solid-wood look.

The body of the mirror is segmented, as well as the plug and inlay ring.

Glue in the plug and inlay.Cut a hole for a plug and a recess for an inlay ring.


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Sometimes, however, I want a solid-wood look for a plug in a seg-mented object, such as the clock (Photo at top of previous page). In that case, I stack-laminate thin pieces of wood with the grain running in dif-ferent directions like plywood.

One last tip: These rings and plugs fit so well that pressure from the glue can force the ring back out or even break the ring while apply-ing clamps. Been there, done that. Simply cut a second groove inside of the original groove (place it in the middle) for the excess glue to flow into. This relieves the pressure to let the inlay ring sit flat.

John Lucas is a full-time photographer for Tennessee Tech University. He teaches workshops at the Appalachian Center for Crafts and has been working with wood for over thirty-five years and turning for twenty-five years.

90° to the edge. Measure the width you want on the front of your scraper and scribe a line at a 5° angle. Then use a hacksaw and a file to get the shape you want.

Use the jig to mark lines on the scraper tool. Then grind the scraper close to that shape. Undercut the sides and square tip, just like you would when sharpening a scraper. Use the jig to check the shape and angle. Grind slowly to sneak up on a perfect fit. A strip sander makes this easier but a grinding wheel works, too. Then flip the jig over and grind the other side of the tool. This ensures that both sides will be the same angle.

Hone the tool with a diamond hone so it has a burr just like a scraper. It takes time to make the tool but it won’t have to be reground for a long time, just occasionally touch up the cutting edge with a hone.

Use of the toolCut a hole in the wood for the plug, using a parting tool. Then use the custom scraper tool to fine-tune the edge of the hole to a 5° angle (Photo 2). Do this by holding the scraper at 90° on the toolrest and using the left side of the tool.

Next, turn a plug for the hole from contrasting wood. Measure the

hole with calipers and transfer that dimension to the plug blank. Make a mark. Cut up to the mark carefully using a gouge, getting the plug close to the correct size. Then use the 5° scraper to cut the angle on the side (Photo 3). Use the right side of the tool for this cut and hold the tool at a 90° angle on the toolrest. Sneak up on the size. Check the fit often. At first the plug will just barely fit in the opening of the hole. Each time you remove some wood, the plug will fit deeper into the hole. Stop before the plug bottoms out.

If, however, you want the plug to bottom out for a stronger glue joint, measure the total thickness of the plug and the depth of the hole. Subtract that total from the total thickness of your base piece, and that is how far the plug should stick up. Each time you make a small cut on the plug it will sit deeper into the hole. Stop when you reach the mea-surement you arrived at earlier. When done correctly, the glue joint will be all but invisible.

Inlay ringsThis tool also works when cutting grooves for inlaying rings and the rings themselves, but you have to take much more care when sneaking up on the cuts—both sides of the groove and of the ring need to match.

Grain alignmentIf you use solid wood for the ring and for the object, make sure the grain aligns to compensate for wood movement so that future glue-joint problems are avoided. Wood move-ment can also cause problems if you put a segmented ring into a solid piece of wood. The same is true with a solid ring in a segmented piece. Match up solid wood with solid wood or segmented with segmented, and pay attention to grain alignment.

Use a jig to aid in creating a 5°-angled scraping tool, which will be used for cutting matching holes and plugs or matching grooves and inlay rings.

Use the left side of the scraper, holding it at 90° on the toolrest, to finish cut the hole for the plug.

Use the right side of the scraper to cut the outside angle of the plug to match the hole cut in the body of the turned object. Hold the tool at 90° on the toolrest.

27woodturner.org

By Stacey Hager

Make Your Point

Whenever I need to finesse a bead in a tight spot, I always grab my point tool. Why? The sharp point shines in executing detail work. And best of all, it’s vir-tually catch-free.

I've found the point tool to be an extremely versatile scraper for many turning tasks. Because the 120-degree angled faces produce relatively obtuse cutting edges, it makes shear cuts and scrapes easy to control.

Follow the steps below to make your own point tool. You'll find some handy suggestions on use of this tool on the next spread.

Grind the steelTo make your own point tool, you need a 6"-long piece of high-speed steel (HSS) hardened to Rockwell 62 or 63. One source is Dixie Industrial Supply, Inc. (800-422-2616 or dixiesupply.com). A steel rod ¼" to 5⁄16" in diameter is ideal; my favorite tool stock is 9⁄32".

Start by chucking the rod in Stronghold #1 jaws or something similar and mark the center in one end with a small combination drill/countersink held in a drill chuck mounted in the tailstock. This dot will serve as a center reference as you grind the faces. (A carbide bit or diamond stylus mark better on HSS.) All you need is a tiny dot (about 1⁄32" deep), but it must be able to survive a lot of grinding.

Hollow-grind three angled faces on one end of the rod to form a three-sided pyramid. Each face should form an angle of approximately 25 degrees with the centerline. The functional range is from 20 degrees to 30 degrees (more acute is hard to control, more obtuse does not cut well). Space the faces equally around the rod at 120 degrees. You can grind the faces by hand or use jigs, but each face must be the same length and at the same angle.

I begin roughing out the point by hand. Then I make a temporary handle (a dowel with a hole in it) and use a Wolverine-type arm to hold the tool at a constant angle for the finish grind. If you don’t trust your eye, build a jig as shown and described on the next page.

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Grinding notesIf you grind by hand, make a mark around the rod where it contacts the tool rest. This mark helps you position the tool at the same angle for each grind. Grind the faces a little at a time, trying to keep them equal. A small equilateral triangle should form around the center dot. Use this triangle to help you keep the faces equal.

After you get three faces ground at approximately 120 degrees, an edge of the pyramid should always point straight up as you grind the face opposite. Continue grinding alternate faces until they form a point.

With a Sharpie pen, mark an even line around the rod a little more than one diameter away from the tip. Spin the rod in a chuck, then steady the pen on the tool rest as shown at right. Use this line to keep the “scallops” formed by grinding the same length. (Grinding the scallops to a line 110 percent of diameter down from the tip will produce a face angle of about 25 degrees.) If all three faces are ground at the same angle and the scallops are the same length, your point will be centered.

Do not quench extremely hot tool steel. (If it sizzles, it’s too hot.) Doing so may cause micro fractures, which can damage the surface and reduce the edge quality and longevity. To prevent this, use a heat sink. I use two ½×4×6" pieces of alu-minum to “sandwich” hot tools. This draws the heat out almost as quickly as water without the mess or damage. Try taping the back edges together so the aluminum pieces open like a book. Simply place the hot tool on the bottom piece and “close the book.”

You can make a 120-degree indexing wheel by drawing a 3" circle on a block of wood and dividing the circumference into thirds as shown at right. Draw a line from the center to each dividing point. Drill a perpendicular hole, the diam-eter of the rod, through the exact center. Press the wheel onto the rod. Grind each face with one of the lines pointing straight up. You could also drill a hole through the exact center of an equilateral triangle, and use a level or table to ensure that each face is at 120 degrees. A protractor such as the General model no.17 is handy for checking the face angles. I recommend a dial caliper for measuring the diam-eters and lengths.

Turn a handle from a dense wood (ebony or boxwood are two good choices) so that most of the tool’s weight will be in your hand. The handle should be about 6" long and around 1⅛" in diameter at the widest point. Your middle finger should just reach the heel of your hand when stretched around the narrow end. For more information on handles, refer to Alan Lacer’s article in the Spring 2005 issue of American Woodturner.

Mark the center of your high-speed steel with a carbide bit or diamond stylus.

Use a Sharpie marker to guide your formation of three equal sides.

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BeadThere are two classic bead shapes: Greek (parabolic) and Roman (semi-circular). Begin either by making a V-cut. For a semi-circular bead, the V-cut depth should be about one-half the width of the bead. For the parabolic shape, the V-cut must go a little deeper.

To scrape a bead, simply make a V-cut and swing the handle toward the center of the bead keeping the tri-angular face horizontal. Pulling the handle back slightly allows the edge to follow the curve without the point touching the adjacent side of the V-groove. Repeat for the other side.

To cut a bead, make a V-cut and begin swinging the handle very slightly toward the center of the bead. This pulls the point out of the groove so that it will not catch the opposite side. Drop the handle as you roll the tool slightly away from the bead. This brings up the cutting edge and rotates the bottom face toward the bead. This lower triangu-lar face should float over the newly cut surface acting as the rubbing bevel. This face starts out almost vertical and ends up horizontal. You are rolling the bead uphill from the V-cut rotating the tool toward the center of the bead as you prog-ress (like a windshield wiper with a twist). Control the cut by varying the amount you drop and roll the handle. Reverse these motions to cut back downhill.

Allan Batty recommends point-ing your index finger along the tool for increased fine motor control. If you are right handed and are rolling the right hand side of a bead, you need to place this “pointing finger” along the right side of the tool so your hand can rotate from vertical to horizontal as you roll the bead upward. For the left side of a bead you would start with the “pointing finger” on top of the handle so you can rotate smoothly to the right as you go from the V-groove to the top of the bead. Everything is just the oppo-site for us lefties.

One advantage of this tool is that you can move back and forth (both uphill and downhill) over a surface until you get the shape you want. This is the only tool I am aware of that will cut uphill on a bead. As you would expect, the downhill cut is smoother. The usual practice is to rough one side of the bead going uphill from the beginning V-groove, then to refine and finish with a downhill cut. Repeat this procedure for the other side of the bead.

As with any complex cut, practice may be necessary to get all of this coordinated. I recommend practic-ing on a nice green branch until you get the hang of it. Begin with beads about the diameter of the tool. The challenge is to make smaller and smaller beads.

