robutacion
8th October 2007, 02:08 AM
Hi all,
Another day I realise that I, how good it would be, if I had a heavy duty gouge handle, with a quick blade/cutter exchange. I notice all the different sises (lengths), weights and shapes of gouges available, and the different "feel" each handle gives. I found this is not always a positive, as a quick change of tools (gouges), can be dangerous, to a certain point.
I thought about the screw guns type chuck, as one of the tools that I often use, and all the different length screw bits I have been accumulating through the years. I'm talking about all the screw bits, with a broken tip (mainly Phillipe screw type), that I kept for no particular reason.
The same type of screw gun chuck, can be easily purchased in any hardware store, as a screw bit extension, which I have also been using for years. The next thing I needed was a metal handle (shaft), an 18mm stainless steel rod at 23" in length, would be my preference, but not having it, I looked at a "ell-chipou" Chinese made fridge type trolley, I got from Bunnings a few years back, now broken, and I could see the rod used to hold the wheels. This was a 16 mm galv. coated rod at 19.5" long, so not the ideal, but it would had to do. For the handle part of it, I had a couple of unused push bike black long soft handles, the only thing I needed was a piece of 3/4 galv. pipe, with the same length as the bike handles, this would make an tight fit to the metal rod and the bike grip handles. I have also used (decoration only), 3" of 3/4 black heat-shrink to finish the joint of the galv. pipe and the steel rod. The finish in the rod (stainless look a like) was obtained buy polishing the rod on the lathe with some 120 grit cloth sand paper strip.
The other bowl gouge tip cutter, was made out of the 2" left (tip) from my 13mm bowl gouge that broke last week. It is welded to the shaft of an old screw bit extension, which the chuck end did brake.
The screw bits were sharped, with similar cutting shapes, as normal wood turning gouges, with the obvious limitation on the diameter, the length varies as per the original length of the bits. For anything that would look like roughing gouges, bowl gouges, detail gouges etc., I used the bolt sockets for use with the screw gun or other hand screw tools available, in any or all sizes from 8mm up to 20mm, as I don't thing safe to make them any bigger, as the socket shaft is all the same (5-6mm?)for all sizes.
The way it was all put together, is self explanatory as the pics demonstrate. Even tough, I use the welded 13mm bowl gouge end, to the screw tip extension, in the same wood size jobs as per a normal 13mm bowl gouge, I believe and I don't recommend the use of the screw bits and socket made cutting tips, on any large or very hard wood turnings, any bigger then 6", for obvious reasons. The week point of this tool, with the quick exchange bit chuck, is where the chuck is actually attached/welded/pressed, to the extension shaft. With this said, only a "nasty" catch would bent or possible brake the extension at the chuck joint, and if this happen, a replacement bit extension will set you back about $20.00 or so. The sharping system for the screw bits, is the same as per any other metal sharpening requirements, it doesn't hold the edge for as long as a good quality steel made for cutting tools does, but being so hardly tempered, they last good enough for the price!
Anyway, this was my weekend project, where I did not spent a single dollar, as I used only what I had, all bits tested and working fine...!
I whish that I could have one done with all heavy dutty cutters, as the proper factory made wood turning gouges, as the idead works very well, but untill such time, this will do...!
Cheers
RBTCO
Another day I realise that I, how good it would be, if I had a heavy duty gouge handle, with a quick blade/cutter exchange. I notice all the different sises (lengths), weights and shapes of gouges available, and the different "feel" each handle gives. I found this is not always a positive, as a quick change of tools (gouges), can be dangerous, to a certain point.
I thought about the screw guns type chuck, as one of the tools that I often use, and all the different length screw bits I have been accumulating through the years. I'm talking about all the screw bits, with a broken tip (mainly Phillipe screw type), that I kept for no particular reason.
The same type of screw gun chuck, can be easily purchased in any hardware store, as a screw bit extension, which I have also been using for years. The next thing I needed was a metal handle (shaft), an 18mm stainless steel rod at 23" in length, would be my preference, but not having it, I looked at a "ell-chipou" Chinese made fridge type trolley, I got from Bunnings a few years back, now broken, and I could see the rod used to hold the wheels. This was a 16 mm galv. coated rod at 19.5" long, so not the ideal, but it would had to do. For the handle part of it, I had a couple of unused push bike black long soft handles, the only thing I needed was a piece of 3/4 galv. pipe, with the same length as the bike handles, this would make an tight fit to the metal rod and the bike grip handles. I have also used (decoration only), 3" of 3/4 black heat-shrink to finish the joint of the galv. pipe and the steel rod. The finish in the rod (stainless look a like) was obtained buy polishing the rod on the lathe with some 120 grit cloth sand paper strip.
The other bowl gouge tip cutter, was made out of the 2" left (tip) from my 13mm bowl gouge that broke last week. It is welded to the shaft of an old screw bit extension, which the chuck end did brake.
The screw bits were sharped, with similar cutting shapes, as normal wood turning gouges, with the obvious limitation on the diameter, the length varies as per the original length of the bits. For anything that would look like roughing gouges, bowl gouges, detail gouges etc., I used the bolt sockets for use with the screw gun or other hand screw tools available, in any or all sizes from 8mm up to 20mm, as I don't thing safe to make them any bigger, as the socket shaft is all the same (5-6mm?)for all sizes.
The way it was all put together, is self explanatory as the pics demonstrate. Even tough, I use the welded 13mm bowl gouge end, to the screw tip extension, in the same wood size jobs as per a normal 13mm bowl gouge, I believe and I don't recommend the use of the screw bits and socket made cutting tips, on any large or very hard wood turnings, any bigger then 6", for obvious reasons. The week point of this tool, with the quick exchange bit chuck, is where the chuck is actually attached/welded/pressed, to the extension shaft. With this said, only a "nasty" catch would bent or possible brake the extension at the chuck joint, and if this happen, a replacement bit extension will set you back about $20.00 or so. The sharping system for the screw bits, is the same as per any other metal sharpening requirements, it doesn't hold the edge for as long as a good quality steel made for cutting tools does, but being so hardly tempered, they last good enough for the price!
Anyway, this was my weekend project, where I did not spent a single dollar, as I used only what I had, all bits tested and working fine...!
I whish that I could have one done with all heavy dutty cutters, as the proper factory made wood turning gouges, as the idead works very well, but untill such time, this will do...!
Cheers
RBTCO