Bedan tool - any comments?

[dickm]

My daughter in the States sent me details of a special offer ($20) on a thing called a "Bedan tool". It looks to me like a thick parting tool, but with only one bevel and with a pronounced taper from upper to lower surface of the blade. I couldn't really see the point of it (oops, not meant to be a pun!) but wondered if anyone had tried one and found it useful?

 

[boysie39]

Read somewhere that a company had made a batch which were shaped wrong and were selling them off cheap. New ones would be 40$ + so a bit of grinding and you will have the real thing. That's if yours is one of that batch, REgards Boysie

 

[Bodrighy]

It is a tool that is very popular in France and has grown in popularity since a turner called Escoulen showed them off at various demonstrations, Used maily for spindle work it is great for doing beads and used a bit like a skew though I find it a lot easier.

You can get them in this country made by most of the major toolmakers, Sorby, Crown, Ashley Isles etc. Do a search in Youtube, there are a few videos of demonstrations in there

HTH

Pete

 

[Stu in Tokyo]

It is a production tool, it is not easy to master, I've been playing with mine for a while since I saw Jean-Francois Escoulen use it in a demo here, mind bending fast work, but it will jump out and bite you, if you don't use it right.

>> Stu's Bedan Practice #1 <<

>> Stu's Bedan Practice #2


That is how a hack like me does it, now watch how a master does it................


>> Jean-Francois Escoulen Bedan #1 <<

>> Jean-Francois Escoulen Bedan #2 <<

 

[Anonymous]

Good vids Stu!

Picked up a 9mm - 3/8"f Stanley mortice chisel for around a fiver at a show a few years back... works fine as a bedan :wink:

 

[Bodrighy]

Bevel up I find it reasonably easy, certainly better than a skew, bevel down it's a pig and as Stu says can bite

Minwe is used mainly for smaller stuff like finials and is made from a squared off allen key.

Pete

 

[dickm]

Thanks for that, guys. Looks a bit tricky, so think I'll say thanks but no thanks to daughter buying me one.

 

[TEP]

Bedan's work, and they work well, but so do conventional tools if they are kept sharp. IMO it is a lot easier to become proficient in a few tools, and use them to their limit, and beyond with experience. Where as with a great arsenal of tools you never learn to use any properly.

It's not the tools that make a turner. Stick with what you know.