The point tool is used primarily for spindle and faceplate work. It is also useful for details such as texturing and making designs in the bottom of bowls and hollow forms. I find myself picking this tool up in dozens of situations where I need access and don't want to risk a catch with a detail gouge or the point of a skew.

This is a finesse tool, not a hogging tool. The point tool really shines on delicate, high-definition spindles such as finials, boxes, clock parts, and chair parts. It was originally used on small objects made of ivory, bone, or on extremely dense, fine-grained hardwoods such as ebony or boxwood. There are four basic cuts that can be performed with this tool: The V-groove, the bead, the facing cut, and the planing cut.

V-cutUse the V-cut for detailing and as the beginning step in forming a bead. Examples of detailing are the signature lines in the bottom of a bowl or vase and the delicate line marking the transition between flats and beads in spindle work. V-cuts are also a fast, efficient, and controllable way to produce texture.

To make a V-cut, place the point tool on the tool rest perpendicular to the surface of the wood. Rotate the handle until a triangular face is up. Drop the handle until this cutting face is almost horizontal. Push the tool straight in as shown in the photo below.

4 ways to use a point tool

V-cut: With a triangular face up, push the tool straight into the stock between centers.


Facing cut Align one triangular face of the tool with the surface you wish to face off (usually an end grain surface). Drop the handle until the upper cutting edge is almost horizontal. Push the cut straight in, arcing the point of the tool toward the center of the spindle. This should produce a cut almost as clean as the skew with less chance of a catch.

Bead step 1: After making a V-cut, swing the handle slightly toward the center of the bead.

Bead step 2: Drop the handle slightly as you roll the bead “uphill.” See further details on the previous page.

Facing cut: On an end-grain surface, align one triangular face with the surface. Drop the handle, then arch the cut toward the center.

Planing cut: Place the triangular face of the tool flat on the surface. Advance the handle slightly in the direction of the cut.

Planing cutThis is useful in tight places where you can’t access with a skew or gouge (for example, the flat separating a cove and a bead). Make this cut by placing one triangular face of the tool flat on the surface to be planed. Advance the handle slightly in the direction of the cut and push the tool along the surface. The cutting edge should be about 45 degrees

from vertical or horizontal. Try to maintain a slight feather or fuzz in front of the cut. As with a skew, keep the cut at the heel of the cutting edge (away from the point).

This is Stacey Hager’s fourth homemade tool article for the American Woodturner. He is a member of the Central Texas Woodturners Association and lives in Austin, Texas. You can contact him at [email protected].

31woodturner.org

A s woodturners, there is prob-ably a little gadget freak in all of us. Let’s face it: We love

tools! Tools to hollow, tools to shear-scrape, tools to cut beads, gadgets to keep our skews from catching, even vacuum gouges that suck up chips as we cut. Sometimes I think we are all looking for the magical tool that will make us better turners.

I must confess, I occasionally succumb to the call of the tool gods. It seems that at least once a year, I purchase a tool that I really do not need and with a little thought, I probably could have come up with a home-made alternative.

The best advice I could give is to get to know and use the basic tools you have in your tool kit and then modify them as needed for special jobs. One tool I have come up with for my own personal use is what I call a “friction-fit tool.”

(I’m sure that I did not invent this tool—someone out there is saying, “Been there, done that.”)

At any rate, this tool is simply a modified square-nose scraper. It allows me remove small amounts of wood when friction-fitting the lids of boxes. This tool also allows me to reverse small bowls (and larger ones), friction-fit them in a wasteblock, and finish the bottoms, all the while providing precision and control with the amount of material I am trying to remove.

Grind the profileTo make this tool, you need nothing more than a discarded scrap of ⅛"-thick HSS planer blade about 6" long and ¼" wide that you’ll mount in a handle. Grind the nose of the tool just as you would a regular square-nose scraper. Then, turn the tool 90 degrees and sharpen about a ¼" notch on the left-hand side. Resist

the temptation to sharpen all the way down the side of the tool. If you over-sharpen, you will waste a lot of steel and shorten the life of the tool.

Next, turn a handle of your choice. You’ll find complete information on turning a homemade handle for lathe tools in Alan Lacer’s how-to article in the Winter 2004 issue.

Is there room at your lathe for one more tool? This specialty cutter will help you finesse your next fit on a wasteblock.

A friction-fit tool is ideal to create a tight-fitting wasteblock before turning the bottom of a bowl.

Bob Rosand

Friction-fit Tool

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Tips to improve the fitIf your fit is good but not great, a layer of pa-per towel between the bowl and wasteblock often does the trick. Or, spray the waste-block with water, which will swell the fibers of the wood and improve the fit.

Put the tool to useHere’s how to use the tool to friction-fit a 4"-diameter bowl in a wasteblock to finish the bowl bottom. Yes, a vacuum chuck would work well here, but if you don’t own this accessory, this tool will help you accomplish this task—and perhaps with less setup effort.

When you put the friction-fit tool into action, you will only use the ¼" notch.

True up the wasteblock (Photo 1), then set your vernier calipers to the bowl diameter. While the lathe is running, scratch the diameter onto the soft pine wasteblock as shown in Photo 2. Use the vernier calipers

as you would use a scraper, with the points angled toward the floor. If you don’t do this or if you touch the outboard point, you risk damage to the calipers and to yourself.

With a spindle gouge, remove some of the material between the scratch lines. Now, switch to the friction-fit tool to scrape a flat area to accept the rim of the bowl. Gently slide the tool along the tool rest, removing small amounts of wood, as shown in Photo 3.

As you get close to the scratch (reference) lines, check the fit of the bowl. When you get close to a snug friction fit, tilt the tool to the left just a bit, as shown in Photo 4. If you sharpened the tool properly and at 90 degrees, this cut will remove a scant amount of wood—hopefully just enough to allow for that perfect fit.

If you’re not happy with the fit, remove the bowl, true up the waste-block, and start again.

If you’ve done it just right, you will feel that the bowl is snug and running true. Now, you can use a

small spindle gouge to clean up the bottom, as shown in Photo 5.

Fit a lidTo finish the outside of a lid, you’ll need to friction-fit the lid into a waste-block. With calipers, measure the diameter of the inside of the lid, then transfer the measurement to the waste-block, as shown in Photo 6.After you remove the waste material between the reference lines (Photo 7), fine-tune the fit with the side of the friction-fit tool.

Bob Rosand (RRosand.com) is an American Woodturner contributing editor. He lives in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania.

1To turn the bottom of a bowl, first prepare a flat surface on a wasteblock.

2With calipers, transfer the bowl’s rim diameter to the wasteblock.

3Slide the friction-fit tool along the tool rest until you reach the marked diameter.

4Tilt the friction-fit tool to the left to finesse the final diameter.

5Mount the bowl in the wasteblock, then turn the bowl bottom with a spindle gouge.

6On a soft pine wasteblock, use calipers to mark the diameter of the lid interior.

7Before fitting the lid, use a spindle gouge to remove the waste material.

33woodturner.org

SPUR DRIVE SEATING TOOL

Jim Duxbury

A common way to mount a bowl blank on the lathe for shaping its outside profile and forming

a tenon is between centers. This entails “seating,” or pounding a spur drive into the wood prior to mounting on the lathe to ensure a positive, non-slipping grip. Many turners use a large hammer or mallet to do the job. Whether the wood is freshly cut or kiln dried, pounding on the end of a drive center can quickly mushroom over the end of a Morse taper. Using a drive with a damaged Morse taper in the headstock spindle of your lathe can wear and damage the spindle drive socket. And if the drive’s spurs are not driven deep enough into the wood, the spurs will spin in the wood, tearing a hole, plugging the flutes, and becoming totally useless.

I devised a simple tool to seat my drive center firmly in the wood without damaging the Morse taper of the drive.

How it’s madeOnly the head of the spur drive has to be seated in the wood, and since the head has a larger diameter than the Morse taper shaft, a ¾"- (19mm-) diam-eter by 3"- (8cm-) long steel pipe nipple held with a pair of locking pliers can be an economical solution. A convenient improvement is to add a handle made from a ¾" tee pipe fitting and a turned wooden grip. Here is how I made mine:1. Put the tee in a vise and tighten the

nipple into it (Photo 1).2. Rotate the tee in the vise and cut the

nipple off flush with the tee; then file the cut surface smooth (Photo 2). This

will make a good, durable surface that you will strike with a hammer during use.

3. Screw the remaining full threads on the opposite end of the pipe nipple into the opposite opening of the tee.

4. Mount a straight-grained piece of hardwood about 1¼" (3cm) square by 7" (18cm) long between centers on the lathe and turn it round. Form a tenon on one end ¾" long and the same diameter as the outside threads on the pipe nipple.

5. Shape the handle and decorate with burn lines if desired. Sand smooth, finish with wax, and part it off (Photo 3).

6. Clamp the wooden handle in a vise and thread the tee fitting onto the handle’s tenon with the aid of a pipe wrench (Photo 4). When the tee is about halfway on, remove it and wax down the new threads with candle wax. Then thread the tee on all the way.

In useBefore using the tool to seat a spur drive, remove an area of bark from the blank if bark remains on the wood. Position the spur drive where you want it. Feed the threaded nipple portion of the tool over the Morse Taper. Holding the tool by the wooden handle, strike the upper part of the tee fitting to drive the spur into the wood, as shown in the opening image. You will be amazed how well this simple tool works.

Jim Duxbury, a woodturner and inventor, prides himself on creating wooden items that function with precision and stimulate creativity, while retaining the qualities and beauty of the wood grain. For more, visit duxterity.com/ec.

A simple, shopmade seating tool will protect the Morse taper of your spur drive.

