Best tool for certain lathe turning

[deec]

Trial and error led me to the idea of using a 4" angle grinder with a course sanding disc instead of a lathe chisel or gouge for shaping custom drum sticks on my Mark V. The tool rest is moved aside and the square blank chucked up. With the lathe turned off, the corners are roughed out with the sander, advancing by hand 90 degrees at a time to make a crude dowel. With the lathe on, the stick shaft is turned to desired specs. The tool rest is then moved into place for shaping the tip with standard tools. I can make these much faster this way, with no chance of chattering or tear out, though there is a lot of resulting dust in the air. Anyone have any comments or experience turning wood this way? I have not turned any wood since 8th grade shop class 40+ years ago until yesterday. Maybe I just don't know how to use a lathe chisel!



I'm a woodworker and musician though not a percussionist. I did play snare drum in high school marching band as we needed another drum and our director knew I was bored playing clarinet in the marching band. I noticed, while trimming up a live edge to make an S4S board from some Black Locust, that the trim piece had some intriguing properties. This inspired me to make some drumsticks. As a woodwind player I know the reed on a clarinet or sax is critically important to the sound one is capable of producing on those instruments. Professional players "tune" their reeds by shaving the thickness, altering the taper, shaping the edge, etc.. If I was a drummer I might be doing something similar with my sticks. I'd try some longer sticks, some shorter sticks, change the neck length, shoulder taper, tip size and certainly experiment with some different species of wood other than the standard Hickory, Maple or Oak. If I was a drummer my sticks might wind up with some contoured grips and some traction grooves. I'd also have to try some sticks made from some Pacific Yew I've got stashed out by the Woodmizer.

[terrydowning]

Try making your starting blanks octagonal shaped by ripping the edges off. This will spare you the time with the grinder. Make sure your chisels are sharp. Start with a roughing gouge to get the basic profile and then move to a skew, after practice with a skew you may not even need to sand your sticks.

I have worked with our school's percussion instructor and yes, the shape of the head, the material of the stick, the diameter of the stick, the yoke (the tapered part of the stick between the handle and head) all come into play for tuning the sound of the drum, you may notice that drummers carry multiple sticks and change them out during a performance, (Check out a Drum Corps International DCI show) this is to make different sounds and volumes. Some sticks are louder than others. Some sticks are more stacatto than others, etc. It can be difficult for the untrained ear to tell the difference though. Most drummers I know tape their sticks to get the right grip and of course uniform color of stick for the drum line., it also extends the life of the stick when doing rim shots, the tape gets damaged rather than the stick. When the tape gets chewed up, you just re-tape.

[JPG]

Try making your starting blanks octagonal shaped by ripping the edges off. This will spare you the time with the grinder. Make sure your chisels are sharp. Start with a roughing gouge to get the basic profile and then move to a skew, after practice with a skew you may not even need to sand your sticks.

I have worked with our school's percussion instructor and yes, the shape of the head, the material of the stick, the diameter of the stick, the yoke (the tapered part of the stick between the handle and head) all come into play for tuning the sound of the drum, you may notice that drummers carry multiple sticks and change them out during a performance, (Check out a Drum Corps International DCI show) this is to make different sounds and volumes. Some sticks are louder than others. Some sticks are more stacatto than others, etc. It can be difficult for the untrained ear to tell the difference though. Most drummers I know tape their sticks to get the right grip and of course uniform color of stick for the drum line., it also extends the life of the stick when doing rim shots, the tape gets damaged rather than the stick. When the tape gets chewed up, you just re-tape.

Which ones do they use for a throw down?:D

[terrydowning]

typically hickory, with less taper and a fatter head for max volume.

on the loud sticks the head is nearly as large as the diameter of the handle and very little taper. the head is also very round and solid as opposed to a more bullet shape for a softer more flexible playing style where volume can be be controlled by the angle of attack against the drum head.

You can see the profile differences at Innovative Percussion (one of our sponsors)http://www.innovativepercussion.com/pages/products/product_groups.aspx?id=2 Each series has subtle differences as well. The biggest differences are in the shape of the head on the stick (bead) and the diameter of the handle.

[deec]

Try making your starting blanks octagonal shaped by ripping the edges off. This will spare you the time with the grinder. Make sure your chisels are sharp. Start with a roughing gouge to get the basic profile and then move to a skew, after practice with a skew you may not even need to sand your sticks.

It takes about 30 seconds to knock off those corners with the angle grinder once the blank is in the lathe and I don't have to get my fingers anywhere near a saw blade. My chisels are new with a factory edge - used them for the first time yesterday. I will practice with a skew chisel and re read my woodworking book for tips on engaging the tool into the material.

[pennview]

There are also a lot of instructional videos on You Tube on using your lathe tools as well as sharpening them. They're great for showing the proper technique, especially using the skew to sheer cut.

[beeg]

My chisels are new with a factory edge

So your chisels are KNOT sharp huh. The FIRST thing ya have to do when ya buy a new chisel is sharpen it and maybe change the bevel angle.

[foxtrapper]

Well personally, I think your use of a grinder this way is right clever and highly effective.

[deec]

So your chisels are KNOT sharp huh. The FIRST thing ya have to do when ya buy a new chisel is sharpen it and maybe change the bevel angle.

I was wondering about that. WOOD you recommend the SS sharpening guide for use with the disc sander? Are those angles appropriate? Is there an advantage to different angles depending on the modulus of the specific material you are turning? Thanks for the input.

[JPG]

I was wondering about that. WOOD you recommend the SS sharpening guide for use with the disc sander? Are those angles appropriate? Is there an advantage to different angles depending on the modulus of the specific material you are turning? Thanks for the input.

It all depends - Who you ask - What the desired degree of sharp is desired - What you will be using them for/on . . . . . . .

There is no pat answer, but, as a starting point, I think the disc sander/guide is a good place. Do realize that such aggressive grinding decreases the size of the chisel more rapidly than more manual techniques.

I think you need to become accustomed to using 'sharp' tools and then determine what works best for you.

I consider the grinding approach a rough in procedure that is to be followed by manual sharpening.

Also beware of overheating the steel if of the softer variety.

The most important IMHO thing to learn is the concept of sharpening to a burr on the opposite face and careful removal of that burr(scraping tools excepted).

Patience required!



P.S. Mortising chisels do not come sharpened from the factory either.