Seems like it would help? Put it on your round stock or tenon and double check tool rest height and where the tool is cutting when rested on the tool rest.
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Why wouldn't this work for setting tool rest height?
- Thread starter Sam Fleisher
- Start date
Seems like it would help? Put it on your round stock or tenon and double check tool rest height and where the tool is cutting when rested on the tool rest.
Because it’s not that important, and often the rest needs to be other than on-center.
A metal lathe is a different story for different reasoning.
Tim
A metal lathe is a different story for different reasoning.
Tim
I was thinking more along line of setting the tool on top of the tool rest and making sure it's cutting on line or slightly above.
edit: I didn’t even notice that was for a metal lathe. I think I need more sleep.
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Hmmm....
I've never thought about this much - I just adjust the rest to what "feels right" for the situation. I'll try to pay more attention when I get some lathe time.
I adjust the tool rest height based on the tool and how I hold it, the grind, the distance from the wood, and what gives me the cut I want for a particular turning. I learned long ago that raising or lowering the tool rest up or down by even a tiny bit can make a difference. And the best rest height might be different for a person of different height or arm/body proportions.
I might use a different height when turning long, thin spindles vs larger diameters. If the rest height isn't just right I'm afraid I might compensate with my shoulders or arms which could add tension and fatigue after a while.
BTW, I don't know how others make fine adjustments on the tool rest but what works for me is to hold the post between left thumb and forefinger resting on the top of the banjo, loosen the locking lever, then adjust the height - this way I can feel just how much I'm moving it.
Hard to explain, but for me the rest height is one key to being "in the zone" for spindles.
JKJ
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Hmmm....
I've never thought about this much - I just adjust the rest to what "feels right" for the situation. I'll try to pay more attention when I get some lathe time.
I adjust the tool rest height based on the tool and how I hold it, the grind, the distance from the wood, and what gives me the cut I want for a particular turning. I learned long ago that raising or lowering the tool rest up or down by even a tiny bit can make a difference. And the best rest height might be different for a person of different height or arm/body proportions.
I might use a different height when turning long, thin spindles vs larger diameters. If the rest height isn't just right I'm afraid I might compensate with my shoulders or arms which could add tension and fatigue after a while.
BTW, I don't know how others make fine adjustments on the tool rest but what works for me is to hold the post between left thumb and forefinger resting on the top of the banjo, loosen the locking lever, then adjust the height - this way I can feel just how much I'm moving it.
Hard to explain, but for me the rest height is one key to being "in the zone" for spindles.
JKJ
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When you use a scraper, the burr is doing the job, not the flat of the steel. I was taught to keep the handle higher than the burr to prevent the scraper from self feeding and getting a catch.
Completely unnecessary. With time and practice, and honestly, verbally repeating to yourself the laws of cutting tool presentation before you present the tool to the wood, micro-adjustments of the tool rest and the constant fluid movement of the tool on that rest to achieve your cut will become so second nature that you could do them in your sleep.
Just please keep your fingers out of the smashing path of the loose tool rest in case you touch the loose rest to the wood while the wood is spinning. Such adjustment is commonplace among seasoned turners (watch utoob for examples), but it is a dangerous habit. Adjust the rest only when the wood is not spinning.
Just please keep your fingers out of the smashing path of the loose tool rest in case you touch the loose rest to the wood while the wood is spinning. Such adjustment is commonplace among seasoned turners (watch utoob for examples), but it is a dangerous habit. Adjust the rest only when the wood is not spinning.
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Are you serious? My scrapers cut without a burr. They cut at the joint of two flats and cutting occurs when the sharp end touches the wood in the right position like Steve says above. Wood is different than steel. In over 30 years of machining steel I never had to worry about tool presentation. The only worry was an interrupted cut that was mostly taken care of by grinding off the chip breaker on the carbide insert that usually made it across the 50 plus 1 1/4" holes. For over 90% of my time at GE I turned parts for the motorized wheels, you know those wheels that took those 15 foot tires for deep truck mines.
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
Total waste. Necessary for metal turning. Useless for wood. I cut above center for most cuts. Scraping us different. On a spindle you need to cut at or below center. I am constantly moving my tool rest up or down for the best cut.
Odie
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
I have a homemade jig that looks a bit different but does essentially the same thing. I set all my tool rests to 1/2" below center and a punched mark to indicate that specific height using a modified hose clamp. This is the best height for using scrapers that are 1/2" thick, and gouges that are 3/8" to 5/8" tool diameter. For tools that are outside of that perimeter, it's an easy adjustment to lower or raise the hose clamp appropriately. When done, it's easy to bring the hose clamp back to the punch mark......I never need the jig again!
