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Best Thin Parting Tool

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What is the best thin parting tool available that you prefer and why. Looking at Craft Supplies site, I see: Ashley Isles, Robert Sorby, Henry Taylor, Crown and Nick Cook to choose from. Any others? I like to make lidded boxes and that is primarily what I would use it for.
 

john lucas

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My homemade one. I used a drywall saw I bought at the flea mkt for $1. I ground the teeth off and shaped it the way I wanted. It's a little bit flexible but thinner than almost anything available. I also have one I made from an industrial hacksaw blade. It is thicker so I use it for deeper applications.
I really like the thin parting tools that have the groove down the cutting edge. I don't remember who makes them but they cut really clean. They aren't that thin but if you need a really clean cut that is the way to go.
 
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Sorby Fluted Parting Tool

I have, use and like the Sorby Fluted Parting Tool. This tool has a shallow groove in the bottom that seems to do a good job at slicing the wood fibers. The only downside to the tool is that I can't use it with my cast iron tool rest because it will create small nicks that prevent other tools from sliding. So I always use it with a one of my round, hardened tool rests. I believe the tool comes in 1/16" and 3/16" variations.
 
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Ron Sardo

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I like my homemade parting tool I made from a sawzall blade.

1/32" thick!

I purchased the blade new at a big box store.
 
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I have, use and like the Sorby Fluted Parting Tool. This tool has a shallow groove in the bottom that seems to do a good job at slicing the wood fibers. The only downside to the tool is that I can't use it with my cast iron tool rest because it will create small nicks that prevent other tools from sliding. So I always use it with a one of my round, hardened tool rests. I believe the tool comes in 1/16" and 3/16" variations.

Got the same Sorby, and the flutes make a great surface as they cut in. I also have cast iron rests, but I feed the tool slowly and hold it firmly to the rest so it doesn't dig.

I think flutes are the way to go, but be careful to keep good clearance, because a bit of bind and twist will affect the thin section much more than a thick one. It's one of the flat tools I regularly hone, rather than grind.
 

john lucas

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I tried using it flute up and flute down and flute up seemed to work just as well. It might be a different brand but it seemed like it was designed to cut flute up. The cutting point was about 1/3 up from the bottom which is the way I like to grind my parting tools. It seems like with the flute up the points are acting more like knives when the start the cut.
 
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You're getting some excellent information. Let's classify this into three possible options; standard thin parting tools, homemade parting tools, and fluted parting tools.

When it comes to standard parting tools, other than the slight variations in height and handle configuration; a parting tool is a parting tool. Illes, Crown, Stott, Sorby, etc. They're basically the same. I have a Sorby. For no real reason other than it's what I bought that day. They do the job.

With that said about standard parting tools, a homemade tool will do the same thing at a fraction of the cost and you can customize it to your needs somewhat. Alan Lacer's "Shopmade Tools and Jigs" DVD has an excellent section on making one. John Lucas is also another excellent resource.

As previously stated a fluted tool will give the best finish on the cut surfaces. They're nice. I've had one in the past and it was the Sorby. They're more expensive due to the milling and also usually have more of a "traditional" turning tool handle. I agree with Michael, hone it as much as you can. The more your grind it the faster it will obviously be gone. The one down side to it is this factor. Once the flute is gone, it's a high priced standard parting tool so protect and prolong that edge.

With that said, at least in my turning, I don't leave any "parted" surface as the finished surface. Say you part off a box or something, you still willbe doing work on that surface before it's finished. With the one possibly exception of a honey dipper's "vents". So when it was time for me to get a new one, I went with a standard-I couldn't justify the cost of a fluted tool when the surface was going to be worked more anyways. If I had the time, I would have made one.

It's not so much by brand, as much as "type" and cost. After the type is decided, it's down to cost and I'd go by cost. If the Crown tool is on sale and not the Sorby, go for the crown. That's just a personal preference decision. Or make your own. "Handmade" tools are fun to have too.

Not much help, I know.
 
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Forgot one thing.

