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Has anyone used a beading tool?

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I was trying to make several identical beads on a spindle turning but my skills (or lack thereof) did not get me the result I was hoping for. So I made my own beading tool out of an old shock absorber shaft. My question is this:

What kind of shavings should I expect from a beading tool?

While the tool worked and gave me consistent beads, the "shavings" I got from a piece of Birch limb were essentially just powder, and it seemed to take quite a bit of pressure. I would think that if I was trying to make these beads on a smaller diameter piece it would have broken. Also took a fair amount of sanding to get the outermost parts of the beads smooth. I think I may be able to address some of this because I am certain that I have not adequately sharpened it yet. Problem is, I don't know what to expect from a sharp tool so I will not know if it really is sharp.

Thanks in advance,

xeddog
 

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john lucas

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sharpen the top of the beading tool as much as you can. I go through all the diamond grit paddles that I have. The highest is about 1200 grit.
Start the cut from the bottom and lower the handle to make it go through the cut at an angle. Pushing straight in is a pure scraping cut and gives the worst finish.
Sometimes rotating it left and right will help it cut cleaner.
Sometimes I get a cleaner cut if I run a round diamond hone up from the bottom to leave a slight burr on the edge. It depends on the metal of the tool and how hard it is. I make my own also and I'm sure my hardening isn't the best in the world.
 
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After using my home made beading tool for a little while I have learned a couple of things. One - I think I need to grind off just a little more of the material on the front of the tool. Two - the sides of the tool are still slightly rounded and therefore do not cut. Bottom line - I need to get another piece of steel and start over.

Wayne
 
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Don't take this as a smart *** answer, but why not spend time practicing cutting beads with a small spindle gouge or a skew instead of trying to fabricate a tool to do it for you? When I first started turning, the first project I did in a class was a bead and cove stick. I've since attended several other beginner classes and guess what we started with? I've been turning for about 5 years now and every so often I grab a piece of scrap wood and spend an hour or so doing this again. Just a thought.

Good luck.
 
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Don't take this as a smart *** answer, but why not spend time practicing cutting beads with a small spindle gouge or a skew instead of trying to fabricate a tool to do it for you? When I first started turning, the first project I did in a class was a bead and cove stick. I've since attended several other beginner classes and guess what we started with? I've been turning for about 5 years now and every so often I grab a piece of scrap wood and spend an hour or so doing this again. Just a thought.

Good luck.

100% I agree, it has to be decided if your acquiring skills
 
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That's a concave scraper, you should expect results no better than those from any other scraper. I think I would mark, start the beads with something like a parting tool, then use the scraper to finish the shape. You won't have to press as much if you haul some of the trash out of the way prior to scraping to shape.
 
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Problem is, I don't know what to expect from a sharp tool so I will not know if it really is sharp.

When I first started to turn, Robert Rosand said to me, "I don't sharpen my tools because they are dull, I sharpen my tools because they can be sharper."

I think that was the best advice on sharpening I ever heard.

Here is a good thread on beads
with a tip on how to make a beading tool.



.
 
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why not spend time practicing cutting beads with a small spindle gouge or a skew instead of trying to fabricate a tool to do it for you?

Ditto on that. I am not very skilled at spindle work and turn mostly facegrain pieces. However, when I wanted to get some beads to decorate my bowls, I used a detail gouge and learned to make them that way. Raffan's book gave me all I needed to start practicing. It's actually quite easy and quick once you get the hang of it. Plus the gouge cuts more cleanly than a scraper and leaves very little to do in the way of sanding.
 
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Wayne there is always www.d-waytools.com he has beading tools that work just fine.

Which I own and use, sometimes. I also sometimes cut the beads with a detail gouge or small bowl gouge. A lot depends on what I am trying to do. But having both options is often an asset
 
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Which I own and use, sometimes. I also sometimes cut the beads with a detail gouge or small bowl gouge. A lot depends on what I am trying to do. But having both options is often an asset

I agree with you 100%. I have the beading tools from Dave also, but will often cut beads by hand. I got the tools because the club had Jim Adkins in doing his basket weave platters and bowls with beads all the way across a 10" platter, with a bead every 1/8" the tool comes in mighty handy. :D
 

john lucas

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I learned to do beads with a detail gouge or a skew. I built myself a couple of beading tools to aid in projects that require exact duplicate beads. I can do them with a detail gouge but it's one heck of lot faster with the beading tool.
The downside of the beading tool is they are all the same size. At least all the beads cut with that tool. On vessels where I bead the entire outside I like the beads on the bottom to be narrower than the beads on the fattest part of the vessel. You can't do that with a beading tool. I mark them using dividers. I can simply screw the adjustment screw in a few turns each time I make a line and it shrinks the beads.
I have played with flat top beading tools and tools like the D way. The Dway cuts a much cleaner bead.
 
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I agree with you 100%. I have the beading tools from Dave also, but will often cut beads by hand. I got the tools because the club had Jim Adkins in doing his basket weave platters and bowls with beads all the way across a 10" platter, with a bead every 1/8" the tool comes in mighty handy. :D

Same reason I bought mine, doing many (many) small beads, one of his tools does a 1/16 bead, smallest beading tool I know of.

And well, that and Dave is a member of the local club;)
 
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