Honey Dippers

Hi Alan,

You have a couple of options, You could get one of the 1/16" parting tools, or you could just turn a series of beads, and forget parting tools all together.

Alan, I agree with Dan on turning a series of beads. Just cut between them as deep as you can with the skew tip and the dippers will be fine.

Ruth and the ? (hmmmm)

Thanks for the reply. I'm not sure I see how that could obtain the same result. How would you turn the flat between the beads?

I also wanted to ask you, Dan... I see your email address is at PSU, do you live in or near State College? I'm in Burnham (next to Lewistown). Is there an active group of woodturners around this area? I was looking for a local AAW chapter, but the closest I could come was Harrisburg. I've been dying to get some semi-formal instruction, but have been unable to 'turn' anything up in our remote corner of the country.

If you want flat, you can modify your parting tool by filing a "V" on the end, thereby making it capable of a cleaner cut. See the Sorby 1/16" parting tool for an example. The points really run in well. Easier if you have one of the old cheapie carbon steel types to do the filing and honing.

You really don't need flats between the beads to hold or deliver honey. The beads just need to be well-defined and deep.

If you still want to go with a parting tool and get 5 cuts in 1-1/2", with spaces between cuts equal to the cut, you will need a parting tool no wider than 1/8".

Michael Latcha - at home in Redford, MI

You really don't need flats between the beads to hold or deliver honey. The beads just need to be well-defined and deep.

If you still want to go with a parting tool and get 5 cuts in 1-1/2", with spaces between cuts equal to the cut, you will need a parting tool no wider than 1/8".

Michael Latcha - at home in Redford, MI

I like the idea of the beads more than the slots. All the commercial honey dippers have slots and the beads would be more suggestive of something different and hand made, methinks. For a new turner, a three point tool is the easiest way to go.

I use a hacksaw blade to make the grooves between the beads. I tried using a beading tool, even made some thinner ones to narrow the grooves, but a hacksaw blade seems to work best and if you buy them by the 100 pack they're dirt cheap.

Dave in Fairfax

Greetings,

How do you use them? Do you hold one in your bare hands on the top of the turning? Do you grind one end to look like a parting tool and use it as such?

S> Alan Van Art wrote:

Hold the blade upside down resting on the toolrest with the teeth pointing back toward you. Hold the cloe end of the blade between finger and thumb and cut with the far end of the blade. As it heats and dulls, feed more of the blade toward the wood. Be careful to avoid binding due to sideways motion along the toolrest. Also be careful to not grip the teeth of the blade. There is a chance that the blade will be pulled out of your fingers. If you are holding it properly, that's annoying, but not dangerous. Teh rotation will take the blade and throw it away from you. DON'T cut along the top of the wood, a catch in that position will throw the blade AT you. Again, be careful. Hope that helps, Dave in Fairfax

I envision it to be much like a metal lathe tool bit with the end properly ground and protrudng just enough from two strips of wood fashioned to make a handle. Wear your face shield!

Foolish thought perhaps but why not just try using a hacksaw or better yet a backsaw (because it is more rigid), with the lathe running at the slowest speed?

Peace ~ Sir Edgar =F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8= =F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8

Greetings,

Thanks for the reply. How many kerf widths do you make the slots. Your description makes it sound like one kerf per slot. This seems reasonable, but I want to make sure.

Sincerely, Bill Thomas

I try to make a single kerf width between the beeads. Since the avg dipper has 5-7 beads, the corresponding number of kerfs holds a fair amount of honey. Which works out well, 'cause I love honey.

Dave in Fairfax

Yesterday I wrote in a post:

"I envision it to be much like a metal lathe tool bit with the end properly ground and protrudng just enough from two strips of wood fashioned to make a handle. Wear your face shield!"

Today I had to try it. I ground the end of a hacksaw blade like a parting tool. Then I made a handle out of two strips of wood and bolted them together with the hacksaw blade between them like a sandwich, and just the tip of the blade exposed. When I made a shallow groove I moved the blade out further as it now had support on the sides. I repeated this until I had the desired groove depth. It was rather "catchy" but it worked. This surprised me for I am new at turning and most of the time my work at the present is trial and error, learning as I go.

Maybe you will want to give it a try.

Peace ~ Sir Edgar =F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8= =F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8

==================================== Instead of a hacksaw blade, I prefer a blade for a reciprocating saw. They're more rigid, and the high speed steel ones can stand the high heat of parting. I grind them in the Cris Stott style, and either use a pair of wooden handles epoxyed onto the blade or wrap it in duct tape to give it "grip" and to protect the hands. They're not as cheap initially as hacksaw blades, but since they can be sharpened llike regular parting tools, they last a long time.

Ken Moon Webberville, TX