The "point" or tip isn't at the bottom of mine. The end of the tool doesn't look like a triangle like some do from the factory. Mine is like a off-centered diamond with the tip about a 1/4" up from the bottom. Doesn't it make a difference? It seems to. I think it adds some support to the edge having some steel under it.

How do others have their tool's tip "configured?"
 
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I have a Sorby, it works but is not the best. I just bought it based on price. I think it would be better to have one that had a bigger handle. I bought it for box making and it works. If I was doing really large boxes(like cookie jars) I would use the straight coring tool from the McNaughton center saver.
 
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I have a Sorby, it works but is not the best. I just bought it based on price. I think it would be better to have one that had a bigger handle. I bought it for box making and it works. If I was doing really large boxes(like cookie jars) I would use the straight coring tool from the McNaughton center saver.

Had me going there. You must have the "new" variety. My ancient one has a 12" standard Sorby pattern handle and a six inch tool length beyond. It's like the 832H, but doesn't have the taper. I like it flute up.

BTW, it's not that you get a surface that's as good as a finished one, but that you get one that's easier to finish to your high standard.
 
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I needed a thin parting tool and only had a standard diamond 3/16. Snagged one of our stainless kitchen knives, flattened the cutting edge and ground a supported point on it. I still use it when a thin kerf is needed. Thankfully my wife still hasn't missed the knife.:D
 

john lucas

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Jake one of my favorite parting tools for small work is a paring knife. I choose the ones that are tapered so the bottom is thinner. Grind off the sharp edge and grind a taper on the upper part and your ready to go.
 
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I have an odd assortment of kitchen cutlery in a box where I might find a useful parting tool some day.
But the one I use a lot is 1/16" thick, 1/2" wide, cut from a HSS reciprocating hacksaw blade--the commercial duty type that machine shops use. One side is ground convex and the other is flat like so: (|
It has a spear point in the center, at the thickest part.
My regular parting tool has the same profile, but is 1/8" thick and 5/8" wide--from a planer blade.

I have also used a regular thin hacksaw blade held not in a frame but in one of those setscrew handles, with the teeth pointing toward the handle to cut on the pull stroke. If you can get behind the lathe, or have reverse, this is safe since if the blade grabs, it moves away from you.
 
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I use an old (yard sale) Rapala 6" fillet knife, reground as a parting tool. It is .050" thick at the cutting tip, and the blade is 3.125" long (and getting shorter). I suppose a longer blade would be better for deep cuts, but this is what I have for now.
 

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Thanks John

Proof of the value of old AAW Forum entries, your post is from six years ago. I'd been thinking of grinding my Sorby's flutes off and setting it up like a Stott as I hated shifting my tool rest and putting a strip of leather on it to protect it from the flutes. I'd tried flute up and, like you, found it to be effective but was fixated on the flute down that seemed to be Sorby's intent. Your post has saved my Sorby, I'll just use it flute up.

Actually I think Sorby goofed in the finishing process - I think it was probably designed for flute up but their production line design printed their name on the blade upside down, and vendors and users just assumed it was supposed to be flute down because of the orientation of the name logo. It is far more logical to have the fluted long edge up so that as one hones the short edge back one is getting fresh flutes instead of ones worn a bit round by the tool rest.

I tried using it flute up and flute down and flute up seemed to work just as well. It might be a different brand but it seemed like it was designed to cut flute up. The cutting point was about 1/3 up from the bottom which is the way I like to grind my parting tools. It seems like with the flute up the points are acting more like knives when the start the cut.
 

Bill Boehme

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Proof of the value of old AAW Forum entries, your post is from six years ago. I'd been thinking of grinding my Sorby's flutes off and setting it up like a Stott as I hated shifting my tool rest and putting a strip of leather on it to protect it from the flutes. I'd tried flute up and, like you, found it to be effective but was fixated on the flute down that seemed to be Sorby's intent. Your post has saved my Sorby, I'll just use it flute up.

Actually I think Sorby goofed in the finishing process - I think it was probably designed for flute up but their production line design printed their name on the blade upside down, and vendors and users just assumed it was supposed to be flute down because of the orientation of the name logo. It is far more logical to have the fluted long edge up so that as one hones the short edge back one is getting fresh flutes instead of ones worn a bit round by the tool rest.

