Thinking seriously of buying the "EZ-Rougher"

I do. It gives a rather rough surface when used as rouging tool, but it's also a good scraper. The carbide is of extraordinary quality.

Some of my works:

Gerard.

> > Gerard.

One of our club members demonstrated it and the finisher at our monthly meeting Thursday. I'm impressed enough that I'm also considering buying one.

I'd like to hear some opinions on how it compares to various other carbide tip tools like the Hunter. The demo was on a bowl, how does it do on end grain?

This is my $10 version:

The tip shape can be changed in 2 or 3 minutes according to need. I could upgrade to carbide for additional $2 :-)

Hello Mac,

I first saw them demonstrated at the Desert Woodturning Roundup in early 2009. I was impressed enough that I bought both the Ci1 and the Ci2 at that time. Mildred and I use them a great deal when roughing wood down to round. I turned a complete goblet with the Ci1 and the lathe running at 2000 rpm, except for the inside bottom of the bowl. It cut clean enough to be ready to sand at that speed. It is a bit rough at slower speeds. When at the Utah Woodturning Symposium I picked up the Easy Finisher and found it works very well, again it works better with higher speeds. They seem expernsive, but are very little more than a bowl gouge. One of their major advantages is you don't have to spend a lot of time sharpening. It doesn't work like a scraper where the tool tip must be tipped down. With this tool you go straight in on center line of rotation.

I don't have any interest in this tool other than it is a good tool that is being maligned by many of the experienced turners. I feel the tool will help beginners to turn better quicker.

Fred Holder

Mac

I posted a review here (and AAW and WoodNet and...) last spring after getting one at the Utah symposium.

In a nut shell, they knock the corners off the bowl and make it round at least as quick, and with less effort then a gouge.

But, I find that after the bowl is round, and you want to shape it, a gouge works as well (or better) and leaves a much better finish on the wood

Sounds like it might work for me, Fred... I turn mostly desert ironwood, usually starting with a "far from round" piece that's often more voids than wood..

Might give it a try just to save the wear and tear on the bowl gouges, thought at about $30 each, I can use 3 or 4 gouges up for the price of the ez rougher..

mac

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Mac Talk to Ken at Woodchuck Tools.

I own 2 of the Woodchucks and can testify that they are excellent tools at a great price. Dan

Actually, I don't have one. I do use a 'big ugly' tool which is a 7/8 inch wide by 3/16 thick by 3 inch long piece of tantung steel silver soldered onto a 3/4 inch square stock bar. There is a cutter on both ends of the bar, and you wear a heavy leather glove on the handle hand. Tantung is almost as hard as carbide, but you can sharpen it easily on a standard grinder. The Oregon coastal myrtle wood turners have been using it for years. It keeps its edge a long time, not as long as carbide, but much longer than HSS. Both the big ugly, and the Easy rougher are scrapers. They do work better at higher speeds, and if you roll it to 45 degrees, you get a nice clean shear cut. There is a post on the AAW site about a source for the cutters which is a lot cheaper than buying them direct. I do use the Eliminator tools which have a carbide disc, and consider it great for finish cuts on end grain. Not so good for roughing. You have to keep it at 45 degrees (like the Hunter tools), because if you hold them flat, they are really grabby.

robo hippy

Yeah.. love my Mega Eliminator, use it a LOT.. Definitely not designed for roughing irregular peces of ironwood, though..

My concern with the EZ rougher is that most of the pieces that I'd want to use it on might be spinning too slow to make it effective..

mac

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