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Thread a steel pipe nipple into a tee fitting.

Turn a handle.

After threading the uncut end of the pipe nipple into the opposite end of the tee fitting, thread the tee onto the wooden handle.

Cut the nipple off flush with the tee and file the surface smooth. This will become your striking surface.


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10Tapping Toolfor

TurnersJim Duxbury

There are many times when I need to thread a block of wood: to make a waste block

or jam chuck, to devise an adapter of some sort to drive a turning, or to make an object to hold a uniquely shaped turning while it is on the lathe.

Tapping wood is distinctly dif-ferent from working with metal. Considerations are many: the species of wood and its hardness, the type of grain, the orientation of the object to be made, and the real-ization that there is an assortment of tap sizes. One thing is certain: Tapping endgrain does not work at all.

Getting the tap started straight without losing the first half of the threads in the hole can also be a problem, especially if you have to start the tap by hand.

I finally came up with a solution that is low cost, easy to make, and more important, works every time. The tap described in this article is ¾" (19 mm) diameter × 10 threads

Using chalk, make three marks on the threaded rod, equidistant apart, and about 2" (50 mm) long. Flutes will be ground between these lines. Two nuts could be threaded onto the rod to secure the rod in place while grinding.

Grinding three flutes will transform the threaded rod into a tap. Be sure to leave the leading edge (the cutting part) of the threads square or slightly undercut.

Cut the flutes in the rod. Be sure to wear appropriate safety gear.

The completed tap will have all the threads removed from the end with a taper up to about 1" (25 mm) where the full threads begin.

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Tapping Tool

per inch (tpi). Many of the live tailstock centers now have a ¾" (19 mm) × 10 tpi. Various shapes and sizes of cups, cones, balls, or even flat ends can be custom-turned from hardwood scrap and mounted on these centers. Note: Another reason for making this particular tap is that the thread commonly used on ¾"- (19 mm-) diameter wood is only 6 tpi. Taps for wood are very limited and in many cases not avail-able at all.

Make the tapMaking a tap is not that difficult. The material is inexpensive and easy to procure. If you fail to make this tap correctly the first time, cut off the damage and simply start over. I do not have a metal-turning lathe or milling machine. The tap is made by eye using a 4" (10 cm) high-speed grinder or a rotary tool.

Be sure to wear a full faceshield and a good particulate respirator. Grind in a well-ventilated area and keep the respirator on until the air has cleared. Protective gloves and ear protection are also advised.

You will need a short length of threaded rod and two nuts. Black steel or plated rod is fine. I am using black steel, which can be purchased at most local hardware stores. Start by cutting a 6" (15 cm) length off the length of threaded rod. Using chalk, mark three lines around the cir-cumference of the rod, each 2" (50 mm) long and an equal distance apart (Photo 1). Draw the lines lightly at first and respace them as needed to achieve even spacing.

Once you have the lines spaced prop-erly, chalk the lines about ¼" (6 mm) wide. These lines represent where the threads will remain when creating the tap. Between these three lines, grooves will be ground out.

Clamp the rod securely into a vise. Attach a metal-cutting disc onto either a 4" (10 cm) high-speed grinder or use a black metal cutting disc inserted into a rotary tool. Put on your safety equip-ment. Cut a U-shaped groove (flute) about 2" (50 mm) long into the rod between each of the three chalk lines (Photo 2).

I removed most of the steel with the grinder and touched up the cutting surface using a black metal-cutting wheel mounted into a Dremel tool. Because this tap is a cutting tool, be sure to leave the leading edge (cutting part) of the threads square or slightly undercut (Photo 3). Repeat this same cut for the remaining two grooves.

Grind off all the thread on the end of the tap and taper upward from there about 1" (25 mm) to a full thread. Check the depth of cut and configuration (Photo 4). Note that

After drawing a series of circles onto a length of hardwood, drill holes centered into those circles.

Use the first tapped hole to align and tap subsequent holes.

Thread a tapped disc onto a live tailstock center.

Glue and clamp two discs together using the tailstock to apply pressure.

Tap the first hole into a scrap piece of hardwood. Make sure the tap is held perpendicular to the wood.


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“Once you start using this tap,

all sorts of things can be made. Be creative!”

length. This tap, threaded through the waste block, will ensure the tap starts perpendicular in the new hole, and advances at the exact rate to cut a perfect thread. It’s magic!

Shopmade tailstock centersHere is where this tap really makes things happen. Select a block of good hardwood 2" (50 mm) wide by 1" (25 mm) thick, and about 8" (20 cm) long. Draw three 2"- (50 mm-) diam-eter circles on it. Mark the centers of each, and drill a ⅝"- (16 mm-) diameter hole in each of these circles (Photo 6). Place the block in a vise. Put the tap into your tapped waste block so that about ¼" (6 mm) of it protrudes out of the bottom. Place the protruding end of this tap into one of the newly drilled holes and clamp it down securely (Photo 7).

Using the previous method of turning the tap, tap this hole. Notice how the tap starts square and with little or no downward pressure required. When all three holes have been tapped, take another similar-sized block of hardwood and draw three more 2"- (50 mm-) diameter circles on it. Using a bandsaw, cut

for the final cuts and shaping, I have put the two nuts on the tap and locked them together. This pro-vides a good way to securely hold the tap in a metal-working vise without damaging the threads. These nuts are also used when turning the tap in future holes.

Tap the first holeNow that the tap is completed, it is time to tap the first hole. This is the

most difficult hole to tap and should be done in a block of scrap hardwood that will probably be discarded. The block should be about 2" (50 mm) wide by 6" (150 mm) long, and at least

¾" (20 mm) thick. Drill a ⅝" (16 mm) hole in the center of the wood, 1½" (38 mm) from the end. Clamp this block in a vise and insert the tap into the hole.

This is the difficult part—the tap requires as much force pushing it into the hole as possible, while at the same time turning the tap clock-wise and holding it perpendicular. I use a socket wrench with a socket to fit over one of the nuts (Photo 5). The socket wrench provides a good surface to press down hard on and a long lever arm to turn the tap with. An open-end, box-end, large cres-cent, or pipe wrench would work to turn the tap itself and a block of wood over the end of the tap would enable downward pressure to be applied as needed. Turn the tap in about one and one-half turns and back it up one-half turn. Keep doing this until the threads have been cut all the way through.

The block just tapped is going to aid in tapping future holes to assure perfect results. The thread-cutting section of a purchased tap is less than 1" (25 mm) long. The tap just made has a continuous thread its entire

After the glue has set, shape the new tailstock center to whatever configuration is required. (Note that the author is using tape to cover the bent nail.)

The new tailstock center is in position and ready for use.

A variety of shapes for tailstock centers are handy to keep in your shop. (Finishing and burn lines are optional.)

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all six discs out of the two blocks. Screw one tapped disc onto your live tailstock center (Photo 8). Next, lock the tailstock bearing with a nail through the locking hole so the tailstock will not rotate. Bend the nail over so it cannot come out. (A bolt and nut will also work.) Place the tailstock center into the headstock (drive end) of the lathe. Spread yellow wood glue on one surface of a blank disc and the mating surface of this tapped disc, put them together and bring the tailstock up to clamp them in place (Photo 9).

When the glue has dried, wrap the bent nail in the live center with tape so you are aware of its pres-ence. Turn the piece to the desired configuration (Photo 10). (Optional: You could sand, burn trim lines, and finish with a coat of wax.) When complete, remove the tailstock center from the headstock, take out the nail and insert the live tailstock center back into the tailstock (Photo 11). A few useful configurations of these tailstock centers can be seen in Photo 12. Many of these centers have seen hours of service. You will soon devise shapes and sizes for your own use.

Other useable itemsIn Photo 13, there are a few other items tapped with this tap. After you use the tap repeatedly, you may dis-cover that an actual tapping handle would be nice to have (Photo 13, top center). The T-shaped tool with two large, smooth gripping surfaces on the handle make the tap much easier to control. The handle is made from ash, 1½" (38 mm) square and about 12" (30 cm) long, turned between centers, burned, sanded, waxed, and then drilled and tapped.

Similarly, threaded wooden jam chucks and waste blocks (Photo 13,

center right) can be made to fit the drive spindle in the headstock of your lathe. These taps would be cut in a similar manner from a threaded steel rod with the same diameter and thread size as your headstock drive. For any size of steel rod, you need to drill the hole to be tapped ⅛" (3.2 mm) smaller then the tap size. For example, a 1" (25 mm) tap would require a ⅞"- (22 mm-) diameter hole and a 1¼" (32 mm) tap requires a 1⅛"- (29 mm-) diameter hole.

Wooden nuts can also be made (Photo 13, bottom) and are often useful as trim on projects. Nuts are usually hexagonal and about twice the diameter from flat to flat as the tap size. In this case a ¾" (19 mm) nut would be 1½" (38 mm) from flat side to flat side.

Once you start using this tap, all sorts of things can be made. Be

creative! The unique teardrop-shaped block (Photo 13, center left) was specif-ically designed for a situation where absolutely nothing else would possi-bly work. It is sanded and finished to gallery quality. And, for the life of me I cannot remember why I made it or what it was for.

There is just no end to the fun!

Jim Duxbury, woodturner and inventor, thinks and creates “out of the box.” His turnings are unique and he seldom turns the same thing twice. Jim is a member of Piedmont Triad Woodturners, Carolina Mountain Woodturners, and Woodturners Guild of North Carolina. Jim’s kaleidoscopes are custom designed and have received numerous blue ribbons. More of Jim’s work can be seen on his website, duxterity.com/ec.

At the top is a tap with a wooden handle. Other useful items can also be made with wood taps.


