Solving shaggy walnut

[Jamie Straw]

I was prepping stopper blanks today, had a mix of plum, maple and walnut. I'm starting with 1-3/4" square stock, between centers using a parting tool to turn a tenon for #2 jaws. The plum and the maple accept the parting tool nicely, and I get crisp shoulders. The walnut, however, shreds at the corners rather dramatically. I tried different parting tools, and starting angles to see if I can reduce the fray, but no luck. Any tips?

 

[hockenbery]

I was prepping stopper blanks today, had a mix of plum, maple and walnut. I'm starting with 1-3/4" square stock, between centers using a parting tool to turn a tenon for #2 jaws. The plum and the maple accept the parting tool nicely, and I get crisp shoulders. The walnut, however, shreds at the corners rather dramatically. I tried different parting tools, and starting angles to see if I can reduce the fray, but no luck. Any tips?

Often you can get a clean corner with parting tool by starting the cut with the handle way up.
This presents the top edge of the parting tool as a negative rake scraper.
Once the tool is bit below the surface you can lower the handle until it is peeling.

For a really clean a corner - cut with a skew.
Al

 

[Jamie Straw]

Often you can get a clean corner with parting tool by starting the cut with the handle way up.
This presents the top edge of the parting tool as a negative rake scraper.
Once the tool is bit below the surface you can lower the handle until it is peeling.

For a really clean a corner - cut with a skew.
Al

I tried starting with raised handle (really a general habit with that tool) but perhaps not quite enough. Poor thing looked like it had been electrocuted. Will try exaggerating it tomorrow. I did resort to a skew on the second blank, but hoping to only use one tool for these stopper preps.

 

[Bill Boehme]

How about a skew?

I have an old bifurcated thin parting tool made by Sorby. I think it is the same as what they now call a Nick Cook parting tool. It's generally good for getting clean shoulders on a tenon.

 

[Jamie Straw]

How about a skew?

I have an old bifurcated thin parting tool made by Sorby. I think it is the same as what they now call a Nick Cook parting tool. It's generally good for getting clean shoulders on a tenon.

Ah! I may have one of those, forgotten about. I'll dig it out for a try, thx.

 

[robo hippy]

If I am going for a really clean shoulder, I use the parting tool short of the final line, and then use a detain gouge to clean up the face of the shoulder. Parting tools, other than the fluted ones or bifurcated, tend to leave a cleaner shoulder. I guess the finish cut can be done with a skew too.

robo hippy

 

[Jamie Straw]

If I am going for a really clean shoulder, I use the parting tool short of the final line, and then use a detain gouge to clean up the face of the shoulder. Parting tools, other than the fluted ones or bifurcated, tend to leave a cleaner shoulder. I guess the finish cut can be done with a skew too.

robo hippy

These shoulder don't need to be super-clean (as in finished cut), they are there for the purpose of chucking, but the super-shaggy splintered walnut was going to interfere with the wood seating on the chuck. I will keep your suggestions in mind for other uses though.

 

[Dean Center]

Any chance the walnut wasn't completely dry? Green walnut has generally been a gucky, stringy mess in my experience.

 

[Fred Belknap]

I have those sometimes when I do a walnut tenon, just take a small bevel off the edge and the whiskers disappear.

 

[Jamie Straw]

Any chance the walnut wasn't completely dry? Green walnut has generally been a gucky, stringy mess in my experience.

It was right about 12% -- as dry as my shop-stored wood gets.

 

[john lucas]

I'm with Al. I learned a long time ago if I start parting with a bevel rubbing cut it will leave a ragged corner. If I start the cut with the tool parallel to the floor so it's just scraping it leaves the corner cleaner. Walnut seems to be one wood that can vary a lot. I'll get some that turns like maple and the next batch will have nasty tearout that I fight all the way through.

 

[robo hippy]

If it is just seating against the chuck, you can just put a tiny round over on the edge which will clear out all the shaggy...

robo hippy

 

[john lucas]

What I do sometimes when I'm in a hurry is to use the parting tool to make the cut. Then as I pull the parting tool out I use the slanted top edge of the bevel as a shear scraper and round over the corner. You just barely tilt the tool to the right or clockwise until that upper edge starts to cut. Then pull it out gently and round over the corner. If the tool was freshly sharpened this is a cutting edge.