Termite tool
 

Anyone have luck with this tool? I got one but it doesn't seem to cut well
in green wood. Any suggestions?

Woody

Termite tool
 

Hi Woody

I have one and it works OK.
But don't forget it is for endgrain wood, doesn't work well on
sidegrain.
I have a link here to a site that has a good writeup on it.
http://www.hdv.net/
Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

On Jul 2, 9:09 pm, "woodman" wrote:
Anyone have luck with this tool? I got one but it doesn't seem to cut well
in green wood. Any suggestions?

Woody

Termite tool
 

"woodman" wrote in message
news:Ukhii.3001$fw2.89@trnddc04...
Anyone have luck with this tool? I got one but it doesn't seem to cut
well in green wood. Any suggestions?


Are you referring to the tendency to pack with its own shavings? Can be a
problem with the smaller loops that the larger can help. It's a gouge at 90
degrees to the shaft, so the technique you use with a gouge is the one that
gives best results. The handle is elsewhere, which is handy.

Cross-grain demands a lot of pressure to maintain the depth of cut. Ring
tools, or the hook tools under discussion, can get enough metal under the
wood to hold themselves, but the termite is just too small to be effective.
The tutorial Leo referenced has either a misleading camera angle or a
technique I don't favor, that of cutting above centerline inside a shape.
Cutting below helps keep air above the tool instead of advancing, and
possibly catching, wood.

Termite tool
 

On Tue, 03 Jul 2007 01:09:08 GMT, "woodman" wrote:

Anyone have luck with this tool? I got one but it doesn't seem to cut well
in green wood. Any suggestions?

Woody

IMHO, it's a tool that you have to not only read the instructions (gasp) but
experiment with...

An easy beginning for a vase, etc. is to drill a pilot hole to the approximate
depth you want, and widen it with the termite... mush easier than using the ring
to bore the hole..
I think that the scariest part of using the termite is at the middle of the
"hole", where you almost have to touch the "up" side a bit and the pilot hole
eliminates that hassle...

The instructions regarding ring positioning are clever, the "if you see it,
you're in trouble, if your belly button does, you're cool" is pretty accurate,
but I don't think ( as I remember the instructions) that they address riding the
bevel of the ring...

You don't want the handle straight out from the opening you're cutting, you want
it pulled quite a bit towards your "turning muscle" and gently work the handle
out towards the lathe bed a bit as you make your cut...

If you play with angle, tilt, etc. a bit you'll find it making nice shavings and
working well... it you cut too aggressively, it will pack the ring...
Before I became a follower of George and the "peel not poke" religion, I kept a
1/4" dowel with a pencil sharpener point near the lathe top clear the shavings
out of the ring..



mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

Termite tool
 

Thanks for the responses. I think that my problem is that I hadn't angled
it properly (towards me), so I'll give that a try...

Woody

"mac davis" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 03 Jul 2007 01:09:08 GMT, "woodman" wrote:

Anyone have luck with this tool? I got one but it doesn't seem to cut
well
in green wood. Any suggestions?

Woody

IMHO, it's a tool that you have to not only read the instructions (gasp)
but
experiment with...

An easy beginning for a vase, etc. is to drill a pilot hole to the
approximate
depth you want, and widen it with the termite... mush easier than using
the ring
to bore the hole..
I think that the scariest part of using the termite is at the middle of
the
"hole", where you almost have to touch the "up" side a bit and the pilot
hole
eliminates that hassle...

The instructions regarding ring positioning are clever, the "if you see
it,
you're in trouble, if your belly button does, you're cool" is pretty
accurate,
but I don't think ( as I remember the instructions) that they address
riding the
bevel of the ring...

You don't want the handle straight out from the opening you're cutting,
you want
it pulled quite a bit towards your "turning muscle" and gently work the
handle
out towards the lathe bed a bit as you make your cut...

If you play with angle, tilt, etc. a bit you'll find it making nice
shavings and
working well... it you cut too aggressively, it will pack the ring...
Before I became a follower of George and the "peel not poke" religion, I
kept a
1/4" dowel with a pencil sharpener point near the lathe top clear the
shavings
out of the ring..



mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

Termite tool
 

Yes, I've used it for quite a while. Basically start with the ring on or
above center (9:00 to 10:oo positionm ith the ring at about 60 deg off
vertiocal. You get the tool to bite more or less by rotating it, rotation
clockwise, so that the axis through the ring moves toward vertical
increases aggressiveness of the cut, ccw decreases. I find that the cutting
path starts at the center, on the cventer line, then arcs upward as you
move out (dropping the handle) and finally back toward centerline as you
reach the perimeter. The tool will cut from a solid center, but works
better if you pre-bore the center of the work with a fostner bit.

On Tue, 03 Jul 2007 01:09:08 GMT, "woodman" wrote:

Anyone have luck with this tool? I got one but it doesn't seem to cut well
in green wood. Any suggestions?

Woody

Termite tool
 

I bought the bit but not the handle. I made my own handle out of a larger
diameter and longer piece of steel than that of the manufacturers. I also
increased substantially the length of the wood handle . I find that I have
good control over the tool and all but the most stupid catches (you know the
kind I mean) are a none issue.


"woodman" wrote in message
news:Ukhii.3001$fw2.89@trnddc04...
Anyone have luck with this tool? I got one but it doesn't seem to cut
well in green wood. Any suggestions?

Woody

Termite tool
 

Tom Storey wrote:
I bought the bit but not the handle. I made my own handle out of a larger
diameter and longer piece of steel than that of the manufacturers. I also
increased substantially the length of the wood handle . I find that I have
good control over the tool and all but the most stupid catches (you know the
kind I mean) are a none issue.


"woodman" wrote in message
news:Ukhii.3001$fw2.89@trnddc04...
Anyone have luck with this tool? I got one but it doesn't seem to cut
well in green wood. Any suggestions?

Woody



Hi Tom,
I see you got your termite finished. Wouldn't mind seeing it.

Ralph in QB