TheCoveToolBy Stacey HagerPhotos: Frank Miller

Have you ever wrecked a beautiful spindle putting that final little cove in the flat between two beads? Have you spent 10 minutes or more with a gouge trying to adjust both sides of a cove into symmetry? Boy, have I got a tool for you.

This little tool will make you wonder why you ever turned a cove any other way. I still prefer to use a gouge on 1" and larger coves, but this tool is unbeatable for delicate finial work and in dense, hard, fine-grained woods such as ebony or boxwood.

With an abrasive chop saw or coarse 36-grit grinding wheel, cut or grind the rod to an angle between 35° and 45°. (Mine are about 40°.)

Hollow-grind the final angle on a medium or fine 8" wheel using either an angled tool rest or a grinding jig. You may need a handle or temporary holder (a dowel with a hole in the end works fine) to get enough length to use an arm-type grinding jig such as the Wolverine jig.

Hone off the grinding burrs by laying the tool on a fine, flat bench stone. Move the tool lengthwise.

Sharpening your cove toolChoose any hardened and tempered tool steel rod (3⁄32" to ½" in diameter, 3" to 7" long). See suggestions in the box at right.

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Turn a handleYou can turn your handle from any hardwood. My favorites are ebony, maple, cherry, and mesquite.

Your handle length should be about 5 to 7" (shorter for smaller tools, longer for larger diameters). For a custom fit, use the width of your palm plus 1" for small tools and the length of your hand from the wrist to the end of middle finger for larger tools.

The handle diameter tapers from about ⅞" to 1⅛" or so

(narrow at the butt end with a slight bulge at the tool end to accommodate the shank). I like my middle finger to nearly touch my palm when wrapped around the smallest diameter of the handle.

For ferrules, ½" or ⅝" brass compression nuts or stainless steel tubing works well. For more details, see Alan Lacer’s article, “Forgotten Handles,” in the Winter 2004 journal.

Steel optionsI use discarded reamers and drill bits, but you must be sure to test the end you plan to sharpen with a file to be sure it is hardened. (If the file skates like glass across the surface, it’s hardened. If the file digs in, the steel is soft.)• The chuck end of most tools

is left soft to reduce brittle-ness and to allow a better grip. If you cut off the flutes, the adjacent portion of the shaft is hardened for a short distance.

• You may find pre-hardened O1, W1, A2, or M2 precision drill blanks or M2 “Dixie pins” (6" lengths) at machin-ist supply companies such as Enco, Dixie Tool Crib, or MSC.

• Drill rod, on the other hand, is usually annealed and must be hardened and tempered in a heat-treating oven. Members might split the cost to have a batch of blanks heat-treated.

• If you use high-carbon steel, remember when grinding you must not let the temperature get above 250° F, or the hard-ness will be compromised. The Internet has good infor-mation on hardening and tempering carbon steels.

Notes from a cove-tool fanThis tool became widely accepted in the trades because it was economical to make, easy to sharpen, and fast and efficient at its task. I first learned to use the cove tool from English turner Allan Batty. Here are a few suggestions to improve handling of this tool.

• The smaller tools are excellent for making the petite cove at the base of a bowl or box. This cove produces “lift” by making a shadow line between the base or foot and the surface upon which it rests.

• Each cove tool behaves differently. You may have to experiment to find the blade’s “sweet spot.”

• The cove tool should cut more than it scrapes, particularly in dense, fine-grained woods.

• Maintain a sharp edge. Rough spots in a turned cove indicate dull areas on the blade.


F or a nice addition to your tool collection, make a graduated set of cove tools with a matching

tool caddy. My set includes six cove tools with diameters of 3⁄32", ⅛", 5⁄32", 3⁄16", ¼" and 5⁄16". These all fit nicely into a 6½" × 3⅝" box. You might want to save the box until last to be sure you make it high enough to clear the caddy plus tools and handle.

Tool caddyThe tool caddy has an aluminum center pin the same diameter as the largest tool (see photo below). Around the perimeter of the caddy I spaced six holes (just a hair larger than the

diameter of the largest tool). For the five smaller tools, I made 1½" long aluminum adapters so that all the tools would fit the same handle.

You can turn aluminum on a wood lathe with a gouge or scraper. Use light cuts and be careful of long continuous

Now, put the tool to use

To begin a cove, place the tool on the tool rest perpendicular to the spindle. Keep the handle low so that the concave “cutting face” is facing up and is almost horizontal. The cutting tip should be at center or slightly above as shown above.

To widen and shape the cove, raise the handle a little so the “cutting face” is now tilted slightly downward. Cut downhill on alternate sides of the cove as shown above.

To shear scrape the cove to final shape and smoothness, raise the handle until the body of the tool is almost horizontal (the cutting face will be angled down considerably). The tool should address the work as shown above. Cut downhill on alternate sides of the cove. The shear scraping action should produce a fine finish.

Make your own

CoveTool Set

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of the largest tool. Use a cone on your live center to align this

hole while turning the handle. I use a 20 threads per inch (tpi) hand-thread chaser to thread my handle for a stan-dard ½" brass compression fitting (avail-able at most hardware stores).

Note: You may have to use a larger ⅝" × 18 tpi compression fitting if you plan to have your set go all the way to ½" diameter. You can also thread your handle with a Bonnie Klein or Willard Baxter threading set-up. A sharp metal-cutting die will work if you repeatedly saturate the threaded area with thin CA glue. An easier alternative to thread-ing is to use a small drill chuck, but the balance of the tool will not be as nice.

Next, prepare the chuck area. You will need a dial caliper or some device

that measures internal and external diameters to the nearest thousandth of an inch.

Measure the internal diameters of the threaded and non-threaded open-ings of the compression fitting and its length. (My ½" fitting measure-ments: threaded, .635"; non-threaded, .506"; length, .560"). Calculate the thread depth by dividing 0.866 (from a machinist formula for calculat-ing thread depth) by the number of threads per inch (tpi). (Thread depth = .866 /20 tpi = .043".)

The diameter of the wood to be threaded is the internal diameter of the compression fitting threads plus 2 × thread depth. (For ½" compression fitting with 20 tpi: internal thread diameter, .635" + 2 x .043" = .721").

shavings that can wrap around fingers and cause severe cuts.

Note: Never try to remove metal shavings with the lathe running.

I adjusted the depth of the hole in each adapter so that the overall length of the tools would decrease with the diameter (this makes it easy to keep them in order). Attach the adapters with medium CA glue.

HandleFor the handle, you need a hard, flex-ible wood that can be threaded to make a collet chuck. Boxwood is excellent, but almost any wood can be threaded if saturated with CA glue.

The length of the handle should be about 1½" greater than the widest part of your palm. In the end of the handle blank, drill a 1½" deep hole the diameter

Cove tool set shown closed. Open with handle on center spindle and

six interchangeable tools.


Subtract 2 or 3 thousands for clearance and the diameter should be about .719".

The length of the tenon to be threaded is the length of the fitting + about ¼" (⅛" clearance front and back). (For a ½" compression fitting the length = .560" + .250" or .810". At this point (using a ½" compression fitting as the example), you should have a .719" diameter tenon .810" long protruding from your handle with a 1½" deep hole down the center.

With a narrow parting tool, cut a clear-ance groove ⅛" wide and down to .635" diameter at the base (handle end) of the tenon. Next, cut the front (nose end) of the tenon down to a diameter of .506" or a little less (.500" is ideal) so it will fit through the non-threaded opening in the fitting. This clearance cut also needs to be about ⅛" wide. Taper the resultant step to match the taper on the inside of the fitting. This forms the ramp or incline that will close the collet as the fitting is screwed on as shown in the drawing at right.

Now, thread the remaining .719" diam-eter portion of the tenon. Saturate with thin CA glue, allow to dry, thread a little, re-saturate, then thread a little more until completed. Finally, with a thin dovetail saw, make 2 cuts (90° to each other) from the tip of the collet down all the way to the base. This produces the four threaded

fingers, which will close as you tighten the collet. Finally, lubricate the threads with a thin layer of wax.

Use your collet handle for each of the cove tools, as the tool-caddy handle, and for any other tool of similar diameter.

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The photo on the previous page is one example of a lidded box you can turn for your cove tools.

Retired teacher Stacey Hager ([email protected]) is a member of the Central Texas Woodturners Association. He lives in Austin, Texas.

Faceplate centering toolSometimes it is necessary to center a face-plate over an existing center-punched point on a workpiece or, conversely, to mark the exact center of a faceplate onto a workpiece. I made a simple tool that makes it easy to do both accurately.

The tool, shown at left in Photo a, is a 3"- (8cm-) long threaded hardwood plug with a turned point. I made it from jatoba, which is hard but machines nicely. I used a steel die, shown at the top of Photo a, for cutting the threads (1" × 8 tpi to match the threads on my faceplate) after turning the stock to an exact 1"- (25mm-) diameter dowel. I then turned a 45° point on one end and

added a tool hook on the other.Cutting exterior threads on wood with

a die can be tricky. Coating the wood with thin cyanoacrylate (CA) glue helps. Also, lubricate the cutters of the die with machine oil. Thread cutting can be per-formed on the lathe to align the dowel into the die, but keep the lathe off and rotate the work by hand. I held the die in a scroll chuck and turned the dowel with locking pliers.

To center a faceplate on a workpiece with an already-identified center point, thread the tool onto the faceplate far enough to expose its point

(Photo b). Then align the point with the existing centered indent in your workpiece. The faceplate will be cen-tered over that mark. Or, to mark the center point on a workpiece when the faceplate is already mounted, thread the tool into the faceplate far enough to create a dimple in the wood.—Bill Wells, Washington

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Simple bottle-stopper mandrel is kind to toolsMost bottle-stopper mandrels require either removing the chuck or changing the chuck jaws. Here’s a method to fit the mandrel right into the chuck jaws.

