Thread: Texturing on a budget

Try a jigsaw blade shaped to a blunt point and held in vicegrips .
Ted

Shotgun.

I have a steel rod which has one end slotted (like a screw) so I can slip in old JS blades and clamp 'em in with a grub screw.

I've found that the most consistent chatter comes from stacking several pieces of ever-increasing length, much like an old leaf spring, and texturing with the top-most piece.

You could also try a wire brush.

If you have any Dremel-style die grinder bits (like this) run them freewheeling against the piece using different angles of contact.

Also, small diameter steel gears from old mechanisms are another option if you have access to anything like that. May need to be ground into cutting edges. Usually made from softer steels than turning tools so would need to be resharpened frequently.

Some interesting ideas. I was always of the impression chatter tools were for end grain, not side grain, but I'm willing to give it a go!

Thanks

Broken hack saw blade, any spring steel, ground to suit.

A different kind of texture, a little like driftwood, can be achieved by holding/pressing a drill mounted wire-brush wheel, spinning in opposite direction against the piece on the lathe, both running at a slow'ish (~ 350rpm) speed. You can change the texture by changing the angle of the spinning brush against the turned piece.

cheers,

Rony