The correct way to use the tool is to move the tool rest back so that the straight flat part of the tool is on the rest. The fluted side goes down by design. If it faced up then the edges of the flute would get rounded and not cut as cleanly. Sitting the angled part on the rest is a bad idea for both the tool and for the tool rest and also might cause the tool to slide back if using a hardened tool rest. I have had the tool for about ten years and love it for the crisp clean narrow cuts that it makes.
 
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I had a Sorby flute that I gave to one of the guys I turn with. I have a small Crown that I liked after I put what alot of people call a shark nose on it( long top short angel on bottom).Swmbo got me a (spelling) Filmadge parting tool
thin and longer then most that I really like. Of course I have two Doug Thompson and a Sorby beading and parting tool which I really like also.
 
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Have any of you tried a "cut off blade" from the metal work trade? Enco and all the others sell them. They are usually short, some have a carbide top cutting edge welded to a HSS bottom part. I have only seen them 6" long at the most. Makes a cut about 1/16".
Hugh
 
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It amazes me that so many people use "whatever" they can get their hands on. Why is a parting tool relegated to being the "home made" tool? Turners will spend hundreds of dollars on a single tool or accessory that is designed for only one task, once in a while. When it comes to something as versatile, and used as often, as a parting tool, for some reason it's made on the cheap. :confused:

Everybody has their own way of doing things, just turn safe.
 
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We woodturners like to do things ourselves (finding wood, cutting it up etc.),We feel better if we can do it all ourselves. How many of us can make a gouge, vs a thin parting tool???? Gretch
 
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I've used several different parting tools including various home made solutions recommended by one or more of my fellow frugal woodturners. To date my absolute favorite thin parting tool is from D-Way tools. In fact I'm about to buy a second one so I can put it on my wife's bench so she will leave mine alone. :)
 
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To date my absolute favorite thin parting tool is from D-Way tools. In fact I'm about to buy a second one... :)
I second Doug's opinion - D-way ultra thin parting tool is great - tapered from .080 to .060 so it won't bind, M-42 Steel, what's not to like...it's great for use on boxes where you want minimal wood loss along the grain.
 
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john lucas

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Interesting. I would have to use the D-way to make a good decision but it seems that it would be easy to let it tilt and grab the wood. I have played with HSS metal lathe parting tools that are wider at the top. They don't burn of course because there's nothing rubbing on the sides but you have to concentrate when using one to keep it from tilting into the work. I do have a butcher knife that I use occasionally and it's wider at the top than the bottom.
Most of my parting tools, homemade or otherwise are flat. I use 2 techniques to keep them from burning. One is to freshly sharpen them. The burr must extend a tiny bit out from the edge and seems to keep the burning to a minimum, at least until the burr wears off. The other method I use when parting deeply is to use the lip of the vessel (I'm usually parting boxes when I have to go deep) as a fulcrum. I part in about 1/4", then I pull the tool out slightly and angle it, part in some more, pull the tool out and angle it the other direction and part some more. I keep doing this without ever pulling the tool all the way out. this leaves the lip of the box about as wide as the parting tool being used but the inside is of course wider so there isn't any burning or grabbing of the tool when go really deep.
I have a diamond shaped parting tool that I love. Jimmy Clewes says you can't cut straight in with the diamond tool because it wants to cut sideways. I do it all the time with no problems. The secret is to very carefully sharpen it so the cutting tip stays at the widest part of the diamond shape.
 

Odie

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I'm using the Nick Cook fluted parting tool with the flute on the top side. I feel the flute up is much safer, because the cutting edge is closer to the bottom.....therefore very little arc should a catch ever happen. I seldom bring this thin parting tool to the grinder. I sharpen/hone each time using an EZlap flat diamond hone in 600 grit, and the surface quality of the cut is outstanding. The bottom surface, or heel of the grind has a curvature to it, as it's initial shape is done on the grinder straight on, similar to a standard gouge grind. The sharpening/honing process is concentrated on a very small surface area closest to the cutting edge, so not much total area is being removed during this step. When that total area becomes wide enough, the tool is returned to the grinder and reshaped.

