Thread: A word in praise of Hughie Junior

He makes the same thing in 2 bigger sizes.

Hmmm, I can hardly hold this one! LOL

You know what I do need though - discovered from doing boxes. I need a parting tool that is really really thin, with a very long bevel, but made from something strong.

Any suggestions?

A saw maybe? LOL

Gary Pye does one if you don't want to make your own.

http://gpwoodturning.sitesuitestores..._id=1107445183

Get a $1.00 bread or butcher knife from a junk store. I made one out of each.
Stainless steel, carbon steel, whatever. Older is better, carving knives are good. Hollow ground or taper ground, cutting edge may be scalloped but you have to grid off more so it doesn't notch the tool rest.

This is not HSS but we are not hogging off gobs of timber.

Run the sharp edge back and forth lightly at right angles to the front of your grinder to knock the sharp edge off.

Turn it over & do it again to take the burr off. Then lay a piece of used sandpaper face up on a piece of wood and try to cut the sandpaper, angle side to side round off the edge you just ground. After using, if it is notching your tool rest, take more off.

Sandpaper on a board or file the notches out.

Sharpen the tip to your taste. I turn mine top (thick) edge down and run straight into the grinder below center to give about an 80 degree bevel. Only take a little cut, then pull back and let cool, again a little cut, etc.

This will leave a little burr on the top. Go into the wood with the knife barely under center, that little burr will slice wood out nicely. When it stops cutting easily, give it another touch on the grinder.

Get your tool rest close to your wood. If you leave too much space between the tool rest and the wood and get the knife much below center it will want to snatch the knife out of your hand.

If you have room to waste a little wood on one side, go straight in 1/ 4 in. / 6mm, come out and go in on the waste side just past the knife thickness and go in toward the good side, then more straight in, then angle. You can gently rub the good side to guide you going straight in.

Keep resharpening as soon as it stops cutting freely.

When you get down toward the middle, and especially if the work starts pulling on the knife, turn off the lathe, ease off the tailstock pressure and using a hacksaw blade, a coping saw, or a fine tooth backsaw / miter saw, and turning the lathe by hand, cut through the part.

If you cut too deeply with the knife / parting tool to the point where the two halves bend and bind, you are likely to have a mouthfull of timber and parting tool.

I tend to be conservative and take longer.

Watch this YouTube video and determine if you might like to make your own parting tool. They are not HSS, but they do a pretty good job of thin parting on a budget.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Joo-cBzsjQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Joo-cBzsjQ[/ame]

I think I can safely say that I now have one REAL turning tools.
The others are toys. And I didn't even know it.
Junior eats wood for breakfast, it hollowed out a form in no time flat. I was astonished at what a clean cut it left on endgrain (red cedar).
Heck, I am even tempted to get a piece of pine end grain and see what it will do with that!
I can't remember who said it - might have been Skew? Yes, the QLD blackwood is lighter in colour then the Tassie stuff. I thought it was darker because it was night when I turned it!!! LOL I gotta get a stronger light.

Anyway - thank you Hughie, what other tools do you make?

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Glad you like it, as Cliff said to more sizes to go.

Theres been a fair bit of interest on these tools so much so I am doing another run. If any body is keen on one, PM me.

As to other tools, I have one out on test with a few turners just finalizing the details etc will keep you updated. The Ebony arrived today, yeehaaa! many thanks.

Not something I usually say, but... "I told you so!" About both the Qld Blackwood and the little Hughie.

I was sure you'd like it... it eliminates almost all chatter.

Well... until you start working with bigger or deeper pieces of wood, in which case you need to move up to one of it's bigger brothers.