To make this mandrel, use any waste-block. I prefer leftover pieces that already have the step tenon for the jaw chuck. Drill a ⅜" hole through the center using a Jacobs chuck in the tailstock.

Turn the front of the mandrel to a cone shape with a flat top. Insert a ⅜×½ hexhead bolt, put a few drops of cyano-acrylate (CA) glue on the bolt, and con-tinue threading until ½" is protruding from the front. Drill a 23⁄64" hole in your bottle stopper blank ⅝" deep. Then thread the blank onto the bolt (no need to tap as the wood will self-tap).

Now turn your bottle stopper. Sand, apply oil or finish (I hold a buffing wheel to the stopper at this point), remove the mandrel with stopper, and set aside to dry.

You’ll find this mandrel helpful because you won’t have to worry about your gouge hitting metal. And, you can reshape the mandrel as you like.

I have more than a dozen of these handy mandrels, which allows me to con-tinue a production run of bottle stoppers. Ruth Niles, Newville, Pennsylvania

Build a homemade hollow-vessel sanderTo smooth out the interior of a hollow vessel, you can make your own sander that attaches to a Sorby Hollowmaster. It uses a 2"-diameter sanding disc cut in half.

Materials:• ¾"-thick dense neoprene foam

(The sanding block that comes with the Small Micro-Mesh sanding kit is ideal. Woodcraft sells these for about $18.)

• Teardrop shear scraper blade from a Sorby Multi-Tip tool (to use as a template for the shape of your sander)

• 1½" O.D.× 3⁄16" I.D.× ¾" nylon bushing

• Thin cyanoacrcylate (CA) glue

• ½" O.D. brass tubing

• 5"-long×¾"-wide strip of self-adhesive hook-and-loop tape (Velcro is one brand name; you’ll only need the hook side)

• 10-32×1" buttonhead cap screw

With a ballpoint pen, trace the outline of the teardrop shear

Low-cost texturing toolYou can easily modify a $5 tool designed for dressing grinding wheels into a texturing tool. First, remove the screw located inside the tool handle and slide out all but two or three of the hardened steel “stars.” Fill the vacant space between the stars with washers and nuts. While the dresser is disassembled, grind away a portion of the hood surrounding the stars, which will give you more freedom for texturing.

As with a commercial texturing tool, determining the proper angle, pressure, and workpiece speed is a matter of trial and error. The tool seems to work best for me when the stars are tilted at a slight angle to the centerline of the rotation of the workpiece.

You can create different patterns by using more or fewer stars and also by sharpening some of them. Tom Savereide, Hudson, Wisconsin

scraper blade on the foam block. Using a bandsaw or scrollsaw, cut the teardrop shape. Make the cut as smooth as possible. You can cut three teardrops from each block.

Sharpen the inside of a piece of ½" O.D. brass tubing to make a plug cutter. Use this cutter in a twisting motion to cut a hole in the foam shape for the nylon bushing.

With thin CA glue, adhere the nylon bushing into the hole made with the plug cutter. Then coat the outside perimeter of the teardrop shape with thin CA glue, which creates a smooth surface for the self-adhesive hook tape. Inspect the shape. If it appears rough, sand the profile smooth and apply a second coat of CA. Apply the hook tape and trim as needed.

Use the 10-32×1" buttonhead cap screw to attach your sander to a Sorby Hollowmaster. Cut a 2" sanding disc in two and stick one to your sanding block. You can swivel the sander to suit the contour you are sanding.

This handy sander also works well for sanding the insides of undercut bowls.Ronald Nelson, Milwaukee, Wisconsin


In our obsession with lathes, wood, chucks, tools, and jigs, we often overlook one of the

central players in woodturning: the turning tool handle. Although the cutting edge of the tool is the busi-ness end for the wood, the handle is the business end for the turner. Handles—what we turners must constantly grip—provide the neces-sary leverage to remove wood and control the magic imparted to the tool edge.

Not too many decades ago, turning tools came unhandled or were offered as an option to the factory ones. To me, selling a woodturner a handle is like shipping cheese to Wisconsin or televising Ivy League football games in Oklahoma—some-thing wrong here.

Handles of the same size and wood appear neat and orderly and pack well as a boxed set. But in practice, I’ve learned that different tools call for different sizes and especially lengths of handles.

I love how a custom handle feels and works in MY hands: fit

to my grip, my turning style, and a length that gives me proper leverage.

Plus, I want each handle to have its own distinctive look so I can find it in a hurry when my shop is buried in shavings.

There also is a safety factor: I set my tools deeper than on many commercial handles. With my own handles, I’m comforted that the tools don’t blow out of the wood, bend at the tang, turn in the handle, or fall out of the handle.

Here are the steps to make your own handles.

Wood selectionYou can hardly go wrong with traditional furniture hardwoods including maple, walnut, oak, yellow birch, ash, or cherry. I’ve also turned handles from Osage orange, hickory, mesquite, most fruitwoods, dogwood, beech, elm, honey and black locust, and hornbeam. Popular exotic woods include cocobolo, king-wood, blackwood, tulipwood,

ForgottenHandles

goncalo alves, purpleheart, and zebrawood.

Select stock that has straight grain in the ferrule area and back to at least one half the length of the tool. Handle stock should be air-dried for at least 6 months; this strategy avoids drying checks and the ferrule falling off after the wood has dried thoroughly.

The turning stock dimensions have several variables. First, the diameter is a function of grip and hand size as well as the lathe tool. I usually start with 1½" to 2"- squares.

For length, there are variables for each tool type and width. For example, a ⅜" detail gouge should have a shorter handle than a ⅝" bowl gouge.

If you try other lengths, think long. Woodturning is a game of leverage—shorter handles reduce leverage and possibly control.

Select ferrule materialI’ve had success with copper cou-plers (usually cut in half), copper reducing bushings, steel pipe (not black iron pipe for plumbing), stainless steel and brass pipe, and brass nuts. For most tools, the ferrule should be at least ¾" in length. You’ll want a minimum of ¼" of wood between the inside diameter of the ferrule and the tool steel.

If using pipe, choose one that has at least a ⅛" thickness. While holding in a chuck, face off one end

By Alan Lacer

Do a good turn for your hands

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to fit snuggly against the shoulder on the handle’s tenon. A high-speed steel (HSS) roundnose scraper does the job nicely.

If using brass nuts, turn the tenon large enough to thread the nut onto the wood (about ¼" larger than the inside diameter of the nut). After threading on the brass nut, many woodturners turn away the flats on the brass nut, creating a rounded ferrule.

Turn the handleMount the handle between centers, using a cup drive center. The cup drive allows you to remove the handle numerous times to check for feel and balance—and to have the piece re-centered each time. I nor-mally place the ferrule end at the lathe tailstock end.

After turning the stock round, fit the ferrule. Why now? If you blow this critical step, you still have unturned wood to relocate the ferrule.

When fitting the ferrule, calcu-late the length and rough diame-ter. With outside calipers, measure the diameter. Then add at least ⅛" to the diameter. At the tenon end, cut a ¼"-long taper. Remove the handle from the lathe and test the fit—the ferrule should just start onto the tenon.

Remount the handle on the lathe. To achieve a tight fit, care-fully reduce the wood as described in the photo above right. This is a

You’ll often find ferrule materials at hardware store and salvage yards. Shown are thick-walled brass and copper pipe, brass nuts, stainless-steel pipe, copper couplers and reducing bushings. Salvaged ferrules from factory handles also are candidates.

For a tight-fitting ferrule, turn a tenon slightly larger than necessary. Cut a slight taper on the last ¼" of the tenon. Twist on the ferrule. When your remove the ferrule, the indention cut on the tenon will serve as a gauge for the true tenon diameter. Finally, carefully reduce the diameter as necessary.

Grip thick-walled pipe or copper reducing bushings in a chuck with small jaws, then face off the end with a high-speed steel (HSS) roundnose scraper.

To clean up copper and brass ferrules, turn with high-speed steel (HSS) gouges or scrapers. I often finish with light filing and sanding to clean up the surface.

After threading a brass nut onto the wood, turn it round with a high-speed steel (HSS) gouge.


great exercise in creeping up” on the size. You’ll quickly learn that each cut produces a 2X result: If you push the tool in 1⁄16", you remove ⅛" in material.

The shoulder should be slightly concave to allow for a good seating of the ferrule. With a parting tool, reduce the diameter just in front of the shoulder; this prevents curls of handle stock from wedging against the shoulder and preventing a solid seating of the ferrule.

After you’re satisfied with the fit, drive on the ferrule with a dead-blow mallet. A spare ferrule will help coax the ferrule into position. Once seated, face off the ferrule’s outside edge with a roundnose scraper.

Turn the handle The goal is not so much a thing of beauty but strength and good feel. Comfortable shapes can be every-thing from a simple cylinder to mul-tiple concave areas to beads, tapers, and rises.

I prefer to make each handle unlike others that I own, which helps me to quickly spot a tool. Small beads, grooves, or burned lines cus-tomize a handle.

Because the area behind the ferrule is a stress area, do not reduce this area less than two-thirds the maximum handle diameter. Keep it hefty.

A roughing gouge, skew chisel, and parting tool are excellent tools for turning handles. After turning a rough shape, remove the handle

from the lathe and begin “feel” tests. For a good fit, remove the handle at least three or four times.

When the shape feels right, com-plete the turning with a couple of steps. Determine the end-point of the handle, leaving about ½" of waste. If your tool has a tapered tang, turn the waste at the end point to a diameter matching the tang-hole diameter.

