Thread: Beading Tool

The one I have I flatten the top rather than trying to shape the concave bevel. The same as sharpening a Sorby Spindlemaster.

I rarely use it, mainly 'cos I'm inherently lazy and if I have a skew or decent gouge in my hand at the time...

By the same token, I wouldn't mind a little 2 or 3mm one for doing detail-work on bowl rims; it seems the smaller the beads are the more work they are!

Ahem. Erns your man.

The price of being a tool whore ;-}

Ed, I guess you're thinking about the Henry Taylor? Can you post a link?

There's also a Hamlet that's a different design but I don't recall seeing them that small.

Hi Ed,
Well if all else fails, I dare say something could be made.But check out Google as there are several "homemade beading tools" on the web.


pm me if you get stuck, I am currently over seas and will be back next week

This photo is from Basil Kelsey (on WoW), and they are just reground carving gouges of some kind or other. I have made mine from a set of very old Henry Taylor carving gouges, and they cut beads quite well. Care must be taken though, as they can be very aggressive if allowed.
I also have a 4-piece set of beading tools from Benjamin's Best (PSI), and they are fair, though not as good as the reground gouges.
A fluted and ground set of various diameters of HSS rod or drill rod would work well too.

Thanks guys...good info all 'round

Gil, that's the configuration I have in mind, not that I don't know how to do beads with a skew or gouge, I do...but I'm starting to get lazy in my old age (plus the old eye's ain't seein' as well as they used too), so doing the 2 or 3mm beads, like Skew said, are more problematic than larger ones.

Will probably wind up making my own as there is not too much out there in the 2-3 mm size, with the exception of "Benjamin's Best", and, like you said Gil...

Another option is to cut a suitable piece of old planer blade to mount to a shaft and grind a cove in the tip.

Or for stacked or beehive beads, grind a small parting tool or something like it with a severe hollow grind so seen flat it's a point with concave sides. That will cut the facing sides of adjacent beads.

The HT approach is different. It's rectangular bar with a flute milled in the wide face. There are three bevel faces at the pointy end; one below the flute and the width of it and one each side of it swept back. This tool cuts an inset bead with half of a V cut on each side. It's available down to 1/16".

See here for a pic of the underside.

These are all scrapers so work best on medium density timber but with a fresh edge the HT will perform well enough on softer species.

And yes, they need care in use since there's potentially a lot of cutting edge in contact with the wood.

With the HT I deal with this by swivelling the cutting edge slightly from side to side so that it's not all engaged at any time.

The HT is pointed well down with the tool rest as close to the work as you can get it.

Someone else might chip in about using the Hamlet design ... WW, you out there?

Hope this is of some use.

Thanks Ern...at 1/16" (4mm) it is definitely in the ballpark for the items I have in mind and since it is made by Henry Taylor, the quality is there.

Still not finding anything on the www for a 2mm - 3mm tool....anyone???

Just to add a couple of points.

In the thread on turning a bead on a bowl someone posted on a simple system as follows: dimension your bead with parting tool cuts on either side, and lay a small skew on its side and scrape your profile this way.

I've not had much luck with this; it needs a steady hand (or better, body swing) to get an even curve.

Second, any of these approaches knock the sharp edge off the tool quickly. Not surprising when you consider the 'footage' of the cutting. Multiply the circumference eg. of a 10" bowl by several hundred rotations to get some idea. So you have to refresh the edge often - for each new bead to get a clean result.

[sorry Ed, we were typing at the same time. Yes, good HSS is a real help here, and no, I don't know of anything smaller. Knock up your own if you're handy with metal.]

...at 1/16" (4mm)

Ed, dunno 1/16 should be about 1.5mm ie 0.0625".
Anyway if you have or can make.buy etc your oland type tool. Then using the the 1mm cut off blade you can grind what ever dia groove in the end of the HSS. Its abit fiddly but you only have to do it once and as to sharpening just grind the top of it.

Originally Posted by hughie

Ed, dunno 1/16 should be about 1.5mm ie 0.0625".

...right you are Hughie...my math skills leave a lot to be desired

Going by the picture gill gave why not get a hollow pushrod from an engine (car ) and grind it down . make sure it;s hollow first .Imade a small gouge that way , and it's hardened too boot . If not try making your own with a bit of power planer or old thicknesser blade into a similar shape of the sorby beader attachment for there multi tool .

Very good idea, Rodent. Now i just need to find the hollow pushrod.
Thanks!!