Some here think it isn't necessary to get the tool rest height perfect, but I will disagree with that assumption. I guess it all depends on how refined of a cut you are attempting to produce.....and with that goal in mind, how fine the starting sandpaper grit you can use.
I consider these things to be critically important...
=o=
Some here think it isn't necessary to get the tool rest height perfect, but I will disagree with that assumption. I guess it all depends on how refined of a cut you are attempting to produce.....and with that goal in mind, how fine the starting sandpaper grit you can use.
I consider these things to be critically important...
=o=
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So, forget about tool rest height and imagine you just want a quick way to have the exact centerline of a piece. Still not worth the $7.00 it cost?
Not to make light of an idea to improve turning but it reminds me of a scene from Tin Cup.
Might be useful, but only for something round.
Dead serious. I cant believe that you didn’t set up your tool to be somewhat on center cutting steel. You must have never cut threads, or at least eyeballed that the tool was close to center. Never is a very bold statement! I’ve taught way too many classes where someone gets a catch with a scraper. When they get deeper into a bowl, they have no feeling for where center is and a crash results. This usually happens a couple inches up the side. Unless you use a stone to flatten your steel after every time you sharpen, there is a burr there from the grinding process. I am highly aware that wood and steel are different. I worked in a model shop at Caterpillar and turned steel for over a 15 years and have turned wood for over 38 years with personal time turning with John Jordan. I haven’t seen it all, but I’ve seen a hell of a lot over the decades
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When I started I worked on a vertical boring mill with a 15 foot table using spring tools with cuts that took up to 28 hours. At GE those holes I cut across were on a 6ft diameter and the machines were all Bullards. I've had a catch or two with gouges but I've never had a catch with a scraper. I agree there will be a burr there for awhile but I use that scraper for a long time after that burr is gone and it does me just as good as when first sharpened. No matter how good the finish is off the tool the piece is still going to see some sandpaper. I highly suggest that Steve Tiedman's first paragraph as there is a lot of good knowledge in that short paragraph.
Tool rest height can change as one turns a piece of wood and the tool used.
dangerous habits...... That's part of the reason I don't watch raffan videos. Early on I thought to myself he does some unsafe stuff. Seems like a lot of "older,experienced" aren't setting good examples.
Can you be more specific on what safety risks you perceive?
Woodturning is dangerous by its nature, and as an instructor of rank beginners (well over 200 so far) I intensely emphasize safety. But I'll guess that there isn't one veteran production turner around who turns off the lathe EVERY single time they move the tool rest. The key is to know what your level of risk is (e.g., a natural edge bowl vs. clean spindle or bowl, or how close to the wood you're planning to set the rest. Students are watched carefully that they they follow the "rule" to turn off the lathe, and fear instilled, but no expectation that after dozens of hours of experience they will stick to it 100%. I sure don't.
I might not turn off the lathe just to raise or lower the tool rest as it's not in the way of the piece. I do turn it off when moving the banjo (why do they call it that?).
I'm also curious about some specifics. I've watched Raffan at a club demo and on videos and failed to note anything I considered dangerous. Maybe I wasn't observant enough.
Of course, MANY things are dangerous to some people starting out with no experience, limited training, and who don't read the turning books and literature. I've seen a self-taught turner or two do things that made me nervous. I am quite wary of youtube instruction from random turners - I've seen so much bad technique and unsafe practices.
Sure, most types of turning have hazards. But so do driving a car, landing an airplane, kayaking on big white water, rock climbing, racing motorcycles, operating a table or chain saw, deep scuba diving in caves requiring decompression, canning peaches, antagonizing the wrong person, or even embroidery.... In all you learn techniques, learn the hazards, practice/practice/practice, and always remain alert.
JKJ
Odie
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
What kind of turning do you do?
I'd be interested in your more detailed reasoning with this concept....
Note that the centerline of the spindle's distance to the bedways are the same in either case.
I'll also state here that this isn't a "gotcha".....just interested in your thoughts here in more detail.....
=o=
Its common to have the rest high when using a skew chisel, which may change as the diameter is reduced.
Or with scrapers raising the rest to help keep a <90° angle with the wood.
I defer to Ross's answer.
Odie
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
OK.....just wondering. I was not considering spindle turning when I asked.
For bowl turning, I find the same height for both scrapers and gouges works best for me.....
=o=