Ci1 Easy Rougher

[Craig Jackson]

I am truely flattered by all the possitive comments from customers all over the world who have used our Easy Rougher tools. We seem to be causing a lot of folks to take a new look at the way woodturning is done.

I just feel an overwhelming need to caution everyone else to please not compare other attempts at our design to the real thing.

At first glance I must say, our tools look simple enough that anyone could make one. But like many other things in life- the devil is in the details. Without a complete understanding of all the little details that make our tools sucessfull and the physical forces developed during heavy roughing cuts, an attempt to copy can be disasterous and an unfair comparason to a tool that can make your hobby much more enjoyable.

In closing, if you still decide to 'make your own' tool, please at least consider using carbide inserts designed for woodturning and not metalworking inserts.
I am a master machinist by trade and assure you they are not the same.

Craig Jackson
Easy Wood Tools

[robutacion]

I am truely flattered by all the possitive comments from customers all over the world who have used our Easy Rougher tools. We seem to be causing a lot of folks to take a new look at the way woodturning is done.

I just feel an overwhelming need to caution everyone else to please not compare other attempts at our design to the real thing.

At first glance I must say, our tools look simple enough that anyone could make one. But like many other things in life- the devil is in the details. Without a complete understanding of all the little details that make our tools sucessfull and the physical forces developed during heavy roughing cuts, an attempt to copy can be disasterous and an unfair comparason to a tool that can make your hobby much more enjoyable.

In closing, if you still decide to 'make your own' tool, please at least consider using carbide inserts designed for woodturning and not metalworking inserts.
I am a master machinist by trade and assure you they are not the same.

Craig Jackson
Easy Wood Tools

Thanks again Craig,

I believe, your words of caution are very appropriate, as you generous recommendation in relation to the type of inserts should be used for the home made rougher.

That is indeed been a issue discussed by some members, and appear to have created some confusion. That has been also my recommendation, that inserts for metal cutting are not the some as inserts for timber cutting! Being necessity the mother of invention, some will be able to re-shape and re-sharp, metal cutting inserts and obtain satisfactory results, at least for a little while...!

Whatever you do, be careful!

Cheers
RBTCO

[jefferson]

Craig,

I have both the Ci1 and the Ci2, plus the "loaner" Ci1 you so generously sent me. I have no idea where the loaner tool is - currently doing the rounds among forum members somewhere.

I got in at the right time, when the Aussie dollar was near on par with the greenback. Not so anymore, which unfortunately adds a considerable premium to your products! With the benefit of hindsight, someone should have stocked up on inserts.

I am very happy with the tools, particularly for hollowing lidded boxes. No doubt others have found different uses for the tool.

Back to you and good luck when the $A improves a little.

Jeff

[hughie]

Craig,

Timely comments considering all the recent posts. But tinkerers will be tinkerers, and necessity maybe the mother of invention, but so is the exchange rate.

[Texian]

Craig,

Refreshing to learn that not everyone from Owensboro is a race car driver or motorcycle racer. Was beginning to think that y'all had some kind of weird genetic thing goin' on.

Very considerate and generous advice about the carbide inserts.

[Frank&Earnest]

Yeah Craig, sorry I made life a bit more difficult for you as a tinkerer, of course personal experiences are only that, extrapolating generalities from them is a mistake that hopefully forum members are smart enough not to make.

Your product will stand up on its merits, no matter the number of inferior clones popping out. Free market is always the best solution, didn't Bush just reiterate it yesterday?

For the benefit of all, though, it would be much appreciated if you explained the differences and properties of various carbide standards, as Studley briefly did in the other threads. A meaningful discussion between competent people is the best a forum can hope for, is it not?

[robutacion]

Cheers
RBTCO

[dai sensei]

I was one of the lucky ones that ordered mine with a heap of spare tips while the Ausy $ was good against the greenback a while back.

I love mine . Everyone I have deomonstrated it with have also been pleased with the result. I like my handle better though

Thanks again Craig

[Craig Jackson]

Craig,

Refreshing to learn that not everyone from Owensboro is a race car driver or motorcycle racer. Was beginning to think that y'all had some kind of weird genetic thing goin' on.

Very considerate and generous advice about the carbide inserts.

As for us all being 'racecar drivers' in my area we do have a large ratio of people who drive fast, and dangerously, around here and I am glad to some of them find a way to get out of town and make a living out of it. There are still many 'wan-a-be's' on the road though!

But seriously, back to the cutters. I recall where someone earlier asked if I invented or pantented the cutters. No to both questions. Nor did I invent the stainless steel or the maple in the handle or the Lexan in the shield. I do not mean to come across as a smarty here.
I have heard it said, and read it somewhere, there is nothing new under the sun. So, inventions can never be more than the combining of existing technologies into novel combinations. That is what we have done here. Taken sound materials and concepts and put them together in a most useful combination.

I will take credit for a few things here though:
-Using a square cutter vs round (more on that below)
-A tool with a removable chip deflector
-Use a square shank for tool stability
-Design a tool that does not 'catch' due to its' neutral cutting angle
-Provide an ergonomic handle with a double grip
-Furniture quality finishing on our handles
-A tool that is always used level so all the cutting force go into the tool rest instead of your hands/arms/body
-A tool that can cut left, right and straight in with the same stance and tool angle
-Stainless steel tools that never rust
-Free instructional DVD with tool purchase
I could go on hear but the point is this is a total package, not just a cutter tip.