Sand and finishFor a slip-free grip, sanding and finishing should be minimal—and certainly not highly polished. When you reach 150-grit smoothness, stop sanding.

I seldom apply finish to my tool handles—the oils from my hands develop a wonderful patina. If you’re compelled to apply a finish on the handle, a drying-type oil (boiled linseed oil or pure tung oil) is best. A film-type finish will make the tool too slippery and eventually wear off.

When completed, remove the handle from the lathe. Avoid the temp-tation to cut off waste and lose the centers at either end.

Drill the holeMount a Jacobs-style chuck in the headstock. I have had the best luck with regular machinist bits with a 60˚ taper. For a round-shanked tool, match the rod diameter with the bit size.

For the tang-type tools, I drill two hole sizes—a smaller one the full length and a large one about halfway. These are calculated by measuring about ½" from the bottom of the tang to determine the smaller diameter and about ½" from the top of the tang to establish the larger diameter. This method provides plenty of wood-to-steel contact, but reduces the chances of splitting the handle.

When drilling, step through a suc-cession of smaller to larger holes, which reduces the heat and effort to

Adding a small bead or other detail makes the handle distinctive—and easy to identify among your other tools.

With copper or steel wire, add detail by burning lines into the handle For better control, use a skew chisel to cut a groove to fit the wire.

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drill end grain. Drill the full length of a tang and between one-fourth and one-third of the length of a round-shanked tool.

Place the ferrule end against the bit and center the other end into the point of a tailstock center. Turn on the lathe and observe if the handle is centered. If you see a blur or ghost at the drilling end, turn off the lathe and reposition the drill tip.

When you are satisfied with the centering, run the lathe at a speed that is under 600 (if your lathe has no indicator of speed, run at the lower speed range). Then grip the handle with one hand while crank-ing the tailstock wheel with your other hand. Periodically release your grip to check alignment. You can make small centering changes by tapping the handle near the ferrule.

If you feel excessive resistance to the drilling, stop and clear the chips. After drilling about 2" deep, the

tailstock is no longer necessary and you can freehand the drilling.

When finished drilling, cut off the waste and hand-sand the end.

Mount the tool For a round-shanked tool, clean the steel with lacquer thinner and rough up the mounting surface with coarse sandpaper. Place slow-set epoxy into the hole, being careful to allow enough space for the shank (about ½ to 1 teaspoon works for me). Rest the tool’s edge on a soft waste block and tap the handle end with a dead-blow mallet.

To keep the installation centered, check alignment about every 1". If the alignment drifts off course, relocate the tool in the handle. If you must live with something less than dead-on center, a slight upward angle is better than a dogleg to the right or left. If the angle is severe, scrap the handle and start anew.

Tang-type tools require a different approach. When drilling, plan for wood-to-steel contact, but rely on epoxy and wedges for rigidity and support.

Use a toothpick to work epoxy around the sides and into the hole. Then put the tool edge into the waste block, and tap with a dead-blow mallet. Check alignment about every 1". Just before driving the final ½", push wedges into the hole above and below the flat tang. Finally, drive the handle home to a point at or near the top of the tang.

For additional detail and support with tang-type tools, add small wedges matching the handle wood species. These are cut from a cylinder that matches the diameter of the tang hole. Sand the wedges on their faces to a fit that is to be driven in.

For a pleasant detail and more support, fill in the “half-moon” areas above and below the tang with the waste material from the end of the handle. From a cylinder the diameter of the drilled hole, cut a segment slightly larger than the half-moon area.

Test-fit to be sure the segment does not just drop down into the opening, then sand off small amounts until it is a tight fit. Place epoxy in the opening and drive in the wedges. Remove excess epoxy with lacquer thinner or acetone.

Parting thoughtsNow you have something that is truly yours—personalized and cus-tomized to your needs. I find that if I take care in the making of my handles, I am more adept and confi-dent at using them.

Alan Lacer (www.alanlacer.com) is an American Woodturner contributing editor. He lives near River Falls, Wisconsin.

SUGGESTED HANDLE LENGTHS• Parting tool, 13"• ¼" and ⅜" Detail gouge, 12"• 1¼" and 1½" Roughing gouge, 16"• ⅝" Bowl gouge, 16" to 18"• ½" Skew chisel, 14"• 1¼" Skew chisel, 16" • ½" Roundnose scraper, 14"• 1¼" Bowl scraper, 16"


Carl Ford

I have found most commercially available tool handles uncomfort-able to use for a variety of reasons.

So I found a way to make adjustable handles that are just the right diam-eter for my grip, the right level of softness, and the right weight and length for my tastes. You can make customized tool handles at a frac-tion of the cost out of PVC pipe, craft foam, heat-shrinkable cloth, and a few other easily attainable supplies (Photo 1).

Solving design challengesWhen I first thought of making my own handles, I had to solve a couple of design challenges. First, I wanted a soft-grip material, but I knew I could not simply slip some-thing like a rubber hose over a long piece of pipe and end up with a snug fit. I hit upon the idea that I could heat shrink a soft material onto the pipe for a perfect fit. But the cost of 2"- (51mm-) diameter heat-shrink tubing was too high. Then I found

a heat-shrinkable, polyester woven fabric (see Sources sidebar). It creates the perfect outer handle surface—not too slick and not uncomfort-ably rough.

The next challenge was how to mount a ⅝"- (16mm-) diameter tool shaft in a 1¼" (32mm) PVC pipe. Commercially available adapters and inserts for making your own handles are designed to fit into a ¾" (19mm) hole, much smaller than my base material. I thought

- CUSTOM -

TOOLHANDLES

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about making an adapter out of wood but decided a short piece of wood would be too prone to splitting when stressed. The breakthrough came when I realized I could insert the hardwood adapter farther into the PVC pipe, making the pipe act as a ferrule that prevents the wood from splitting. I could hold the tool in the long wooden insert using set screws reinforced by steel threaded inserts (Photo 2).

ConsiderationsPVC pipe of 1¼" diameter is just the right size for my hands, but you can customize the feel by using a dif-ferent diameter and length of PVC. Schedule 40 1¼" PVC pipe is actually 1.66" (42mm) outside diameter and 1.36" (35mm) inside diameter. You may be thinking PVC is too flexible to make a good handle, and that is true if the PVC pipe is less than 1" (26mm) diameter. A 1¼" pipe is quite rigid.

You can also use schedule 40 alumi-num or steel pipe, but they are more expensive and I do not like heavy handles. I try to adjust my turning technique to eliminate vibration prob-lems rather than adding weight to my tool handles. But if you want to add weight, you can fill an old sock with lead shot or aquarium stone and insert it into the PVC handle.

I insert a scrap of metal rod in the wooden insert at the tail end of the PVC handle to counterbalance the weight of the cutting tool. Adjust the length of this rod to attain just the right balance.

Making the handlePrepare the PVC1. Start by cutting your PVC pipe to

length. A hacksaw works well for this. I generally like handles that are 16" (41cm), 22" (56cm), or 30" (76cm) long.

2. Cutting PVC often creates a burr on the inside that you need to remove before you attempt to turn a snug-fitting wooden insert. Remove the burr with a deburring tool or sand-paper wrapped around a dowel. I also cut and debur a 6" (15cm) length of the same diameter PVC pipe, which comes in handy later, while turning the wooden insert:

it is easier to test fit the tenon size with a shorter length of PVC, as you can just slide the tailstock out of the way and test the fit.

Turn wooden handle inserts1. For a 1¼" PVC handle, start with

a 2¼" (57mm) × 2¼" (57mm) × 5" (13cm) blank of hardwood. After turning it round and making a tenon, mount the blank in a scroll chuck. True up the end and create a small dimple in the center to help start a drill bit. I like to drill a ½"- (13mm-) deep starter hole with a ½" drill point countersink (often used in metalworking). These countersinks are short and stout and therefore drill a starter hole dead on center (Photo 3).

2. If you are going to mount a ⅝"-shank cutting tool in your handle, drill a ⅝" hole all the way through the insert blank (Photo 4). The hole size should

(1) The author’s ingredients for a customizable, durable, and inexpensive tool handle.

(2) Cutaway showing the tool handle’s components and design. A cutting tool is held in the hardwood insert and held firmly by set screws.

SourcesThree of the items needed for these tool handles may be hard to find, so I have pro-vided my preferred materials, along with a reliable source and model numbers. I get all of the following items from McMaster-Carr (mcmaster.com):• Heat-Shrinkable Woven Fabric Tubing: McMaster-Carr item #2587K16

• Steel Threaded Insert for Set Screws: McMaster-Carr item #90248A027

• Cup Point Set Screw, McMaster-Carr item #92311A578


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match the diameter of the shaft of your cutting tool. I like to use drill bits with a Morse taper shank that fit directly into the tailstock of my lathe. They are ideal for drilling deep holes on center because they are long, stout, and fully supported by the matching Morse taper in the tailstock. Each handle has two wooden inserts, one on each end. I often make handles with different sized holes on each end to accommo-date different cutting tools—½" and

⅝" holes on short handles; ⅝" and ¾" holes on longer handles.

3. With a pencil, lay out the tenon and shoulder (Photo 5). Mark the total length of the insert at 4" (10cm) with a ⅜"- (10mm-) wide shoulder on the headstock side. The tenon has to be on the tailstock side so you can test fit it into PVC pipe. With a narrow parting tool, make a ¼"- (6mm-) deep slot a little below the shoulder to remind yourself not to

go any farther than this while rough turning the tenon.

