billyb_imp
Registered
A lot of work in that Miles, looking good 
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Herringbone first attempt
- Thread starter Midnight_Turner
- Start date
Midnight_Turner
Registered
Sickening...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I share your pain, been there done that..
Looking at the bush at the broken end, it looks like its spread out the tube
Be interesting if that has happened as looks like there is not much bush showing in photo. May be just the pic tho.
I had that happen when I dug in with a skew, noticed after that the bushes were very tight and when it dug in the screw on the end of the mandrell spun up and over tightened the blank/ Resulting in it blowing off just like your looks like.
Since then I make sure the bushes are a nice snug fit rather than a tight fit, Oh, and I never dig in with the skew do I.
Out of interest, are you using a threaded mandrel or a mandrel saver?
Looking at the bush at the broken end, it looks like its spread out the tube
Be interesting if that has happened as looks like there is not much bush showing in photo. May be just the pic tho.I had that happen when I dug in with a skew, noticed after that the bushes were very tight and when it dug in the screw on the end of the mandrell spun up and over tightened the blank/ Resulting in it blowing off just like your looks like.
Since then I make sure the bushes are a nice snug fit rather than a tight fit, Oh, and I never dig in with the skew do I.
Out of interest, are you using a threaded mandrel or a mandrel saver?
Midnight_Turner
Registered
I share your pain, been there done that..
Looking at the bush at the broken end, it looks like its spread out the tube
I had that happen when I dug in with a skew, noticed after that the bushes were very tight and when it dug in the screw on the end of the mandrell spun up and over tightened the blank/ Resulting in it blowing off just like your looks like.
Since then I make sure the bushes are a nice snug fit rather than a tight fit, Oh, and I never dig in with the skew do I.
Out of interest, are you using a threaded mandrel or a mandrel saver?
Using a saver - not losing faith these things happen, and I am going to pick myself up, cut some more waste down and give it another go!!!
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Walter
Fellow
The end of the tube does look flared, maybe need to think about how that happened. Eamonn's suggestions are possibilities.
Other possible causes. There is a lot of tearout on the rest of the blank. Blunt tools? Too heavy cuts? What tool did you use?
Insufficient glue between tube and blank? Use epoxy instead of CA perhaps?
Just some ideas, others may have different suggestions.
Other possible causes. There is a lot of tearout on the rest of the blank. Blunt tools? Too heavy cuts? What tool did you use?
Insufficient glue between tube and blank? Use epoxy instead of CA perhaps?
Just some ideas, others may have different suggestions.
Just another suggestion when cutting try to go from left to right as much as you can as the segments are laying over that way so with sharp tools should give a cleaner cut. Just another thing to add to the list of above suggestions
Midnight_Turner
Registered
Used a roughing out gouge as I always do, I never use anything else - I have only been doing this for 6 months and I am a complete beginner so any suggestions on types of chisels to use would be good.
I don't think in this case the glue was the issue because as you can see it didn't conveniently split on a join, it actually ripped the wood in half so I reckon it was not enough glue on the tube, and also maybe in too tight on the mandrel...
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Leaving the flared tube and glue/mandrel issues to one side for the moment, if you are using a roughing gouge Miles, as many folk do, myself included, I would suggest your tool presentation is a major contributor here. Roughing a log is one thing, but roughing and shaping a pen barrel requires you to use the bevel just as you would a spindle gouge or a bowl gouge.
Judging by the amount of tearout you are showing, my guess is that you are presenting the roughing gouge front on, with the flute pointing upwards, and at a fairly horizontal angle, which is serving to scrape the wood rather that sheer it. Try turning your gouge so that the flute points to about 10 o'clock, lower the handle so its about 10 o'clock to 4 o'clock (adjust your tool rest so that you are still cutting at or just above the centre line of the wood, using the lower wing of the tool) and when viewed from above, present the gouge at about a 45 degree angle to the work (assuming your bevel is at 45 degrees). That way, you will be rubbing the bevel - and the tool, assuming it is nice and sharp, will behave like a skew.
The difference in the surface you are left with will be remarkable, and you will be much, much less susceptible to disaster.
Judging by the amount of tearout you are showing, my guess is that you are presenting the roughing gouge front on, with the flute pointing upwards, and at a fairly horizontal angle, which is serving to scrape the wood rather that sheer it. Try turning your gouge so that the flute points to about 10 o'clock, lower the handle so its about 10 o'clock to 4 o'clock (adjust your tool rest so that you are still cutting at or just above the centre line of the wood, using the lower wing of the tool) and when viewed from above, present the gouge at about a 45 degree angle to the work (assuming your bevel is at 45 degrees). That way, you will be rubbing the bevel - and the tool, assuming it is nice and sharp, will behave like a skew.
The difference in the surface you are left with will be remarkable, and you will be much, much less susceptible to disaster.
Walter
Fellow
Sorry, I didn't make that clear, It was the glue joint between blank and tube that I meant. Epoxy would give you a better joint there.
Great advice above from Phil for using the spindle roughing gouge. The only thing I would add is to make sure you are cutting from the middle of the blank towards the ends. Cutting in from the ends has a much greater risk of breakout because the bevel is unsupported.
Midnight_Turner
Registered
Is that rather than going left to right you'd go for the centre right and then centre left? Agree with epoxy for the tube - I wasn't patient enough and used CA instead...
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Walter
Fellow
Yes, every cut should be going towards one end of the blank.
Midnight_Turner
Registered
Cool I'm back in the shed tomorrow night so will give it a go
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Walter
Fellow
This video by Richard Raffan is about why you get catches. The whole thing is worth watching but if you skip to about 12 minutes in you will see him explain why you should not cut in from the end of the spindle.
Understanding Woodturning Catches - YouTube
Understanding Woodturning Catches - YouTube
I think that my post was misleading where I stated "try to go from left to right as much as you can". I still would cut from left to right as much as I could in this case but as Walter stated don't start off of the blank and come into the end always cut so you come off of the end. Thank you Walter for your post which brought my attention to how I explained this wrong. Never was much good at putting things into the written word
Walter
Fellow
I think Richard Raffan's video explains better than either of us could Derek.
Well definitely better than me
This video is always a good one for skew chisel work and explaining the rights and wrongs of how to use one
Midnight_Turner
Registered
Well folks this is the third attempt, and I have to say I am well chuffed! I took on board the advice given, and in all honesty it took me about half an hour to turn instead of the usual 5-10 minutes, and I am really pleased with the result - amazing what a little patience can do!!
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I hope you don't mind Miles - I've made your photo a little smaller so we can see the overall effect a bit better.
View attachment 32732
View attachment 32732
Walter
Fellow
Well now I can definitely say "nice pen". Well done Miles, a huge improvement.
Penpal
Grand Master
A marathon well run mate.The result of help is at hand and minding how you go, the result an excellent pen to be proud of.
Peter.
Peter.