My main purpose is to part bowls from it's attachment to a wasteblock and face plate mount. It's done with a cut about 1 1/4 times the width of the tool itself......thus needing two cuts to come to that width. It is done with alternating cuts about 1/2" in depth, one side, then the other.....not one continuous cut on one side, then the other.

For years, I had been using the Richard Raffan grind on a standard diamond shaped parting tool. I've come to learn that the barb on both sides of the cutting edge is what results in a very cleanly made parting cut. This barbed corner on both sides of the cutting edge is what makes the part so cleanly done.....and I cannot do without it! When I bought the Nick Cook fluted thin parting tool about 5-7 years ago, it just did what I expected it to do. It gave me the same clean slicing cut, but now I didn't have to hand make those barbs on the edges of the grinding wheel that Raffan taught in his video/book.......something that is easily overdone, and requires reshaping the entire cutting edge and starting over.......

ooc
 
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john lucas

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Odie Im interested in the clean cut concept. If your just parting off bowls and going to return the bottom why would you need a clean cut. :) Not taking you to task for it just trying to understand the thinking. Nick uses his tool and in fact developed it to cut clean because he makes the honey dippers and you can't sand those. The vast majority of my parting cuts are going to be cleaned up later such as when parting boxes in half or the bottoms of bowls. Of course if you really force a cut with the parting tool you could get tearout that is deep and requires more finishing cuts.
 

hockenbery

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For a thin parting tool I'm using the Chris Stott we seem to have had forever. I rarely need a finish cut from a parting tool. If I do I sharpen the tool and start the parting with the tool tip below center and the handle up. This is using the tool as a negative rake scraper. Once the edge is cut the tool can rotate up into the normal peeling cut I prefer to use with a parting tool.


I'm using the Nick Cook fluted parting tool with the flute on the top side.

My main purpose is to part bowls from it's attachment to a wasteblock and face plate mount. It's done with a cut about 1 1/4 times the width of the tool itself......thus needing two cuts to come to that width. It is done with alternating cuts about 1/2" in depth, one side, then the other.....not one continuous cut on one side, then the other.
....... ooc

Odie,
If you do a lot of glue block mounts you might want to try thick CA GLUE.
to take the bowl off I just break the glue joint with a flat chisel.
The CA splits. Clean the CA off the glue glue block and it it is ready to use on the next bowl and as a jamb chuck to turn the bottom of the bowl. Virtually no wood comes off the glue block or the bowl. Clean the CA off the bottom of the bowl in the finish turning process.

To bond well both surfaces need a shallow concave turned in their face. Two beads of thick CA on the bowl, accelerator on the glue block, my glue block has a 1/8 diameter center hole, I have a tiny hole in the center of the bowl bottom made by twisting a drill bit by hand, a straight wire though the glue block into the hole centers it near perfect. Most important is to give the glue block a turn as it mates up with the bowl. This spreads the CA into the concave giving a wide glue joint with lots of surface contact. Without the turn the CA will cure as thick beads having little surface contact with the bowl and the joint can fail.

I use the tailstock at least to true the surface of the bowl for hollowing. If it is a natural edge bowl I leave the tailstock in place utlil I have turned below the rim.
When I take the tail stock away I give the rim a gentle tap. In hundreds of bowls I have had 2 fall off the glue block with the tap and both times it was because I'd did not turn the glue block as it made contact with the glue. Still have the center points to prep the bowl to remount turn off the glue and re glue.

With a little practice this glue block mount is just about as fast as a chuck mount. And the glue block makes a good jamb chuck for turning off the bottom.

As a bonus this it the one glue joint I would trust with green wood bowls if that aren't on the lathe more than about 40 minutes.

This joint is great for advance beginners who no longer get catches. It will not hold up to a bad catch, but few chuck mounts will hold up to a bad catches either.

Lyle Jamieson showed me this glue block 15 years ago. Lyle told me he learned it from Rud Oslonik
Works great when I don't have wood to give for a chuck mount. And by starting the bowl,between centers to make the concave I can control the grain Alignment or heights of rims on natural edge bowls and still use the glue block.

