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hughie
25th March 2011, 09:23 AM
With all this down time on my hands I have been busy making some hook tools. I actually don't own any nor have had much to do with them to date.
Theres a fair bit of info on line how to make them and some of it seems to be the hard way to go about. They surprisingly easy to make, I used carbon steel as its readily available in many places. HSS requires a lot more expertise and gear for the average DIY guy, plus it costs a great deal more.

The tools required are very simple and should be available to most of us in our workshops already. A bucket of water, a hammers, pliers, a vice to hold and wack it on :U, Heating I used Mapp gas. If you have a linisher all the better for the finishing and a dremel type tool for the final sharpen.

I choose to forge the steel into a flat bar, this saves on a lot filing/grinding etc later and leaves a lot more steel and makes for a more solid tool.

Bar stock sizes range from around 5mm for the nail to 8mm for the biggest and the biggest dia is around 20mm.

wheelinround
25th March 2011, 10:06 AM
:D:D:D I like

:o gonna be hard to hang onto though Hughie no handles and short or are these for getting your hands right at the coal face and free hand turning without tool rests:U

Paul39
25th March 2011, 11:55 AM
I will be most curious about how well they work for you.

My one excursion with a hook tool resulted in the hook broken off and bowl flung out of the lathe and across the shed.

cookie48
25th March 2011, 11:59 AM
When you use them let us know the results please.

NeilS
25th March 2011, 12:11 PM
Have also made a few from concrete nails. My tempering is a bit hit and miss, so usually have to make a batch of them so I have spares for when they break...:rolleyes:

As well as an inside bevel I've also experimented with outside bevels (to rub).

Use my Sorby hollower to hold them.

Once you get the feel for them they work quite well, particularly on green endgrain. The Munro and Woodcut hollowers are just more refined versions with depth-of-cut hoods.

PS - but, no way I'm going to show mine here so they can be compared to your beautiful examples, Hughie!
.

hughie
25th March 2011, 01:02 PM
I am off to Rays { Wheelinround} to try out his Nova next week and will put them through their paces.
Neil I agree with your observations Munro etc, I will be taking along a modified type Munro set up to try as well, plus some other stuff I have been playing around with. Should be a full morning.

TTIT
25th March 2011, 07:33 PM
They look that good it would be a damn shame if they don't work :;:U

Ed Reiss
27th March 2011, 11:36 AM
Hook tools attract hookers :o:D

Pat
27th March 2011, 02:14 PM
Huey, I would be careful with the hook tools, they may walk. Keep a sharp eye on that young rascal Ray . . .

wheelinround
27th March 2011, 07:17 PM
:D:D who me

Alastair
28th March 2011, 01:59 PM
Have also made a few from concrete nails. My tempering is a bit hit and miss, so usually have to make a batch of them so I have spares for when they break...:rolleyes:

As well as an inside bevel I've also experimented with outside bevels (to rub).

Use my Sorby hollower to hold them.

Once you get the feel for them they work quite well, particularly on green endgrain. The Munro and Woodcut hollowers are just more refined versions with depth-of-cut hoods.

PS - but, no way I'm going to show mine here so they can be compared to your beautiful examples, Hughie!
.


I've had some success using spade bits for hook tools. Either cut off the "spade" and forge the shaft, or grind it down, and utilise. (or both, gets you 2 out of 1 drill bit).

Unfortunately no pics.

regards

NeilS
28th March 2011, 02:12 PM
I've had some success using spade bits for hook tools.

Alastair - Interesting!

I would have thought that spade bits were made of HSS. If so, have you managed to forge and temper successfully without all the fancy equipment and processes that are normally used with HSS?
.

Alastair
28th March 2011, 02:35 PM
Alastair - Interesting!

I would have thought that spade bits were made of HSS. If so, have you managed to forge and temper successfully without all the fancy equipment and processes that are normally used with HSS?
.

Good point.

I must say I assumed HC steel, and treated as such wrt heat treatment etc.

Maybe ignorance is bliss?

I'll do a grind test and get back to you.

regards

Sawdust Maker
28th March 2011, 08:15 PM
I am off to Rays { Wheelinround} to try out his Nova next week and will put them through their paces.
Neil I agree with your observations Munro etc, I will be taking along a modified type Munro set up to try as well, plus some other stuff I have been playing around with. Should be a full morning.

What day - I might invite meself

What's your address Wheelie?

wheelinround
28th March 2011, 08:59 PM
What day - I might invite meself

What's your address Wheelie?


Signs of old age Nick if ya serious I'll pm it again :p

Thats if you can travel this far and of course get hermission :q

wheelinround
31st March 2011, 09:00 PM
Hughie thanks for bring you tools around today Nick(sawdust maker) thanks for the long journey south/west good to have a play with some home made tools.

The ones in the photo's above only part of the collection of different tips Hughie brought around. One or two real nice wood removers. Sorry the other photos didn't turn out well enough.:~

Sawdust Maker
1st April 2011, 09:02 AM
Thanks for having me (though I'll have to go to the gym extra because of the slices and bickies Sue made me eat)

I had my first play with a lever chuck and got to try out Hughie's experimental hooktools and ball (?) tools

Good fun

It is a fair hike but somehow the vehicle took me to Hare & Forbes first, dunno why :D

Pat
1st April 2011, 04:04 PM
Thanks for having me (though I'll have to go to the gym extra because of the slices and bickies Sue made me eat)

I bet Ray and Neil had to hold you down, whilst Sue forced fed you the slices and bickies.

wheelinround
1st April 2011, 05:19 PM
I bet Ray and Neil had to hold you down, whilst Sue forced fed you the slices and bickies.


