What kind of texturing tool to buy?

[Norm Marentette]

Wanting to try some texturing on my simple formed bowls on the interior and exterior. I wondered if anyone could help me in choosing what kind of burr or bit or carver you would use or purchase if I was trying to get these type of textures. I like the look of the hand carved images.

 

[Jim Reynolds]

I don't have a specific tool suggestion for you, but I suggest you minimize your investment until you have spent several hours carving on a piece and are still less than half way done. You may determine that the juice to squeeze ratio is less than 1.

 

[Bill Alston]

The first of your pictures looks very nice. I too wonder what the best tool would be to get this effect?

 

[Curt Fuller]

All three of these appear to done with hand carving tools. I could be wrong though. Check out flex cut gouge sets. You can get them in palm handled versions or without handles for reciprocal carvers.

 

[William Rogers]

Either hand carving tool or most likely done with a micro motor.

 

[Doug Rasmussen]

Hmm... those textures shown seem to be very consistent, almost machine done.

One of the design programs I use with my CNC's has an option to create textured surfaces. The possibilities are endless, depth, style, degree of randomness, etc, etc. Also, the option to avoid texturing specified areas, like where there might raised areas, embellishments, etc.

Just another bit of magic a CNC can do. Even with the CNC fine texturing is a slow process. If it's slow on the CNC imagine how long it takes by hand.

Below is an example of texturing showing avoidance of the raised letters.

 

[john lucas]

I use a Ryobi reciprocating carver with flex cut blades for a texture like the bottom one. For a pattern like the top right I use Manpa round carbide cutters in my flex shaft machine. Takes a ton of practice to get that consistent. The top left pattern must have been done by a cnc machine. You could do something similar with a Dremel and Hundreds of hours a of practice and patience.

 

[Hugh]

Cheap investment would be a carving gouge. Try it. See what you get. See if you enjoy sitting and carving.
If you like the texture you get with a carving gouge......try other gouges - shapes and sizes. We are talking about $40 per gouge.
Automach makes a reciprocating carver.....about $330. Get Flex Cut blades for it. Also get the spacer that allows the Flex Cut blades to fit. I find it much faster and easier.
Then there is a micro motor......used to be a maker of carbide cutters in Wyoming.......can't remember the name. Great cutters.
They work in a flexible shaft tool also. Bigger cutters with a 1/4 shaft work in the flexible shaft tools and in air tools.
To get the kind of work you are showing, takes lots of practice......no matter what tool one uses.

Also, might check with others in your local club and see what tools they have and ask to try them, before you invest in them.

 

[Steve Tiedman]

I tried texturing once. I bought a new wire wheel (3" diameter?) and chucked in a drill. I made this small walnut box, went through all the normal sanding, then while the pieces spun on the lathe I went over it with the spinning wire wheel. Kinda different, and quite uniform (thanks to the new wheel that was nice and round). I never did another, but this is a cheap method. Don't like the effect? Turn it smooth again. Or just try a texture in one zone of your piece. Nothing says the whole piece needs texturing.

We don't hear much about chatter tools anymore. Anyone still use those?

Quick and sloppy photos of the wire wheel textured walnut box.

 

[Norm Marentette]

The texturing samples I loaded were all done by hand. No CNC machine. Steve awesome texture may try it. Been looking at the Automac but a big investment. Looking at an extension for. my laguna lathe for larger 20 inch bowls or possible a coring rig from oneway. Can't have it all as the wife tells me. Xmas is coming.

 

[hockenbery]

On

 

[Alan Weinberg]

looking on the bright side, there’s a lot less sanding!

 

[hockenbery]

looking on the bright side, there’s a lot less sanding!

Depends….
If the whole surface is carved and the ridges are formed by carving you don’t have to sand.

Surface prep is essential to get a good look on the surface parts that are not carved.
When I look at the surfaces shown. I see no tool marks on the ridges and they appear too even to have been carved.

Mostly I sand to a smooth surface then carve it away.

 

[Richard Coers]

The texturing samples I loaded were all done by hand. No CNC machine. Steve awesome texture may try it. Been looking at the Automac but a big investment. Looking at an extension for. my laguna lathe for larger 20 inch bowls or possible a coring rig from oneway. Can't have it all as the wife tells me. Xmas is coming.

What is show in your pictures is most commonly called carving. And texturing is most commonly used to refer to a type of embellishment that is done with a tool with the lathe running. There are nearly an infinite number of ways to do texturing. From a needle scaler from Harbor Freight to a simple brass brush on a drill.

 

[Jaramiah Severns]

As others have suggested, these look too clean to have been done with a rotary tool. That said, various carbide burrs could create a similar result; maybe a ball burr for the first example or an inverted cone for the third. Not sure about the second, though.