Al
 
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Odie

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Odie Im interested in the clean cut concept. If your just parting off bowls and going to return the bottom why would you need a clean cut. :) Not taking you to task for it just trying to understand the thinking. Nick uses his tool and in fact developed it to cut clean because he makes the honey dippers and you can't sand those. The vast majority of my parting cuts are going to be cleaned up later such as when parting boxes in half or the bottoms of bowls. Of course if you really force a cut with the parting tool you could get tearout that is deep and requires more finishing cuts.

Yes, there is some truth in that, John......

For my purposes, good enough will do........but, you'll have to understand what motivates me to know why I'm not satisfied with anything less than the very best I am capable of. I also spend a great deal of effort getting the absolute best cut I can get when roughing a bowl........even though I know that surface will be removed when finishing the bowl. The benefits of this will not be realized, until the time practicing perfect cuts become knowledge. Once you experience perfection, the only way to drive that home, is to repeat it over and over again.

All this is part of my mindset.....and that is a result of personal philosophy. I realize some people probably won't ever see any benefit to my way of doing things.......until they have accrued some hind sight traveling the same road I do.

ooc
 
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Odie

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Odie,
If you do a lot of glue block mounts you might want ......
Al

Probably some good advice for someone else to consider, Al.....

I've been using waste blocks for over thirty years now, and I've perfected my ways of doing it. I don't have any problems to overcome anymore, but your input is always good for consideration.

Prior to getting my first chuck (The first Nova with the tommy bars) and the oversized jaws, I was using a jam chuck. In my experience, the Jumbo jaws and Mega Jumbo jaws I'm now using with my three Oneway Stronghold chucks are far superior for doing the bowl foot than the jam chuck ever was. (That is an opinion)

As well, I am no longer using CA glues, because Titebond and epoxy are also far superior to them. (This is also an opinion.)

ooc
 
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hockenbery

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Probably some good advice for someone else to consider, Al..... I've been using waste blocks for over thirty years now,
I am no longer using CA glues, because Titebond and epoxy are also far superior to them. (This is also an opinion.) ooc

The whole point of using CA glue is that it is poor choice for keeping things together long term and the glue joint fractures easily without disturbing the wood
One glue block can be used 30-50 times before the screws start to show through.

Using tight bond or epoxy - The wood will fracture because the Glue joints are stronger than the wood so you have to cut them apart.
So you need the thin parting too too be able to reuse the glue block a few times.

If you have a way of balancing the wood grain with your glue block method I'd be interested in how you do your glue blocks.
I want to have control of the grain and or bark position in the bowls and hollow forms I do.
Al
 

Odie

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The whole point of using CA glue is that it is poor choice for keeping things together long term and the glue joint fractures easily without disturbing the wood
One glue block can be used 30-50 times before the screws start to show through.

Using tight bond or epoxy - The wood will fracture because the Glue joints are stronger than the wood so you have to cut them apart.
So you need the thin parting too too be able to reuse the glue block a few times.

If you have a way of balancing the wood grain with your glue block method I'd be interested in how you do your glue blocks.
I want to have control of the grain and or bark position in the bowls and hollow forms I do.
Al

A valid question, Al......

The whole point of using Titebond, is it's stronger than CA. (I use epoxy for filler, but not for attaching waste blocks.)

Many times, I'm turning a 10"-14" bowl, platter, or shallow bowl.....but, the faceplate and wasteblock are only 3" in diameter. This is a very small surface area for such a large piece of wood.....it needs strength, not convenience in removing it. I use the best grade of construction grade 2x4's and 2x6's for my waste blocks. I figure my cost for a wasteblock is around 20 cents for the 2x4 squares.....there isn't much reason for me to save it.

You are correct, the glue joint has to be cut away, not split. This is no problem for me, because I'm using a good parting tool, and any excess waste block material that is left on the foot, is sheared away with a sharp bowl gouge when it's mounted onto the jumbo jaws.

