Now I'm uncertain what kind of wood it is as I tend to do a bit of
scrounging, particuarly when I hear a chainsaw in the neighborhood. Well I
found it laying around in the shop and started making it round. The first
thing I noticed was that it was MUCH harder than the maple, of which I have
lots. One of the nicest things I find about hard wood is that it seems to
cut much cleaner with less tearout than softer wood. Almost a mirror-like
finish.

Kevin,
I got some pear about a year ago. The color was almost white. The
density of the wood comparable to hard maple, but the grain was so
smooth and even, almost like holly. There was almost no grain pattern.
The tree was almost 3 feet in diameter. The trunk came up about 6 feet
then it did the hydra thing. It had bark inclusions going in up to 12
inches.
robo hippy

"Kevin" wrote in message
...
Now I'm uncertain what kind of wood it is as I tend to do a bit of
scrounging, particuarly when I hear a chainsaw in the neighborhood. Well
I
found it laying around in the shop and started making it round. The first
thing I noticed was that it was MUCH harder than the maple, of which I
have
lots. One of the nicest things I find about hard wood is that it seems to
cut much cleaner with less tearout than softer wood. Almost a mirror-like
finish.

That's one of the reasons I like working with woods such as Jarrah, where
you can almost literally turn out a finished job with no sanding.

The downside is the cost to both tools & grind-stone. My 5/8" bowl gouge
lost almost as much length in turning out one 8" bowl...

- Andy

On Fri, 17 Jun 2005 01:56:38 +1000, "Andy McArdle"
wrote:


The downside is the cost to both tools & grind-stone. My 5/8" bowl gouge
lost almost as much length in turning out one 8" bowl...

Andy, might I suggest the fine art of -honing- rather than grinding
all the time. Saves lots of wear on the gouges with just a few swipes
of a diamond hone, and you barely have to slow down to do it. After I
shelled out the last gazillion bucks for a raft of ASP 2060 gouges, I
determined that I wasn't going to grind them away to powder (from
whence they came) and invested in some DMT double-sided diamond hones.
Can't beat 'em, and I rarely have to grind.


--
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On Fri, 17 Jun 2005 01:56:38 +1000, "Andy McArdle"
wrote:


The downside is the cost to both tools & grind-stone. My 5/8" bowl gouge
lost almost as much length in turning out one 8" bowl...

Andy, might I suggest the fine art of -honing- rather than grinding
all the time. Saves lots of wear on the gouges with just a few swipes
of a diamond hone, and you barely have to slow down to do it. After I
shelled out the last gazillion bucks for a raft of ASP 2060 gouges, I
determined that I wasn't going to grind them away to powder (from
whence they came) and invested in some DMT double-sided diamond hones.
Can't beat 'em, and I rarely have to grind.


--
Chuck *#:^)
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My lathe had ben tied up doing other projects, mostly sanding disk
stuff. Felt like turning something today and sharpened the chisels
while the sanding disk was on it. Found a piece of bone dry beech
kicking around, nice and hard alright. An hour later, one more round
thingie to park on top the [already crowded] mantle. Yup, you gotta
love hardwood. Oh, the chisels ended up sharper than I was used to,
finally (for the first time) long spiral peels off a piece of dry
wood. I figure I deserve a nice cold beer now ))
Bart.
-
Check my most up to date email address at:
www.haruteq.com/contact.htm
awesome banjo bridges, tabs, stained glass:
www.haruteq.com

**may your moments of need be met by moments of compassion**

On Fri, 17 Jun 2005 01:56:38 +1000, "Andy McArdle"
wrote:


The downside is the cost to both tools & grind-stone. My 5/8" bowl gouge
lost almost as much length in turning out one 8" bowl...

Andy, might I suggest the fine art of -honing- rather than grinding
all the time. Saves lots of wear on the gouges with just a few swipes
of a diamond hone, and you barely have to slow down to do it. After I
shelled out the last gazillion bucks for a raft of ASP 2060 gouges, I
determined that I wasn't going to grind them away to powder (from
whence they came) and invested in some DMT double-sided diamond hones.
Can't beat 'em, and I rarely have to grind.


--
Chuck *#:^)
chaz3913(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
Anti-spam sig: please remove "NO SPAM" from e-mail address to reply.


