New video on cutting a cove

[john lucas]

I had planned to do this after writing an article in American Woodturner Vol25 #2. It took a while to get the equipment and skills but I finally got it all together. still have lots of learning to do to make good video's but hopefully this will be useful to some of you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSybPNw4F1o

 

[Dean Center]

Most excellent. You provided us with an excellent view of the process for all but the very narrow cove.
Dean Center

 

[Matt Lewis]

John,

Good video. I love the black backdrop and lighting! Keep them coming.

I'd like to offer a modification to your statements about always using the handle higher than the cutting edge on a scraper and that you can't get sharp edges using a scraper as that is not all of the story from my point of view. I recommend reading my article in the Feb 2011 journal. If you ride the bevel of a round-nose scraper and/or tilt the blade to approximately 45 degrees you will turn the "scraper" into a cutting tool and you can then very easily cut clean/sharp/crisp coves. I do it all the time and it works great. The secret is to cut with the "scraper" and not to scrape. Now, it is true that you can also use the traditional scraper presentation as you show, but you may have to clean it up with a parring cut afterward. Sorry to make an issue, but making such definitive statements about the use of the "scraper" in spindle turning is somewhat misleading and in my estimation the reason many turners think it is against the rules.

Best regards,

Matt

 

[john lucas]

Matt you are correct. I did some tests on my scrapers both with burr's and without burr's, rubbing the bevel and not rubbing the bevel. It does work.
My stance is, why use the scraper rubbing the bevel when a spindle gouge will do a better job. My spindle gouges are sharpened at a 35 degree angle. My scrapers are sharpened at 45 or even blunter for some chores. The sharper spindle gouge cuts cleaner especially in wood prone to chipout like spalted maple or Box Elder.
Now if you only have one tool, a scraper, you can remove the burr and rub the bevel and get a good cut. So it can be done but I think it's important to clarify the cutting angles involved.

 

[Matt Lewis]

John,

Yes to all and in the article I mention that it would be disingenuous to say the round-nose is a replacement for a gouge or skew, but that you can get a very close second. I think there are many possible reasons to consider a using a scraper in place of a gouge. These include ease of sharpening/maintenance, handling, making, cost, accuracy, mastering, which may all potentially increase production speed. Of course, this is all dependent on what you are trying to accomplish.

I suppose my main point is that, like with all turning, there are many methods and none should be discounted if they work. Thanks again for the videos and discussion. Please keep them coming - watching homemade videos is a lot of fun and is a great way to further the turning dialog.

Best regards,

Matt

 

[john lucas]

Matt Could not agree more with the assertion that there are many ways to get to the same place. Ask 3 turners how to do something and you'll get 3 different answers all correct.
That's part of why I threw the scraper in the video in the first place. I need to do one with the new Hunter Hercules. It sort of does it all.

 

[George Clark]

John,

Excellent vignette. I find your speaking voice to be quite pleasing and the explanations and photography very clear.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

George

 

[wwlewis]

Very good video. One suggestion - The parting tool you used looks strangely like a bedan. I use it to hog off wood, very similarly to what you do. I think most turners would be frustrated trying to use a simple parting tool when a much wider bedan is more effective.

 

[john lucas]

The parting tool is a 1/4" wide. In this case it's simply used to set the depth of the Cove. A bedan would be too wide and leave a large flat area that would have to be cut below that surface to produce the cove.
A bedan is be great tool for flattening tenons and turning beads, and many other tasks but isn't the tool I would use to set the depth and thickness on spindles. I believe a parting tool is better for this.

 

[Jake Gevorgian]

That is an excellent instructional video, John.

A month ago I forgot to turn the shop camera off, and here is what it has caught me doing. (drama)

Turning coves with a skew! Very unorthodox!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTXLYRyeuCA

 

[john lucas]

I watched that video. I do on occasion turn coves with a skew. I will demonstrate it if people ask but it's so much easier to use the spindle gouge that I don't teach it normally. When doing skew demos' I will sometimes show turning a cove.
I have found that a blunter edge (which means a shorter bevel) works better for coves and I notice in the video the skew he's using has a very short bevel. You can turn a cove with a longer bevel but your limited in how deep and narrow it can be by the bevel length. Well that's not totally true now that I think about it because I have turned some pretty narrow coves using the edge near the toe of the skew. It's awfully easy to get a catch doing this so I don't teach it. It's one of those things you do when friends are around and your playing with cutting techniques.

 

[Jake Gevorgian]

Very much agreed!

I made this video just to show or should I say, encourage woodturners to give a try to Alan Lacer skew. And, maybe, not to get scare of the Skew

Cheers,
Jake

 

[Dave Roller]

John, I've been off-line for nearly a year and just discovered this video. I think the lighting, the explanation, and the pacing are all excellent--professional, in fact. I hope you will find the time to do videos on shear scraping on bowls, and pommel formation on chair legs.

 

[john lucas]

Dave I plan more it's just finding the time. My next ones will be using the Hunter Hercules and maybe the mini Hercules. Using the spindle roughing gouge, which just by coincidence will discuss turning pommels.