4. Turn a tenon that will fit snugly into your PVC pipe. Vernier calipers are useful here, as they have both inside and outside jaws that move in sync. When you set the inside jaws to the inside diameter of the pipe, the outside jaws will automatically be set to the tenon size you need (Photo 6). Use your calipers and a parting tool to cut a tenon on the first ¼" of your

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blank (Photo 7). Test fit this section to your PVC pipe before roughing out the rest of the tenon with a spindle roughing gouge.

5. Turn the tenon incrementally to its final diameter, and test fit the PVC as you go. Use a pencil to keep track of how far the PVC pipe fits on the tenon (Photo 8). Switch to a parting tool to turn the area under the shoulder to final diameter and a detail gouge to cleanly cut the endgrain under the shoulder (Photos 9, 10).

6. With a pencil, lay out the finished diameter of the shoulder (Photo 11). I like to use the no math method. Slip your PVC pipe up to the shoulder and use a scrap of ⅛"- (3mm-) thick craft foam held on top of the pipe to mark the shoulder diameter. Using the foam as a spacer accounts for the thickness of the foam layer, which will be added later. The width of the pencil line will account for the thickness of the fabric that will go over the foam. Turn the shoulder to final diameter with a detail gouge, being sure to leave the pencil line (Photo 12).

7. Using a point tool or parting tool, cut shallow grooves every ½" on the tenon to improve the holding power of the epoxy (Photo 13). Do not sand the tenon, as a rough finish will further improve adhesion.

8. Part off the insert and remount in a chuck or between centers to clean up the parted-off end with a detail gouge. Then sand the shoulder and exposed end, rounding over any sharp corners with abrasives (Photos 14, 15). I like to apply a coat of shellac and then mask off the shoulder area and exposed end to protect them from glue during the next step.

9. Repeat this process to turn a second insert for the other end of the tool handle. Glue the handle inserts into PVC pipe with a generous amount of epoxy (Photo 16).

Drill and tap holes for the threaded set screw insertsIn use, your cutting tool is secured in the wooden insert of the handle with set screws. This allows you to easily remove and replace interchangeable cutters. I like to install set screws in holes that have been lined with threaded steel inserts, which add a layer of reinforce-ment to the hardwood and will stand up to lots of abuse. I use inserts that have ½"-13 threads on the outside and 5⁄16"-18 threads on the inside. These inserts accept any length 5⁄16"-18 stainless steel set screws (See Sources sidebar).1. Start by drilling a ⅜"-deep starter hole

using a ½" drill point countersink. The small point on the countersink really helps get the hole started where you want it, which can be tricky on a curved surface (Photo 17). Clamp the handle in a wooden hand screw or clamp it to a block of wood so it does not roll around while drilling. To drill straight holes, use a drill press if you have one. Otherwise, use a hand drill with a square held nearby for vertical reference.

2. Drill a 27⁄64" (11mm) hole through one wall of the PVC and wooden insert.

3. Tap threads in the hole with a 1½"-13 SAE taper or plug tap, available at most hardware stores (Photo 18).

Cut and install the foam and fabricA layer of ⅛" craft foam (available at most craft stores) between the PVC and the outer fabric creates a handle that feels good and does not require a death

grip. I glue the foam to the PVC pipe with spray adhesive. The heat shrink-able fabric is made in a tube shape and shrinks in diameter but not in length when you heat it with a heat gun. I recommend rehearsing the foam and fabric installation with scraps before you attempt it on a real handle. Spray adhe-sive is unforgiving, and the heat shrink fabric is not cheap, so a little practice will be very helpful. I normally use black foam to match the color of the outer fabric and help hide any installation problems, but I have used yellow foam here to better illustrate the process.1. Cut the craft foam to the same

length as the PVC pipe and wide enough to wrap all the way around the pipe with a little overlap (about 5¾", or 15cm wide for 1¼" PVC). The foam I purchase only comes in 12" or 18" lengths, so I have to use mul-tiple pieces on longer handles.

2. Cut the heat-shrinkable fabric to length with scissors. Make it at least 1" longer than the total length of the handle because it is hard to control how the fabric distorts when it shrinks.

3. Draw a straight reference line from end to end on the handle. Then test fit the foam. Cut ¾" wide masking tape 1" longer than the handle and keep it handy. In a separate work area, put down some newspaper to catch any overspray and spray a coat of adhesive onto the back of the foam. Attach half the width of the masking tape to the long edge of the foam and the other half to the handle with the

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edge of the foam on your reference line (Photo 19).

4. Avoid sticking the foam to the handle until after you have the masking tape all lined up. Wrap the foam all the way around the handle with no air pockets or wrinkles. The foam should overlap, but the masking tape will keep it from sticking to itself.

5. With a sharp knife, cut through the overlapped layers of foam at a 45-degree angle to create a tight seam (Photo 20). Peel the foam back a little and remove all of the masking tape. Then close up the newly cut seam.

6. Cut holes in the foam to allow the set screw inserts and set screws to be inserted later. If you are not using black foam, paint around the holes and ends of the foam on the handle with black acrylic paint to hide any fabric installation problems.

7. Fold back both ends of the fabric about 2", then slip it onto the handle. Center the handle in the fabric (Photo 21), but make sure the fabric does not cover the set screw insert holes.

8. Glue down only the ends of the fabric with spray adhesive to keep it from shifting around on the handle. To do this, mask off the fabric with paper and apply the spray adhesive to just the foam ends of the handle. Remove the masking paper and unfold the fabric onto the glue. The fabric should extend ½" beyond each end of the handle.

9. Shrink the fabric onto the handle with a heat gun as soon as possible after

bringing the ends of the fabric into contact with the spray adhesive. You want to shrink the fabric before the spray adhesive dries. You have to heat the fabric to 212° F (100° C) to shrink it. So you will need at least a 1200-watt heat gun (available at hardware stores, often used for stripping paint). Start in the middle of the handle on the fabric’s seam. Work from the center out to the ends and from side to side until the fabric is tight enough so it does not move. Be careful not to overheat the seam, as it will split if you apply too much heat when the fabric is almost tight. Use a knife to trim the fabric to length and cut out the set screw insert holes. I use a long skew tip in my wood burner as a hot knife (Photo 22), which cuts the fabric easily. The cut ends of the fabric do not unravel easily after shrinking, but I like to ensure they stay put by applying a thin coat of epoxy to a ¼"-wide area at the cut ends and around the screw holes.

Install the set screws1. Put a little epoxy on the outside

threads of the steel insert and screw the insert into the handle (Photo 23). The epoxy permanently locks the thread inserts in place. After the epoxy is cured, you can clean up any excess epoxy that may have leaked onto the inside threads using a 5⁄16"-18 tap.

2. Install the set screws with a thread-locking fluid (Photo 24). Let the thread lock dry overnight, then break the set screws free using a hex wrench. This process makes the set screws fit snugly so they will not rattle loose.

Now all that is left to do is mount your favorite turning tool into your new custom handle and make some wood shavings.

Carl Ford, an accomplished woodturner, loves teaching people how to turn and is looking forward to starting a second career teaching woodturning at Purchase College in New York in spring 2015. His website is carlford.us.

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from

Tim Heil

I have turned several hundred tool handles out of forty different kinds of wood. Every handle needs a ferrule to prevent the endgrain from splitting.

C ustom-made tool handles make the tools more personal and the extra touch gives the

user joy. One method for personal-izing a handle is to add a unique ferrule. A ferrule supports the wood, which is sandwiched between the tool’s shaft and the ferrule itself,

which is essential in keeping the end-grain from splitting.

Ferrules can be made in your shop, found in the hardware store, or discov-ered from everyday objects. Copper tubing is a good choice for making a ferrule: It is readily available, easy to cut, and strong. Copper can also take

on several looks. It shines when buffed, appears multicolored when heated with a torch, and develops an interesting patina after weathering in the elements.

Stainless tubing is another excellent choice for custom ferrules. It wears well and its natural polished look catches one’s eye.

Almost anything that can be wrapped around a tool handle can become a ferrule, as long as it is strong enough to support the wood and keep it from split-ting. I have looked beyond the common ferrule and found several alternatives: piano wire, a faucet aerator, motor-shaft bushing, springs, ball bearing race, tex-tured towel bar, key rings, welding rings, cake decorating tip, end of a garden hose, and the list goes on.

The right ferrule is a subtle jewel on any tool handle.

Tim Heil has been a member of the Minnesota Woodturners since 2001. He will be demonstrating how to make tool handles at the AAW symposium in Saint Paul this June and looks forward to meeting you there. Tim can be contacted at [email protected].

Photos by Jordan Schroeder unless otherwise indicated.

This group of tools tells a lot about handle length. The heavier the intended cut for the

tool, the longer the handle. A long handle provides more leverage. Big handles give a

larger tool a balanced look and feel. A small handle does the same for a small tool.

Photo: Tib Shaw

FancyFerrules

EverydayObjects


Sockets have a durable finish, are inexpensive, and come in a variety of sizes.

I salvaged this brass ferrule from a worn-out garden hose.

Three separate pieces of ebonized copper pipe butted together make a utilitarian ferrule. With use, the black wears off and the ferrule develops a fine patina with the copper showing through.

This ferrule is made from three brass natural-gas fittings.

A decorative ferrule transforms a roughing gouge. I joined two pieces of ebonized red oak with a tongue–and-groove joint and sandwiched the ferrule in between.

This ferrule is a spring that was removed from the screen door of my home.

A spacer-lug from a truck tire becomes a sturdy ferrule.

This ferrule started out as a tip used for frosting cakes.

This ferrule is a bushing from an electric motor shaft. They come in a variety of sizes.

I cut this ferrule from a textured bathroom towel bar.

This copper ferrule has developed a warm patina over time. I often select a ferrule that will complement the wood.

This stainless steel ferrule came from pipe that I salvaged from a boat. Stainless steel is hard to cut but it is strong and looks good with any wood.