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On Fri, 17 Jun 2005 01:15:21 GMT, (Chuck)
wrote:

Sorry about the repeats...my news server is stuttering.


--
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[---8---]
The downside is the cost to both tools & grind-stone. My 5/8" bowl gouge
lost almost as much length in turning out one 8" bowl...

Andy, might I suggest the fine art of -honing- rather than grinding
all the time. Saves lots of wear on the gouges with just a few swipes
of a diamond hone, and you barely have to slow down to do it. After I
shelled out the last gazillion bucks for a raft of ASP 2060 gouges, I
determined that I wasn't going to grind them away to powder (from
whence they came) and invested in some DMT double-sided diamond hones.
Can't beat 'em, and I rarely have to grind.


I've only recently started doing this with a small diamond lap that I bought
for other tools, chisels, etc. but mainly for the touching up of my
scrapers. With a quick pass or two as soon as they start to lose their edge
means I can generally complete a job or two before needing to renew the burr
on the grindstone.

I've tried it on gouges, but need more practise in getting the motion
right... another part of the art I've yet to master. More steel would
probably be saved if (when, really) I buy a grinding jig but I'm a firm
believer in learning the basics thoroughly before becoming dependant on
aids.

Believe me, seeing my $ disappear in sparks is, for me, a me great motivator
to learn quickly!

- Andy

I've tried it on gouges, but need more practise in getting the motion
right... another part of the art I've yet to master. More steel would
probably be saved if (when, really) I buy a grinding jig but I'm a firm
believer in learning the basics thoroughly before becoming dependant on
aids.

I was concerned, at the beginning, about getting the correct motion,
maintaining bevel, etc., on gouges, but have found, through several
years' experience with them, that it is fairly easy to follow the
angle of the bevel with the hone and a back and forth motion is just
as effective as a one-direction-only motion, as if you were trying to
cut the hone with the edge of the gouge. It saves time, sharpens
faster and is easier to maintain the angle on the bevel. I just keep
a little spray bottle of water on hand to lube the hone, and can also
take it with me to demos and shows for the same purpose. Saves having
to worry about anyone having a grinder on hand!

I'm not sure what direction to use when honing gouges... do you stroke
along the bevel (from side to side) or in the same direction that a
grindstone would cut?

- Andy

On Sat, 18 Jun 2005 21:48:04 +1000, "Andy McArdle"
wrote:


I've tried it on gouges, but need more practise in getting the motion
right... another part of the art I've yet to master. More steel would
probably be saved if (when, really) I buy a grinding jig but I'm a firm
believer in learning the basics thoroughly before becoming dependant on
aids.

I was concerned, at the beginning, about getting the correct motion,
maintaining bevel, etc., on gouges, but have found, through several
years' experience with them, that it is fairly easy to follow the
angle of the bevel with the hone and a back and forth motion is just
as effective as a one-direction-only motion, as if you were trying to
cut the hone with the edge of the gouge. It saves time, sharpens
faster and is easier to maintain the angle on the bevel. I just keep
a little spray bottle of water on hand to lube the hone, and can also
take it with me to demos and shows for the same purpose. Saves having
to worry about anyone having a grinder on hand!


--
Chuck *#:^)
chaz3913(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
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September 11, 2001 - Never Forget

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"Andy McArdle" wrote in message
u...


I'm not sure what direction to use when honing gouges... do you stroke
along the bevel (from side to side) or in the same direction that a
grindstone would cut?

Probably doesn't make a rat's arse, but tradition says at right angles to
the edge. That way tiny projecting pieces break off without significantly
affecting the edge. If you've got a grit groove parallel and it breaks off,
can make an edge twice as blunt.

On Sun, 19 Jun 2005 00:56:33 +1000, "Andy McArdle"
wrote:


I'm not sure what direction to use when honing gouges... do you stroke
along the bevel (from side to side) or in the same direction that a
grindstone would cut?

Use it just as if it were a grinder. The idea is to pretend you are
trying to shave a piece off the hone with the edge. IOW, if you hold
your gouge so the curve is in this orientation -- U you would
carefully hone in an up-and-down orientation, maintaining the angle of
the bevel by resting the hone on it. I find it is easier with
longer-handled tools to rest the butt of the handle against the work
bench, so to stabilize the business end of it a bit more.

