Making tools

[Anonymous]

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[jasonB]

I made some out of 12mm stainless but silver steel will also be OK.

For tips I either cross drilled and fitted 3/16" HSS toolsteel held with a grubscrew or a Sorbey tip available as spares, though you could use gauge plate(ground flat stock) and harden & temper it

Jason

 

[Jenx]

I'd go with the Silver Steel too Dave,

Stainless is hard old stuff to drill, by comparison.

8)

 

[cornucopia]

hello Dave

I made mine using silver steeel shafts and hss tips with 5% cobalt- just like mr ellsworth's

 

[Anonymous]

Cheers for all the info (and pics). Had a look at some old threads and it looks like Cromwells are as good as anywhere to get silver steel from.

The reason for making some more tools is that I have trouble with my hamlet little brother when things get deeper than about 8-10 inches. I have to fight the tool too much. What sort of length silver steel should I buy to get to these depths (and possibly slightly deeper)? Also what sort of diameter should I get. It seems to get expensive going beyond 20mm.

Cheers,

Dave

 

[jasonB]

Metric silver steel only comes in 333mm and 1000mm lengths so I would have thought a longer length cut in half will give you two useful length tools. Around the 18-20mm dia should be OK

Jason

 

[cornucopia]

Cheers for all the info (and pics). Had a look at some old threads and it looks like Cromwells are as good as anywhere to get silver steel from.

The reason for making some more tools is that I have trouble with my hamlet little brother when things get deeper than about 8-10 inches. I have to fight the tool too much. What sort of length silver steel should I buy to get to these depths (and possibly slightly deeper)? Also what sort of diameter should I get. It seems to get expensive going beyond 20mm.

Cheers,

Dave

without an internal rest or a back rest you will struggle to hollow any deeper than 13" in most woods- i have an old 7/8" bcwa tool which has about 16" of shaft that will go to about 12" depth.

 

[Jenx]

Dave : -- http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Silver-Steel-12mm ... 286.c0.m14

333mm x 12mm Dia Silver Steel bar... B.I.N. at £ 5.47 and the bloke's site has all different sizes available.

Can't go far wrong at that, my friend ! :wink: 8)

 

[lurker]

For really hard steel with a thread already fitted, have a look in scrap yards for the damper things on car tailgates. The centre rod I assume is case hardened and is just right.

I've just made a small pointed skew and a Scraper burnisher and am going back for more.

 

[big soft moose]

The reason for making some more tools is that I have trouble with my hamlet little brother when things get deeper than about 8-10 inches. I have to fight the tool too much.

why not just put a longer handle on the HLB - (my BCT is mounted in an old oar handle 4.5 ft long) to give you more leverage - if that is still insufficient you could also make a jig that fits in the toolrest to hold the tool at the right angle.

 

[Anonymous]

Jenx, cheers for the link. I don't think 333mm is long enough for deep hollowing. I'd end up with very little bar left in the handle. They don't do anything longer.

I've got my eyes open for cheaper/free bar which might do the job. I work on a big industrial estate so somebody must have something they consider to be an offcut going.

bsm, I will be putting an extension on the HLB handle to see how I get on with that. But I really get the feeling the bar isn't up to it at that sort of distance. I measured it last night and it's around 11mm (7/16 inch). I'd never consider putting a similar sized bowl gouge that far over the rest...even just for light cuts.

Dave

 

[mikec]

Hi Dave,

If you want 1000mm lengths of silver steel try Phoenix Steels in Sheffield
www.toolsteels.co.uk
tel 0114 2767553

For the main body it is not necessary to use silver steel, ordinary mild steel can be used with a HSS tool tip or scraper bit. If silver steel is not hardened and tempered (usually supplied in this condition) there is not a huge difference between it and mild steel. I use Bright mild steel rods for my tools to keep the cost down.

Regards,

Mike C

 

[wizer]

I was just going to ask if you can use normal mild steel as I'm just about to pick some up for something else and it's bloody cheap. Fancy making a tool that will fit the half moon type scrapers which can go in the munro handle.

Has anyone got some close up pics of how those cutters fix into the steel body? i.e what has to be done to fit them.

 

[lurker]

I've been playing with these things

http://www.buckandhickman.com/find/cate ... ng+Inserts

Decent Engineering machine shops throw them away when they become blunt.
They take some sharpening but hold a edge forever after when used on wood.

I found sharpening them also restored my grind wheel into the bargain :lol: :lol:

A square one has made a great scraper for doing small boxes

 

[wizer]

What's that Jim? You're going to send me some FOC? Well, if you insist. :lol:

 

[mikec]

I bought some large round ones on eBay for about £1 and with a cheap diamond wheel I'm reshaping them. Carbide tips for metal machining do not have sharp edges, else they fracture when taking heavy cuts, they need to be sharpened for use with wood.

To cut them effectively you need a diamond or green silica wheel. My standard grey wheel on my grinder just polishes the edge.

Regards,

Mike C