Springs make excellent ferrules because they are strong and attractive.

Ball bearing chases are made in many different sizes; I find a variety of uses for them.

This ferrule is stainless steel.

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Photo: Tib Shaw Photo: Tib Shaw

Tool made by Duane Gemelke

Stainless steel is a favorite ferrule on a chisel because it can withstand pounding and levering.

This ferrule started out as an aerator on a kitchen sink faucet. The ultimate repurpose.

I often buy a set of sockets when re-handling a set of bench chisels. I use the smaller socket for the smaller chisels and the larger socket for the larger chisels.

Wrapped piano wire creates a unique appearance that goes well with highly figured wood.

Springs come in a variety of sizes. The best way to cut them to size is with a bolt cutter. Remember to wear eye protection.

I used a pipe cutter to add a shallow cut to the end of a copper ferrule, a detail that I often use.

Copper tubing comes in a variety of diameters and gauges, which makes it useful on many different tools.

Aluminum is easy to cut and readily available—it is a good starter ferrule.

A series of key rings are user friendly because no cutting is involved, they are inexpensive, and readily available.

These are my everyday tools. Because each one is unique in appearance, I can easily select the one I want, even when covered with wood shavings.

I balanced the appearance of each of these tools by including decorative steel on each handle.


Safety Tips for Turning Safe, effective use of a wood lathe requires study and knowl-edge of procedures for using this tool. Read, thoroughly understand, and follow the label warnings on the lathe and in the owner-operator’s manual. Safety guidelines from an experienced instructor, video, or book are good sources of important safety procedures. Please work safely.

ENVIRONMENT• Don’t use a lathe in damp or wet

locations or in the presence of inflammable liquids, vapors, or gases. Always keep a fully charged fire extinguisher close at hand.

• Guard against electric shock. Inspect electric cords for damage. Avoid using extension cords.

• Frequently remove shavings from the floor while turning. Eliminate all slipping or tripping hazards from the floor around the lathe and work area.

• Keep your work area well lit and well-ventilated. Use antifa-tigue floor matting at the lathe workstation.

• Use a powered dust extraction system to remove wood dust and other air-suspended particles while sanding or generating any form of dust.

• Do not be distracted. Keep pets out of the shop. When the lathe is running, ask family members to enter the shop carefully so you aren’t startled and wait until you turn off the lathe before trying to get your attention.

EQUIPMENT• Keep lathe in good repair. Check

for damaged parts, misalignment, binding of moving parts, and other conditions that may negatively affect its operation.

• Ensure that all guards, belt covers, and other safety features are in place.

• Keep the lathe bed, toolrest holder (banjo), and tailstock mating sur-faces clean and operating smoothly. Remove rust or debris that would cause binding.

• Keep turning tools sharp and clean for better and safer perfor-mance. Inspect frequently for cracks or defects. Don’t force a dull tool. Never use a tool for a purpose that it was not designed for or intended for.

PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT• Using a full face shield is recom-

mended for all woodturning operations, but especially for bowl, vessel, or any medium to large turned pieces involving chucks and faceplates. At a minimum, use safety goggles or safety glasses that have side protectors for turning small items.

• Fine particles from a grinder and wood dust are harmful to your respiratory system. Use a dust mask, filtering respirator, or a powered air filtration respira-tor (PAPR), in conjunction with a dust collection system and proper ventilation. Be especially mindful of dust from many exotic woods, spalted woods, or

any wood that give you a skin or respiratory reaction.

• Wear hearing protection during extended periods of turning, grinding, or power carving.

BLANKS AND TURNING MATERIALS• Turning stock should be physically

sound and carefully inspected for cracks, splits, checking, ring shake, and other defects that compromise the integrity of the wood. Always be aware that defects may be present but undetectable through visual inspection.

• Exercise extra caution when using stock with any known defects, bark inclusions, knots, irregular shapes, or protuberances. Beginners should avoid these types of stock until they have greater knowledge of working such wood.

• Frequently stop the lathe and inspect the blank to determine if defects are being developed or exposed as material is removed. Discard blanks that have signifi-cant defects. Adding adhesives to attempt to “fix” defects in the blank is not advised. Do not rely on glue to keep a defective blank together.

TECHNIQUE• Tie back long hair, bangs, and

beards. Do not wear gloves. Avoid loose clothing, jewelry, or any dangling objects that may catch on rotating parts or accessories.

• When using a faceplate, be certain the workpiece is solidly mounted with stout screws (#10 or #12 sheet

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metal screws as a minimum). Do not use dry wall or deck screws. When turning between centers, be certain the workpiece is mounted firmly between the headstock drive center and tailstock center.

• Before starting the lathe, rotate your workpiece completely by hand to make sure it clears the toolrest, banjo, and lathe bed. Be certain that the workpiece turns freely. Ensure the blank is held securely by the drive center, face-plate, or chuck.

• Always check the speed of the lathe before turning it on. Use slower speeds for larger diameters or rough pieces and higher speeds for smaller diameters and pieces that are balanced. Always start a piece at a slower speed until the workpiece is balanced. If the lathe is shaking or vibrating, lower the speed. If the workpiece vibrates, always stop the machine to verify why. Ensure the lathe speed is compatible with the size of the blank.

• Be aware of what turners call the “red zone” or “firing zone.” This is the area directly behind

and in front of the workpiece, the areas most likely for a piece to travel as it comes off the lathe. A good safety habit is to step out of this zone when turning on the lathe, keeping your hand on the switch in case you need to turn the machine off. When observ-ing someone else turn, stay out of this zone.

• Hold turning tools securely on the toolrest, holding the tool in a con-trolled but comfortable manner. Always contact the toolrest with the tool first before contacting the wood.

• Turn the lathe off before adjust-ing the toolrest or repositioning the banjo. Following these adjust-ments, again rotate the piece by hand to confirm that all parts of the piece will not encounter an obstruction.

• Always remove the toolrest before sanding, finishing, or polishing operations.

• Do not use cloth to apply finish-ing or polishing materials if it is intended to contact a rotating object on the lathe. Never wrap polishing materials around fingers or hands.

• When running a lathe in reverse, it is possible for a chuck or faceplate to unscrew unless it is securely tightened or locked on the lathe spindle. Use spindle locking screws in the faceplate or chuck if turning in reverse.

ROUTINE• Check that all locking devices

on the tailstock and toolrest

assembly (rest and base) are tight before operating the lathe. Frequently check the tightness of chuck jaws throughout the woodturning session.

• Remove chuck keys, adjusting wrenches, and knockout bars. Form a habit of checking for these before turning on the lathe.

• Know your capabilities and limi-tations. An experienced wood-turner is capable of lathe speeds, techniques, and procedures not recommended for beginning turners.

• Don’t overreach, keep proper footing, and keep your balance at all times.

• Never leave the lathe running unattended. Don’t leave lathe until it comes to a complete stop.

• Stay alert and watch what you are doing. Pay close attention to unusual sounds or vibrations. Stop the lathe to investigate the cause. Don’t operate machines when you are tired or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Woodturning safety isYOUR responsibility.

DID YOU KNOW?

35 issues of Woodturning FUNdamentals publication and the Woodturning FUNdamentals online learning portal offer one-stop basics. Helps newer turners build and expand their woodturning knowledge and skills safely with a curated selection of information, projects, tips, and videos.

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2,800 online projects, articles, videos, and tips are in AAW’s Explore! search tool. Get the best project instructions, technique guidelines, and information in just a few simple clicks. Easily searchable by topic and includes all interest areas. 1

365 affiliated chapters are all easily searchable on the AAW’s Connects map. Find a chapter near you fast. Search the map for symposia, demonstrations, exhibitions, events, organizations, and schools quickly and easily. 6

12,000 images of member work are in AAW’s Forum gallery online. Get inspiration, ideas, and feedback simply. Connect with woodturning enthusiasts using this member-moderated virtual community. 2360 online videos are quickly searchable by topic in AAW’s Video Source. Avoid the frustration of searching YouTube. Get relevant woodturning videos in just a few clicks. All videos are prescreened by the AAW for quality content and safety. 3145 issues of American Woodturner are online with a searchable index. Access every issue of American Woodturner journal published in AAW’s online library archive or on AAW’s mobile app.4

All of these resources and more are available to AAW members online at woodturner.org. Visit us to explore and customize your experience. We invite you to learn and grow with AAW. Your AAW membership is a commitment to your own personal development and expresses your dedication to preserving woodturning for future generations. Please remember to renew annually.

AAW membership offers the single largest collection of high-quality educational woodturning resources available anywhere. Membership is the fastest way to learn and enhance your woodturning expertise. 7

Photo: Andi Wolfe

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Large or small, everyone loves a handmade turned object.To make a custom tool, skill, knowledge and understanding of the tool process and functions are key. This special collection of articles, Making Tools: For Woodturners, explores making your own tools.

This book has been compiled using expert, shop-tested insight, and advice from the pages of American Associations of Woodturners publications, including Woodturning FUNdamentals and American Woodturner. The award-winning American Woodturner journal has been the leading source for practical and reliable information written by woodturners for woodturners

since 1986. Launched is 2012, Woodturning FUNdamentals is a digital publication that offers projects, techniques, tips, videos, and information to build essential woodturning skills.

Using this book, you’ll be able to make tools effective, easy to sharpen, and economical. These tools include half-round tool, scrapers, angled tools, micro tools, parting tool, beading tool, texture tool, dovetail recess tool, point tool, friction-fit tool, spur drive tool, tapping tool, and cove tool. Additionally, you’ll learn to heat-treat your tools and make a variety of tool handles.

SPECIAL BONUS FEATURES Making Tools

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