I'll tell you, that diamond hone works pretty well on my parabolic
drill bits I drill pen blanks with, too. Every time I touch up the
cutting edge, I manage to cut the end of one or more of my fingers,
cleaning chips out of the groove. You'd think I'd learn after a
while!
--
Chuck *#:^)
chaz3913(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
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September 11, 2001 - Never Forget

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I'm not sure what direction to use when honing gouges... do you stroke
along the bevel (from side to side) or in the same direction that a
grindstone would cut?

Use it just as if it were a grinder. The idea is to pretend you are
trying to shave a piece off the hone with the edge. IOW, if you hold
your gouge so the curve is in this orientation -- U you would
carefully hone in an up-and-down orientation, maintaining the angle of
the bevel by resting the hone on it. I find it is easier with
longer-handled tools to rest the butt of the handle against the work
bench, so to stabilize the business end of it a bit more.

That's where I'm going wrong then, as I'm trying to follow the radius. As
each gouge has a different radius I've found it impossible to "muscle learn"
the motion
I guess I should look at getting a stone to touch up inside the flute, too.

I'll tell you, that diamond hone works pretty well on my parabolic
drill bits I drill pen blanks with, too. Every time I touch up the
cutting edge, I manage to cut the end of one or more of my fingers,
cleaning chips out of the groove. You'd think I'd learn after a
while!

LOL! Glad I'm not the only one. I originally bought the hone to touch up
my paring & dovetail chisels, then moved onto using it for router bits as
well. Of course, as it's "just a touch-up," the first dozen times or so I'd
hold the bit by the shank to hone... I must've gone thru several packs of
band-aids before I thought of clamping it in a fly-jig!

- Andy

On Tue, 21 Jun 2005 18:05:55 +1000, "Andy McArdle"
wrote:


That's where I'm going wrong then, as I'm trying to follow the radius. As
each gouge has a different radius I've found it impossible to "muscle learn"
the motion
I guess I should look at getting a stone to touch up inside the flute, too.

Well you know, I had read that, numerous times, in the various turning
instruction books, but logic dictated, (and practical application bore
out my deduction) that honing the flute really doesn't seem to make
the slightest bit of difference. The burr that is rolled up as you
make the pass on the upstroke is removed again on the downstroke, and
even if you do get a slight burr, a couple of seconds' contact with a
spinning piece of jarrah will quickly remove it!

I have a slipstone that fits perfectly in the flute, but I never
bother with it any more, and am still able to make showers of
beautiful curls from kiln-dried hard maple after touching-up with my
diamond hones.

LOL! Glad I'm not the only one. I originally bought the hone to touch up
my paring & dovetail chisels, then moved onto using it for router bits as
well. Of course, as it's "just a touch-up," the first dozen times or so I'd
hold the bit by the shank to hone... I must've gone thru several packs of
band-aids before I thought of clamping it in a fly-jig!

heheh...the first time I discovered how sharp it was, I was drilling a
bunch of pen blanks and quickly cut the tip of my left forefinger.
Then, in case that wasn't a stern enough lesson, I promptly cut it
again, right next to the first spot! That was finally enough for me,
so I moved on to cutting the right forefinger tip in exactly the same
manner. Imagine me trying to explain bandaids on the tips of _both_
forefingers!

Well, at least it wasn't my thumb. My left thumb usually takes the
worst of it, whatever the disaster is. Last major thing I did was
bury half an inch of my 1/4" round skew in the side of it! Didn't
hurt though, fortunately I was honing it on my diamond bench stone at
the time. : )


--
Chuck *#:^)
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"Chuck" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 21 Jun 2005 18:05:55 +1000, "Andy McArdle"
wrote:
SNIP .........

heheh...the first time I discovered how sharp it was, I was drilling a
bunch of pen blanks and quickly cut the tip of my left forefinger.
Then, in case that wasn't a stern enough lesson, I promptly cut it
again, right next to the first spot! That was finally enough for me,
so I moved on to cutting the right forefinger tip in exactly the same
manner. Imagine me trying to explain bandaids on the tips of _both_
forefingers!
===============
Reminds me of the story of the not too sharp woodworker who was explaining
how he had lost a finger on his table saw: "Well, I was just pushing a
little piece of wood through like this ... Dang, there goes another one!"
At least you've learned now .. right?? (:-)

Ken Moon
Webberville, TX.