:? Neil who's ............oh Hughie :doh:

Pat it was terrible he insulted Sue said her cooking was disgusting and NO-ONE else should be fed any so he would eat the lot so they didn't have to suffer.

Oh have one of the hook tools here to play with :D

RETIRED
1st April 2011, 06:19 PM
Ijust gotta ask (others are probably wondering too), Why are you using Cole Jaws?

wheelinround
1st April 2011, 06:36 PM
Ijust gotta ask (others are probably wondering too), Why are you using Cole Jaws?


Why not use Cole Jaws?? :? Is there a hard and fast rule says you MUST use a certain type of jaw?? Considering as Hughie brought up Jaws for wood turning have only been around a short time.

I think we were going to turn a tenon on the camphor but finding the Cole Jaws holding well we just continued. The turning wasn't to become something in particular. Although it may as it still is on my lathe

thompy
1st April 2011, 06:46 PM
Please forgive my ignorance, but i'm a question asker, what do the hook type tools do that the regular skew / gouge / scraper / parting tools do not do, or do better? I've never seen them before and i'm struggling to think of a purpose other than decorative or a hidden lip or something. Genuinely i do not know. Going to go google it.

Neal.

Edit: answered meself, its used for end grain turning interiour pieces, and takes the place of both scraper and gouge, a tool that allows both jobs to be done without the need to toolchange and at the flick of your wrist so to speak.

wheelinround
1st April 2011, 07:44 PM
Please forgive my ignorance, but i'm a question asker, what do the hook type tools do that the regular skew / gouge / scraper / parting tools do not do, or do better? I've never seen them before and i'm struggling to think of a purpose other than decorative or a hidden lip or something. Genuinely i do not know. Going to go google it.

Neal.

Edit: answered meself, its used for end grain turning interiour pieces, and takes the place of both scraper and gouge, a tool that allows both jobs to be done without the need to toolchange and at the flick of your wrist so to speak.


Neal no silly questions here.

The hook tool works best on green wood as it clears it out easier do a google for Robin Wood and check his video out he uses them as well as makes them.

hughie
1st April 2011, 11:51 PM
Ijust gotta ask (others are probably wondering too), Why are you using Cole Jaws?

They were the biggest jaws Ray had on hand to hold the blank. I only brought with me a smaller set 50mm I think and should had the 140mm with me .:no:
Anyway the hook tools worked fine for carbon steel, gave em away to Nick and Ray along with a couple of modified old end mills sharpened up much like Oland tools.

All in all a successful morning, only marred by the fact I had to go to work :C

Sawdust Maker
2nd April 2011, 08:48 AM
Yeah

Work is the curse of the hobby turner :p

RETIRED
2nd April 2011, 08:53 AM
Why not use Cole Jaws?? :? Is there a hard and fast rule says you MUST use a certain type of jaw?? Considering as Hughie brought up Jaws for wood turning have only been around a short time.

I think we were going to turn a tenon on the camphor but finding the Cole Jaws holding well we just continued. The turning wasn't to become something in particular. Although it may as it still is on my latheJust wondering why you hollow it first and then have to work out some way of holding it to do the back.

RETIRED
2nd April 2011, 08:54 AM
They were the biggest jaws Ray had on hand to hold the blank. I only brought with me a smaller set 50mm I think and should had the 140mm with me .:no:
Anyway the hook tools worked fine for carbon steel, gave em away to Nick and Ray along with a couple of modified old end mills sharpened up much like Oland tools.

All in all a successful morning, only marred by the fact I had to go to work :CGood to see the hook tools worked well.

Work tends to get in the way of our pleasure.:)

Sapling
2nd April 2011, 10:45 AM
How would a few different sized sidchrome spanners go with a bit of grinding done on them ????

sjm
2nd April 2011, 02:58 PM
How would a few different sized sidchrome spanners go with a bit of grinding done on them ????

If they were forged, they might be okay, but if they were cast, they would be brittle, and prone to breaking.

hughie
2nd April 2011, 05:50 PM
How would a few different sized sidchrome spanners go with a bit of grinding done on them

Most are chrome vanadium more tough that hard but some are capable of being hardened. I made a 8" shifta into a cold chisel once and it worked just fine.


You will just have to give it a go and see how it turns out :U

thompy
2nd April 2011, 05:59 PM
Neal no silly questions here.

The hook tool works best on green wood as it clears it out easier do a google for Robin Wood and check his video out he uses them as well as makes them.

Wheeli,
Top tip mate thanks, after having that name as a starter i spent quite a few hrs learning an watching youtube vids (i find it addictive) on anchient turning methods, pole lathes, bow lathes, hooking tools, davinci's flywheel lathe, and other treadle lathe's, watermill woodshops, and two person lathes, was quite interesting.:2tsup:

Neal.

Sapling
2nd April 2011, 06:00 PM
Was more a thought after seeing what you had made up and wheel'in commenting on the short handles. I'm still trying to master the standard turning tools !!!!

Alastair
4th April 2011, 11:00 AM
Please forgive my ignorance, but i'm a question asker, what do the hook type tools do that the regular skew / gouge / scraper / parting tools do not do, or do better? I've never seen them before and i'm struggling to think of a purpose other than decorative or a hidden lip or something. Genuinely i do not know. Going to go google it.

Neal.

Edit: answered meself, its used for end grain turning interiour pieces, and takes the place of both scraper and gouge, a tool that allows both jobs to be done without the need to toolchange and at the flick of your wrist so to speak.


More specifically, when hollowing endgrain, they allow you to take a true cut, WITH the grain, and with the bevel in contact for control, cutting from the centre out to the rim.

regards