Tutorial available in download section

[Handturnedbowls]

At the behest of Cskipper (Cathy) and a few other members I was motivated to spend some time today making a tutorial on making lathe tools yourself.

This tutorial is a pdf file. It covers obtaining tool steel, where to get it, how to shape it, harden it and anneal it, then mount it in a handle.

Hope any of you who have ever wished you could make your own tools and save a ton of money get this and try it.

You will save 80 to 90% of buying one already made, depending on how many of the necessary things you have on hand already.

I have been fascinated with how people make things, and how they work since I was old enough to put two leggo blocks together. This is just one thing I have picked up in 47 yrs. I am sure if my brain was picked there would be many things I could share that some of you would like to know.

enjoy!

cad

 

[clowman]

Well. I'm going to give it a look. No idea how hard/easy it'll be though. Thanks for the effort!

 

[DaveO]

Thanks for posting that. I will take a look at it also. My wife's grandfather made his own lathe tools from old files. Recently, at a meeting of the Triangle Ww'ers Assoc. there was a presentation by another turner who also made his own tools, often from files. So I am interested in reading your file on making them from steel:lol: :lol:

Dave

 

[cskipper]

Thank you for posting this. I, we appreciate it!

 

[Monty]

Wow - that just blows me away! Some excellent pointers in there - things I "sort of" knew about but would have screwed up if I had tried it on my own. Thanks for posting this.

 

[D L Ames]

Cool, great post Cad.:icon_thum Thanks for putting that together for us and posting it.

D L

 

[Steve D]

Cad,

Thanks for sharing and trust me, we will pick your brain.

 

[froglips]

Cad,

Wow, my first hour in the group and I already learned something! Fantastic tutorial.

One question on the use of tiles. Any spacing or placement pattern under the steel during the annealing?

Thanks!
Jim

 

[Handturnedbowls]

Cad,

Wow, my first hour in the group and I already learned something! Fantastic tutorial.

One question on the use of tiles. Any spacing or placement pattern under the steel during the annealing?

Thanks!
Jim

Jim, place them in the middle of each half of the length of the tool. In other words place the tiles symetrically under the tool so no one spot has more unsupported weight than another.

It wont droop or sag, but its just a good idea to do it that way. The idea is to keep the tool off of the metal pan and allow heat under the tool as well as on top.

cad