RETIRED
12th October 2008, 12:46 PM
A lot of people have wondered about using the Ci! Rougher on spindle work. I hope that this report helps you make up your mimd. Bear in mind that my work is a little different to most.:wink:
When I first saw the thread about the Ci1 Rougher I wondered whether or not it could be used for my sort of work.
My wrists and arms are not as young as they used to be so anything that makes it easier on them the better.
I had my first opportunity to see it at DJ's get together and thought that it had possibilities. Jeff brought it to my place and I tried it.
I ordered the Rougher with a straight across cutter and 5 extra tips of the same sort. Ordering is a bit complex with having to go through 2 places to pay for the tool and then freight separately.
Service from Craig is excellent, and the tool arrived 10 days later with the a video.
An extra lock screw and a hand written note thanking me for the purchase was a nice touch. It may pay to put an Allen key of the right size in with the tool as well, as some may not have one that small.
The video that comes with the tool is very good and contains all the appropriate safety warnings. It gives reasonably good instruction on its use. I like the bit where the speed is increased and you hear a spanner rattle on the bed and it gets backed off a touch. Reinforces what I have been saying: " Speed up until it vibrates then back off."
The timber for the test was an old telephone pole 440mm in diameter and 1.2 long. It was Tallowwood that had been in the ground at this end.
I deliberately chose this log as the banjos could not fit under it so the tool rest was supported only at the ends. On big diameter stuff we quite often have to do this and as you decrease the diameter you add more banjos to support the rest.
Normally using a gouge you can only go about 75-100 mm from the support because of the forces exerted on the rest cause it to vibrate and flex.It is 1.6m long after all.
I was hoping that the Rougher could go a little further than that because all the force is downward. This proved to be correct as I could go out about 300mm (possibly more) before requiring an additional banjo.
First saving.
On a log that size we probably sharpen the gouge 30-40 times in the roughing process but the Rougher so far has done about 2.5 logs before having to rotate the tip. We rotate the tip 180 degrees because the sides cop as much wear as the front.
Second saving.
In use the tool is easy to use with very strain on the handle end, as long as the rest is kept as close as possible to the work. We start close but in some places are up to 50mm off the rest and you do feel a bit of strain at the handle.
Some have commented on the handle shape but for comfort and "pushing" power it is ideal as it doesn't allow any slip down the handle. Very comfortable to use and less strain on the arms than a gouge.
Third saving.
It does take some getting used to holding the tool horizontal. The hand at the rest must be against the rest as a guide or it can run away from you and start cutting deeper and deeper until it grabs, and it can grab but not as violently as a gouge. When it is sharp (new cutter) it cuts fantastic.
Plunge or sizing cuts are easy and it cuts extremely well.
But be warned. Like all tools consider it as a lever, the rest as the fulcrum, the log as the load and you as the effort.
When the load is greater than the effort a few things can happen. You can break the handle like Cliff did. You can have the tool bend your arm up, knock the face shield off (catching an ear along the way), take the tip off a glove ( don't ask me how), bend the tool (about 2mm overall) and force you to have a cuppa.
I might mention that I was about 140 mm off the rest as well. Not advisable with any tool but I was testing the limits of the tool. I found them and won't do it again until next time.:oo:
On this particular log the part that had been in the ground had almost petrified and normal HSS chisels lost an edge in about a nano second. The Rougher was the only tool that could cut the end but even it had to have the tip replaced afterwards.
Fourth saving.
The finish from the tool is shown in the last photo. I was not using a concave cutter but the straight cutter and this is the finish that I expected. You can get a better finish by using lighter cuts.
It has a learning curve and I would suggest that beginners use the tool with care until they learn the principles of cutting.
Experienced turners also have to learn that it is a scraper and must be used appropriately. It is very easy to want to drop the handle as you are used to with other turning tools.
In summary, the tool exceeded my expectations for the sort of work I do and I am very happy with it, but for spindle work on small items like table or chair legs a gouge would be quicker and cleaner.
When I first saw the thread about the Ci1 Rougher I wondered whether or not it could be used for my sort of work.
My wrists and arms are not as young as they used to be so anything that makes it easier on them the better.
I had my first opportunity to see it at DJ's get together and thought that it had possibilities. Jeff brought it to my place and I tried it.
I ordered the Rougher with a straight across cutter and 5 extra tips of the same sort. Ordering is a bit complex with having to go through 2 places to pay for the tool and then freight separately.
Service from Craig is excellent, and the tool arrived 10 days later with the a video.
An extra lock screw and a hand written note thanking me for the purchase was a nice touch. It may pay to put an Allen key of the right size in with the tool as well, as some may not have one that small.
The video that comes with the tool is very good and contains all the appropriate safety warnings. It gives reasonably good instruction on its use. I like the bit where the speed is increased and you hear a spanner rattle on the bed and it gets backed off a touch. Reinforces what I have been saying: " Speed up until it vibrates then back off."
The timber for the test was an old telephone pole 440mm in diameter and 1.2 long. It was Tallowwood that had been in the ground at this end.
I deliberately chose this log as the banjos could not fit under it so the tool rest was supported only at the ends. On big diameter stuff we quite often have to do this and as you decrease the diameter you add more banjos to support the rest.
Normally using a gouge you can only go about 75-100 mm from the support because of the forces exerted on the rest cause it to vibrate and flex.It is 1.6m long after all.
I was hoping that the Rougher could go a little further than that because all the force is downward. This proved to be correct as I could go out about 300mm (possibly more) before requiring an additional banjo.
First saving.
On a log that size we probably sharpen the gouge 30-40 times in the roughing process but the Rougher so far has done about 2.5 logs before having to rotate the tip. We rotate the tip 180 degrees because the sides cop as much wear as the front.
Second saving.
In use the tool is easy to use with very strain on the handle end, as long as the rest is kept as close as possible to the work. We start close but in some places are up to 50mm off the rest and you do feel a bit of strain at the handle.
Some have commented on the handle shape but for comfort and "pushing" power it is ideal as it doesn't allow any slip down the handle. Very comfortable to use and less strain on the arms than a gouge.
Third saving.
It does take some getting used to holding the tool horizontal. The hand at the rest must be against the rest as a guide or it can run away from you and start cutting deeper and deeper until it grabs, and it can grab but not as violently as a gouge. When it is sharp (new cutter) it cuts fantastic.
Plunge or sizing cuts are easy and it cuts extremely well.
But be warned. Like all tools consider it as a lever, the rest as the fulcrum, the log as the load and you as the effort.
When the load is greater than the effort a few things can happen. You can break the handle like Cliff did. You can have the tool bend your arm up, knock the face shield off (catching an ear along the way), take the tip off a glove ( don't ask me how), bend the tool (about 2mm overall) and force you to have a cuppa.
I might mention that I was about 140 mm off the rest as well. Not advisable with any tool but I was testing the limits of the tool. I found them and won't do it again until next time.:oo:
On this particular log the part that had been in the ground had almost petrified and normal HSS chisels lost an edge in about a nano second. The Rougher was the only tool that could cut the end but even it had to have the tip replaced afterwards.
Fourth saving.
The finish from the tool is shown in the last photo. I was not using a concave cutter but the straight cutter and this is the finish that I expected. You can get a better finish by using lighter cuts.
It has a learning curve and I would suggest that beginners use the tool with care until they learn the principles of cutting.
Experienced turners also have to learn that it is a scraper and must be used appropriately. It is very easy to want to drop the handle as you are used to with other turning tools.
In summary, the tool exceeded my expectations for the sort of work I do and I am very happy with it, but for spindle work on small items like table or chair legs a gouge would be quicker and cleaner.