Crazy (and lucky) or Common?

You got lucky!

I'd favor luck, though I have one of those narrow Sorby parting tools with the two fangs that I use for cutting grooves. Going deeper than an eighth would probably snap it due to pressure on the sides. Have seen folks recommend a piece of hacksaw blade for a parting tool, though.

Have you tried a pointy gouge and side cutting? Clears well with just a modest drop of the handle.

If you don't use a steady, you'll want to take a touch thinner cut, of course.

"George" wrote: (clip) Have seen folks recommend a piece of hacksaw blade for a parting tool, though. (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ My home made thin parting tool is made from an old kitchen knife with a riveted wooden handle. That way I didn't have to tell myself about making the handle "tomorrow." Another nice thing about a knife blade is that the back of the blade (which becomes the top, when used for parting) is the thickest part. This means that the friction with the sides of the cut is minimized.

I've got one of those Sorby parting tools with the "fangs" - but it's small and short handled - pen turning size. Because of its hardness it's no doubt brittle and likely to snap as you said.

The bayonet saw (Sawzalll type) is designed to flex - allowing you to saw through nails in the bottom plate in a wall by flexing the blade - without snapping it. I'm afraid a hacksaw blade would be too flexy and follow grain.

I've posted a pic - actually three views in one image, of my shop made parting tool over in alt.binaries. pictures.woodworking. Subject line is Turning - Parting Tool -Shop Made

I picked up a 1/2" diam, long fingernail ground gouge at the last wwing show but am a little intimidated by the length of the cutting edge - so much edge can me a nasty catch - especially inside something that's only 2-3 inches in diameter.

Looked at this photo and it clearly shows that whatever the tool is being used, it makes nice wide shavings and clears them out fairly well. UNFORTUNATELY the tool itself isn't visible at all in the photo.

Couldn't view this photo at all. Would you please either post it to alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking or e-mail it to me? >

I am using a steady rest but since it's on the JET mini/midi I can lower the tool hand much at all without the handle hitting the bed.

Anyway - thanks for letting me know that a) using this tool to hollow with is not a common practice b) it's probably not a good idea

charlie b

> > Couldn't view this photo at all. Would you please > either post it to alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking > or e-mail it to me? Don't receive binaries on ABPW, so can't tell if one makes it there. Seldom did even after checking Usenet replayer or DJ's site. The link was alive, so probably a glitch on your end kept you from seeing it. No matter. Tool is going to scare you if you're bothered by a long fingernail type.

George:'

You're right - that pointed "fingernail to the armpit" gouge looks a bit intimidating. To use it, do you pierce at the center or rotation and then use the left edge as you work yuor way out from the center?

How wide's that puppy?

Since you can't view binary news groups I put it up on my site temporarily

charlie b

7/16 "detail" gouge. You can forego the drilling and work center down and out, then roll the opposite and work from edge up and in. Removes a prodigious amount quickly.

That looks like a "Stott" parting tool. Should do well as a parter, but watch into the face of a turning, as you can start to bind quickly.

Leo,

I did the same thing with a knife that was being thrown away by our local OUTBACK steakhouse. Works well except for the fact that I have nicked up my toolrest a bit. It is the rest that came with my Nova 3k.

I wish I knew why they made them so soft. I have thought about filing a groove in the top and inserting a long piece of drill rod along the length to make it a bit harder and smoother.

Any thoughts?

Thorndike

SNIP..........

========================

I did that on mine; 1/4 in. M2 epoxied onto the cast iron. Works like a champ.

Ken Moon Webberville, TX.

well, that's an interesting grind - do you really like the end pointy like that?

>> >> Couldn't view this photo at all. Would you please >> either post it to alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking >> or e-mail it to me? >

to contact me, do not reply to this message, instead correct this address and use it

will iam_ b_ No ble at msn daught com

> > Looked at this photo and it clearly shows that whatever > the tool is being used, it makes nice wide shavings > and clears them out fairly well. UNFORTUNATELY > the tool itself isn't visible at all in the photo. >

> > Couldn't view this photo at all. Would you please > either post it to alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking > or e-mail it to me? >>

Charlie: Have you used the long point of a skew chisel to hollow out small turnings like the one you showed? I find they work very nicely and very fast. Held flat on the tool rest, you just point it at a side, deciding how much you want to remove and push it right on down.

Leif

====>Charlie: Have just viewed your "parting" tool! Please repeat after me: "Yit-gadal v'yit-kadash sh'mey raba, b'alma di v'ra hirutey, . . . etc!*G*

Leif

"William B Noble (don't reply to this address)" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Yep. Though the work is done at the side, the sharpness of the point allows plunging without skating across the face of a turning as a blunter version might. When it sticks into a rotating chunk of endgrain it doesn't slide.

Let's see if I can answer the quest ions that have been asked:

1. I use this thing "bevel" down when parting As I noted, I did a slit tapering of the sides to cut down on side friction in deeper cuts. By getting the top nice and flat and polished, the top's side edges are sharp enough to cut wood. The working end cuts like a high angle chisel or plane iron

1. With my Nova2 chuck and the stock jaws, the "tenon" on a piece must be fairly short, a bit over 1/2". So after I've hollowed a piece, I can expose maybe 3/16th of the tenon. By making three 1/8th inch cuts per pass, I avoid side binding AND because the blade is a little flexible, I can cut a slight concavity to the bottom of the "cup" I'm done turning

2. Because of the shape, I can go into end grain in smaller diameter cylinders than would be possible with the Stotts type parting tool.

1. Because the long flat top and bottom surfaces are flat, straight and polished, as are the tapered sides, I can use the resulting edges as a side scraper on the inside surface of the "cup" I'm turning. LIght "cuts" along the long contact edge yields a farily smooth surface - no grooves.

Because this thing can be flexed a little, I'm going to make another one with the "point" rounded so it won't cut and use the sides to scraper curved inside surfaces. With this first one, the "point" cuts a groove in the bottom of the "cup" as I scarpe down the sides.

This bayonet saw blade tool has some interesting possibilities. Ring cutter next?

charlie b (budding tool maker and dare devil)