I'm not sure what you mean by "balancing the wood grain" of the waste block with the bowl, but I normally set the grain direction of both at 90° opposed to one another. If you are looking for some method of changing the weight and balance of the mounted bowl, then my methods won't effect that at all.

Not sure my methods will be helpful to you, or anyone else, because what results they and I are looking for may be entirely different things...... As with everything I say or convey on these forums, what others are wanting to achieve may not be compatible with my methods of doing them. So, nothing I say is intended to convince anyone that they should change whatever methods they feel are working for them, but a few might experiment with alternative ideas, modify, change, and come up with something entirely outside the (herd) box.

ooc
 
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hockenbery

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. I'm not sure what you mean by "balancing the wood grain" of the waste block with the bowl, but I normally set the grain direction of both at 90° opposed to one another. ooc

I want to be able to control the grain patern in the bottom of the bowl to yield Symmetric hyperbolas or concentric rings.
I can also position natural edge rims or sapwood the same height off the table.
The alignment of grain, rims or sapwood improves the visual aspect of bowls and hollow forms.

You can get close to this alignment with careful cutting of the blanks but it is easily done by shifting the tailstock center position while roughing before attaching the glue block. I plan my cut blank to be close and fine tune the alignment when roughing. Al
 
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Odie

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I want to be able to control the grain patern in the bottom of the bowl to yield Symmetric hyperbolas or concentric rings.
I can also position natural edge rims or sapwood the same height off the table.
The alignment of grain, rims or sapwood improves the visual aspect of bowls and hollow forms.

You can get close to this alignment with careful cutting of the blanks but it is easily done by shifting the tailstock center position while roughing before attaching the glue block. I plan my cut to be close and fine tune the alignment when roughing. Al

Well then, Al......

You should continue doing what gives you satisfaction.....and I will be doing what does likewise for me. With a fixed waste block, you will definitely not be able to control those things like you can do it with adjustments between centers.

It seems to be an obvious conclusion that what you define as desirable or success, and how I define these things, are two different conceptual matters. Because what we find to be important differ, the directions and methods we've developed for ourselves are also different.

As I've said many times before, "results are the only thing that matters". If your results are satisfactory for you, and mine are for me......then neither one of us need alter those methods that are giving each of us our own personal level of satisfaction.

ooc
 
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I want to be able to control the grain patern in the bottom of the bowl to yield Symmetric hyperbolas or concentric rings.
I can also position natural edge rims or sapwood the same height off the table.
The alignment of grain, rims or sapwood improves the visual aspect of bowls and hollow forms.

You can get close to this alignment with careful cutting of the blanks but it is easily done by shifting the tailstock center position while roughing before attaching the glue block. I plan my cut blank to be close and fine tune the alignment when roughing. Al

Al,
You're working from log bolts which gives you the flexibility to shift your turning axis and balance the grain. Especially important when doing natural-edge pieces. Odie appears to buy his turning blanks from suppliers and would, therefore, be dependent upon others for how the blocks are cut from the log. He can do a bit of axis-shifting if he chooses, but it will cost him dearly in finished dimensions.

I, like you, look to balance the grain when turning face-grain as the symmetry enhances the shape and the annular ring balance is a big assist in getting the piece to dry without abnormal movement or cracking
 

Odie

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Al,
You're working from log bolts which gives you the flexibility to shift your turning axis and balance the grain. Especially important when doing natural-edge pieces. Odie appears to buy his turning blanks from suppliers and would, therefore, be dependent upon others for how the blocks are cut from the log. He can do a bit of axis-shifting if he chooses, but it will cost him dearly in finished dimensions.

I, like you, look to balance the grain when turning face-grain as the symmetry enhances the shape and the annular ring balance is a big assist in getting the piece to dry without abnormal movement or cracking

You are correct, Mark.

I am limited in what local wood is suitable for turning bowls.....thus, I purchase nearly all the wood I use. You are also correct that, because of the limitations in positioning the wood during the turning process, I have very little leeway to do so without significant loss. Some of my suppliers are very good at harvesting and precutting bowl blocks, and some are not as much so.

ooc
 
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