Thread: Making your own turning chisels

Originally Posted by powderpost

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About ten years ago, I got tired of lugging large lumps around and attacking them with a chain saw and started making small lidded slip fit boxes, not a lot of cleaning up needed? Then I got interested in hand thread chasing and started reading about the tools needed. I couldn't find a source so started making my own tools. The first one is an old carbon steel tool with hack saw blade tip for cleaning up the bottom of the boxes. The second is used for the relief at the bottom of an internal thread. The third one is the prototype of the bottoming tool. Never got around to making a handle for it. the last tool has a pivoting head for sanding inside small shaped boxes.

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The longest of these weapons is about 600mm long, made from a short length of 32 x 10 square bar with a 12mm round bar handle. The working tip is a piece of planer blade. The middle "tool" is a piece of 30 x 10mm flat bar with hack saw blade silver soldered on both ends on opposite sides. The second end is not visible. The third one was mad frome 12mm square bar. They were "developed" because I was making deep vases (300mm deep). This three are about 30 odd years old.


Hope this is of some interest.

Jim

Nice collection there Jim. Very interesting !

The chipping hammer LOL . Funny looking but I guess its hard steel and it worked .

The built up handle in the middle of the top picture . You make that ? That's a nice thing .
Whats the blank pattern glue up for that look like ? It looks complex .

And the tools in bottom picture with no handles . I like them . They look cool, there basic and they would get the job done . 1 inch of HSS shaped right could last me a long time even if I did 20 boxes. What sort of silver rods do you use ? % of silver ?

Rob

Originally Posted by auscab

What got me started on this path was an interest in the turned box with the slip on lid in the Youtube link where I saw this scraper (Pictures below) being used .
Woodturning 101 - Video 8 - Turning a Box - YouTube

Richard Raffan has a book and video on turning boxes.

Richard's box hollowing technique with a spindle gouge has to be seen, not just read about. See him doing it starting at 30sec mark in the following promo video, but it doesn't last very long!

Turning Boxes with Richard Raffan (woodturning DVD preview) - YouTube

Benoit Averly learned some of his box making techniques when he spent some time working with Richard. I've seen Benoit turning a batch of his pill boxes (the little acorn shaped one at front of the cluster below) off the one blank at the rate of 90sec each, ie from first tool contact to a finished boxed with a perfect suction fit, every time. His skew technique is exquisite!

Resultado de imagen de Beno t Averly.jpeg
Source: Resultado de imagen de Beno t Averly | Wood turning, Wood, Wood vase

Rob,

I have responded to your original post to show what can be done, if and when the need arises. I am still using ribbon silver solder that I acquired a long time back, I have no idea what percentage silver it is. There is probably some one watching better qualified to answer your question.

The handle that I think you are referring to is a celtic knot, google "celtic knot", rather than get involved with the details here.

The three long tools without handles are very agricultural, but they worked, and did all that I asked of them. As has been said before, the new tipped tools are possibly more efficient, but you did ask for home made "tools".

I have learned a lot about tool design, and function by going down the home made tool path, and learned some new skills.


Jim

Thanks Jim . Celtic Knot . Ive seen them before , I never knew the name or looked into whats involved in making one though . Ill have a read about them .

Rob

I ended up using HSS for a couple of scrapers.

I split a 200 x 35 x 10 mm in half and made two .

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The square ended one worked well in a turned box I made . It was catching a bit at first so I gave it some negative rake on top . Just a little 1mm flat angle at the top and it worked a lot better .

The curved one worked but I felt after I had ground it that I had chosen the wrong grind and wished I had just gone small with the negative rake on top like the other chisel. I may see if shortening it still works by cutting off the heavily ground section . Or I'll have to make it again . I better try it on some other projects first as it may be OK on them . It was not so good on the small turned slip on lid box that I had to do .

The Ebay Chinese HSS that I used seemed fine for these tools though .

Rob

Well done Rob.

Originally Posted by auscab

The Ebay Chinese HSS that I used seemed fine for these tools though .

That has also been my experience. The processing of standard M2 HSS is so well established that you are unlikely to get a bad batch.

These sort of specialist tools I tend to make as tip tools to fit one or two standard bars. Most of the HSS I use come from broken taps, end mills, slots drills etc. The HSS will be of a much higher standard than what you would normally find available to woodies, plus being broken, free Add to that they are readily ground on any basic grinder.
In time they tend to mulitply, ending up needing some sort storage for ready access.