We hold no patents but believe the combination of our continued inovation, fair price and over the top tool quality and customer service will provide our place in the market.

All-in-all we believe our tools to be a great overall value and possibly the easiest, safest, most efficient woodturning tools available.
Sincerely,
Craig Jackson

P.S. More on the square cutter next.

[Craig Jackson]

Topic- Round vs. Square
I get asked dozens of times when I demo a Symposiums 'why not a round cutter like everyone else'?
Well, let me first state that I am a master machinist by trade and have made a good living removing mass amounts of material to get down to that last cut. In the metalworking trade we call this the money cut.

When you think about it, 'the last cut' is really all we are going for on any project. It is the only cut you can sell and the only cut your wife will put her all judging hands against. Who cares what it looks like during roughing.
The following is not just my opinion or some unfounded theory but yet just good old proven math and physics. One of our main goals is to help customers put physics on their side instead of against them.

So, how do we arrive at this last cut the most efficient way? The answer is make as few a cuts as possible with the greatest depth of cut per pass, period.
To do this we need to be highly aware of tool engagement. This means what one must reduce the ratio of cutter contact per depth of cut to the absolute minimum.
If our Easy Roughers had a round cutter you can easily see that it would cut the total allowable depth of cut per pass in half due to the fact that after you reach a cut depth equal to the radius of the cutter the tool contact begins to wrap around the cutter.
This is for one- a very dangerous condition and two - even if if were safe, if would not be very efficient as cutter contact for the round vs the square (straight cutting edge) is 1.57 times greater for the round cutter on the same depth of cut.

Math- for a 15mm depth of cut, a straight cutting edge has 15mm of tool contact.
A round cutter for the same 15mm cut would have half of its' circumference or 15 x 3.14/2 = 23.55mm of tool contact. 23.55/15 is a ratio of 1.57/1.

That means 1.57 times the physical effort, 1.57 times the horse power, 1.57 times the material clamping strength... The straight cutting edge is 1.57 times more efficient.

I believe most will understand at this point that a straight cutting edge is preferred over a curved edge, for at least roughing.

Now all that is left, for this discussion, is tool angle in relation to the travel of the tool. Perpendicular is the goal here. If the the cutting edge is at any angle other than square to the travel of the tool then cutter contact is increased per depth of cut. If you remember anything from math class, you know the hypotenuse is always the longest side of a triangle. I will spare you the math this time but a cutting edge at 45 degrees to the travel of the tool is 1.41 times less efficient.

Most people, novices and professionals, are fooled into thinking the goal is the width of the shaving (or ribbon). I have even seen in expensive videos the instructor point out the ribbon size and believe he was really doing some good. My goal is to remove wood, efficiently by reducing my shaving size per depth of cut.

So in the end, a straight cutting edge that is perpendicular the the travel of the tool is the most productive method for getting to the money cut.

We are in the process of getting this educational topic on our website and these other topics yet discussed here-
finishing cuts, tool bar shape, primary and secondary cutting edges, the reason a catch occurs, cutting edge support, the 'step method' for even easier roughing

Craig Jackson

[steck]

Hi Craig,
I am enjoying this thread and learning a lot as well.
I borrowed your "loaner" and was very impressed with how quickly and easily it got rid of the "roughage"!
Unfortunately our $ took a swan dive and that put paid to my dreams of ownership for the present.
Congratulations on a great tool and thank you for making the loan tool available.

[Frank&Earnest]

...
Well, let me first state that I am a master machinist by trade and have made a good living removing mass amounts of material to get down to that last cut. In the metalworking trade we call this the money cut.

When you think about it, 'the last cut' is really all we are going for on any project. It is the only cut you can sell and the only cut your wife will put her all judging hands against. Who cares what it looks like during roughing.
....

So in the end, a straight cutting edge that is perpendicular the the travel of the tool is the most productive method for getting to the money cut.

Craig Jackson

Thanks Craig. You have confirmed most eloquently what I very concisely said was the mode of operation and the real value of the tool:
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=70985
I am no experienced metalworker but physics is physics. I am surprised that BobL has not entered the fray yet...

[robutacion]

Thanks Craig,

I'm pleased that you decided to "play with us and not against us!", if you know what I mean, and I certainly believe, you do.

No one would think that coming up with the design and functionality of such tool, is the result of a overnight dream, nor a "fluke". Your description of steps taken and the logics used are of interest to all of us. There are many other aspects to this tool of yours, being the inserts used (construction, composition, sharpness, re-sharping, etc, etc.) also of crucial & critical importance so, if you would also gives us a run on the matter, we would me most thankful.

Once again, thank you for your continued contribution to this thread.

Cheers
RBTCO

[new_guy90]

ok heres maybe a stupid Q but these carbide inserts do they cut shavings of or are they used as scrapers? i for one don't particularly like this idea maybe my time on large center lathes using carbide inserts and seeing how they cut makes me feel uncertain about these tools.

[Cliff Rogers]

... these carbide inserts do they cut shavings of or are they used as scrapers? ....

They are used as scrapers & depending on the type of wood you are using, you can get shavings.

I have used to to rough out wet Hoop Pine & it made BUCKET loads of long wet streamers.

Some of the harder inland timbers that prefer to be scraped also produce shavings if you don't push too hard.