chisels dull fast
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I forgot to mention - the angle of the chisel to the turning has a lot to do with the ease and feel of the cut. In Scraping, the chisel attacks the turning in almost a perpendicular angle. After rounding, done with a gouge, scraping is the method most used by newer turners. Scraping can give the turner the shape he wants, but is a bit slower than cutting and does tend to rip portions of more porous woods.
I personally had a hard time in learning a cutting (Shearing) method of shaping and struggled quite a while to try to get away from scraping. Finally at a traveling session with Rick Davis, I learned to ride the bevel. Here's how I would describe how to cut rather than scrape:
First lay the tool on the tool rest and the back of the tool on the turning. Then slide the tool back across the tool rest until the bevel of the tool is on the turning. Holding the tool firmly slowly let the sharp edge of the tool touch the turning wood. Bingo! it's now slicing, rather than scraping.
I'm still learning how to shear using the skew!
I personally had a hard time in learning a cutting (Shearing) method of shaping and struggled quite a while to try to get away from scraping. Finally at a traveling session with Rick Davis, I learned to ride the bevel. Here's how I would describe how to cut rather than scrape:
First lay the tool on the tool rest and the back of the tool on the turning. Then slide the tool back across the tool rest until the bevel of the tool is on the turning. Holding the tool firmly slowly let the sharp edge of the tool touch the turning wood. Bingo! it's now slicing, rather than scraping.
I'm still learning how to shear using the skew!
Octogenarian's have an earned right to be a curmudgeon.
Chuck in Lancaster, CA
Chuck in Lancaster, CA
Those 1990 tools might be carbon steel, which would need sharpening more often than HSS. I'm not sure when they changed to the HHS tools.
SS 500(09/1980), DC3300, jointer, bandsaw, belt sander, Strip Sander, drum sanders,molder, dado, biscuit joiner, universal lathe tool rest, Oneway talon chuck, router bits & chucks and a De Walt 735 planer,a #5,#6, block planes. ALL in a 100 square foot shop.
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Bob
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Bob
- RobertTaylor
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bettyt44720 wrote:the shopsmith tools that came with my '84 and '87 shopsmiths are hss.
That's strange, my 1989 catalog says they're a steel alloy.

SS 500(09/1980), DC3300, jointer, bandsaw, belt sander, Strip Sander, drum sanders,molder, dado, biscuit joiner, universal lathe tool rest, Oneway talon chuck, router bits & chucks and a De Walt 735 planer,a #5,#6, block planes. ALL in a 100 square foot shop.
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Bob
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Bob
- RobertTaylor
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I HATE it when I make a post a couple hours ago and it doesn't show up.
Carbon steel is also an alloy steel.
What kind of spark pattern do you get when you grind that tool?

Carbon steel is also an alloy steel.

What kind of spark pattern do you get when you grind that tool?
SS 500(09/1980), DC3300, jointer, bandsaw, belt sander, Strip Sander, drum sanders,molder, dado, biscuit joiner, universal lathe tool rest, Oneway talon chuck, router bits & chucks and a De Walt 735 planer,a #5,#6, block planes. ALL in a 100 square foot shop.
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Bob
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Bob
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- Gold Member
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I only hone my Skew chisels. Watched the DVD's by Alan Lacer and he shows honing them. It makes for better control of the Skew which was more difficult for me to learn than the gouge but can produce a very smooth cut.
It only takes a couple of seconds to hone a Skew with a diamond stone and it is much quicker to hone than resharpening it.
It only takes a couple of seconds to hone a Skew with a diamond stone and it is much quicker to hone than resharpening it.
Jim in Tucson