Michael Mocho Demonstration 2009 Symposium of the AAW The ...

ice I would think the square shaftwould keep the cutting angle moreconsistent.HenryFred’s Response: I don’t ownthe Ci0 tool as yet; however, whileat the Desert Woodturning Rounupin Mesa Arizona in February, I purchasedthe Ci1 and Ci2 tools. I findthem very useful for rough turningand expect that they would be easyfor a beginner to learn to use. I usethe Ci1 for a lot of roughing work.I am proficient with all of the otherturning tools, even the skew, as I’vebeen turning for 21 years and haveturned virtually all sorts of things.I did get to see the Ci0 tool work atthe Utah Woodturning Symposiumin the hands on/trade show area.When I first got the Ci1, I turneda bowl with it from start to finish,except that for the final cut inside,I did use a bowl gouge. I tried it onspindle work and found that it woulddo most spindle cuts except coves. Ialso turned a goblet with it at 3000rpm and it cut quite smooth at thatspeed. I had to use an Eliminatortool to turn the inside bottom of thegoblet bowl. Here is where the Ci0would have come in handy.Whether you are an experiencedturner or a beginner, I believethese tools are worth the money.They eliminate the need for sharpeningoften and are easy to use. Theylook like scrapers, but that is wherethe difference ends. They do not cutlike a scraper.I agree with others, joining aclub if possible and getting someregular hands on woodturning trainingusing the conventional tools isvery good advise. However, thesenew carbide tools are a good buyand will allow you to do things thatyou may currently be having troubledoing.Fred HolderLyle’s Response: You haveasked about the newest, hottest fadI have seen in a long time in theturning world. These Easy Roughertools are selling like hot cakes. I seeyou call it an easy finisher. That itis not, Ill try to explain. I agree withmost of the points Fred presents.Look at Fred’s process. He roughedout the form and did the finish cutswith more efficient tools. For a beginnerthe easy rougher might be agood way to get your feet wet. ButI agree with your assumption thatyou will soon grow out of it whenyou learn to use the bowl gougeand spindle gouge. I disagree withFred’s assertion that it “does not cutlike a scraper”. It is a scraper and itcuts as a scraper. It is not designedto have bevel support and it hasno slicing/sheering action that thegouges do. So they are a carbidescraper. Yes, that has the advantageof not needing to sharpen for a longwhile. But what happens whenit gets dull?? Do beginners havethe tools or expertise to sharpencarbide?? Or you have to buy newtips when dull?? I want to make itperfectly clear these tools are differenttechnology then Hunter orEliminator tools. The Easy Rougheruses the old carbide cutters that havebeen used in the metal working industryfor decades. The old carbideis not as sharp as the new nanograincarbide in the Hunter/Eliminatortools. So the bottom line is the EasyRougher is a carbide scraper thateven new, does not get as sharp asHSS. The Hunter/Eliminator toolsused correctly can be used in a sheering/slicingmode with bevel supportand leave an unbelievable surfacebehind that needs little sanding. SeeJohn Lucas video clip on YouTubefor an example of its use in a bowlwww.hunterwoodturningtool.com/tutorials. I use the same new Huntercarbide in my boring bar system forhollow forms. The Easy Roughertool was designed to be a roughingout tool and does a good job at that.But people are leaping ahead andusing it as a finish tool. It will havesignificant end grain tear out. Its adull scraper. I dont want to have tosand all that damage. I’d rather beturning than sanding. My advice toa beginner is to put the $100.00 intoa basic turning class or get a clubmember to mentor you and learnto use the gouges. I can rough outwith a bowl gouge and do finishingcuts that I start sanding with 320 gritsandpaper.Lyle JamiesonThread ChasersQuestion: I was researchingcutting threads in wood on the internetand came across your nameat the bottom of this website.http://www.jamesriser.com/Machinery/chasers/making_chasers.htmlIt refers to you for a “well explained”technique for using threadchasers. Any and all help in this isappreciated.John HeavillFred’s Response: My book,“Making Screw Threads in Wood”,was published in 2001 by GMCPublications in England. I keep afew copies on hand that I sell for$28.00 plus $5.00 shipping andhandling. The book covers all techniquesfor making screw threads in[Continued on Page 34.]More Woodturning August 2009 Page 19