Texturing tool recommendations

[Brian Gustin]

Since I sometimes accidentally get nice chatter effect from my skew, I think a thicker steel or a stiffer steel would work better. Reciprocating/cut off saw blades might be the ticket.

I just use an old kitchen butter knife...

 

[William Rogers]

Thanks for the heads up! It looks like I can buy that wheel separately for another $20, not from Woodcraft though. The Craft Supply version linked earlier doesn't include the handle. Buying the handle separately is another $35-40. It comes down to maybe a few dollars difference between the sites depending on sales/shipping.

I didn't catch that. I bought mine a long time ago and it did include the handle.

 

[William Rogers]

Just to clarify I use both of my large Sorby's more than any of the others except one of my chattering tools. The big Sorby's have bearings and can take a lot of pressure without ever wearing out where the small Sorby has no bearing as it just runs on the screw shaft and I know of folks who have worn them out and I don't know how they replace them. I did a lot of learning with Nick Agar and he favored the big Sorby's and used them in ways that I had never even imagined.

Bill, don’t disagree the larger spilling tool is more robust. However I generally texture on smaller turnings and the large tool was too big for me. I bought two replacement bushing years ago, not sure where I got them. Same concern about wear. However doing a google search I cannot find them now. I “usually” put some graphite on the bushing when I use the tool. The bushing do last a long time.

He is the part number of the bushing.

 

[Bill Blasic]

William I'm not putting anyone down about what they use. Hey I use what I need when I need it, it's just that most of what I do chatter work on is bigger stuff. I wouldn't use the big ones on 3" parts that is what I have the little one for but in the same case I do not use the little one for big stuff. I've never wore out the bearing on the little one it's still like brand new I assume. Thanks for that number it is now saved if needed.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

The bushing/screw or the small Sorby I think is a special order item. Friend of mine ordered at Craft Supply and had to wait a few months till they had enough Sorby product to create the order.

A point on the Wagner it will produce spirals by turning it at 45 degree. Not as clean as the Sorby but still a nice design.

 

[Steve Tiedman]

Missed this thread the first time around, but a steel wire wheel on a drill can offer a random texture pattern. It won't leave a sharp transition to the untextured parts- you may need a bit of sanding or even skew/gouge work at the transition zone if you want a sharp transition. Using it on a slightly wider wood diameter acting as a transition may help. Varying drill speed, lathe speed, applied wheel pressure, and rotating the angle of the wire wheel to the wood surface are all worth experimenting with. Wood density/hardness plays a roll as well. Experiment on scrap first.

 

[john lucas]

Wire wheel texturing is a lot of fun. You can hold the wheel in your hand (with a glove of course) and more or less scratch a pattern. Most people use it in a drill. John Jordan showed me how to sharpen the wire. Basically you run it backwards and hold it against your grinding stone. This raises a burr on each wire. I would not do that on a CBN wheel unless you treat it with the Slick Stick. I have used a disc sander to do that.