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Rolling a Bead

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From Cindy Drozda's, and others, videos the saying is "raise the handle, roll the handle, and swing the handle". This works fine on the right half (tailstock end) of the bead. When I try to swing the the handle on the left half (headstock end) of the bead the handle runs into me. I am using a 16" sorby handle on a 3/8 inch spindle gouge. The only way I can prevent the mid-bead collision is to step way to the left and then I can't see the top of the bead as I form it. What am I doing wrong?

[note: after many years of working for universities, taking free classes, and being told that I needed to be well rounded I am proud that I have finally accomplished this. My diameter front to back is approximately the same as my diameter side to side. So please don't tell me not to be well rounded :)].
 
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Some one besides me uses scrapers on spindles???? Bill, I am guessing you mean one of the beading tools that are flat bar stock with a bead shape cut into it....

You can turn a bead, on both sides while keeping your tool on one side of your body, which is the right side for most of us. You have to move your body differently. On right side you rotate from right to left, and on left side you rotate and start the cut on the left side of the bead and rotate to your left side. Trick is to hold the tool by your body and let your body do all of the moving. Learning to use your body for all of the tool movement is the key to learning to use both sides of your body because the hands and arms then do almost nothing... 10,000 more times!!!

robo hippy
 

Bill Boehme

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Some one besides me uses scrapers on spindles???? Bill, I am guessing you mean one of the beading tools that are flat bar stock with a bead shape cut into it....

Actually, I was thinking of the Dave Schweitzer type of beading tool which I use for basket illusions.
 

hockenbery

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I am using a 16" sorby handle on a 3/8 inch spindle gouge.

I prefer short handled tools that can pass in front of my body for spindle work.
And I think I get more control,with the short handles.
I like longer handles on my bowl gouges.

I use the spindle gouge similar to what John shows in his video.
The gouge at the bottom of the groove has the bevel perpendicular to the ways.
With a 30 degree bevel the tool handle will be 30 degrees either side of perpendicular.

I have turned hundreds of spheres. I almost always turn the right sided better than the left.
I blame it on left eye dominance from too much baseball.
Once in a while I do the left side better.

Practice practice practice.
 

john lucas

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The reason I turn them by hand is that I can vary the size. When I do bowls with beaded outside every bead is a different width getting narrower as I get to the bottom. Takes practice and concentration but well worth the skill development.
 
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From Cindy Drozda's, and others, videos the saying is "raise the handle, roll the handle, and swing the handle". This works fine on the right half (tailstock end) of the bead. When I try to swing the the handle on the left half (headstock end) of the bead the handle runs into me. I am using a 16" sorby handle on a 3/8 inch spindle gouge. The only way I can prevent the mid-bead collision is to step way to the left and then I can't see the top of the bead as I form it. What am I doing wrong?
.
Jesse, I am not the expert that Cindy Drozda is, but I believe rolling a bead is: Raise the handle, Roll the tool, and, as necessary, SLIDE the tool on the tool rest. In my experience, you don't need to swing the tool to make a bead. Swinging will change the amount of overhang of the tool, which is usually undesirable in simple spindle work. The reason to Slide the tool is to make a wider bead. If you're making a 3/8" wide bead with a 3/8" spindle gouge, it's all raise and rotate.

If you raise, roll and slide, there's no way your body should get in your way, regardless of your proportions.
 

john lucas

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To get a square sided bead you need to move the handle so that the bevel is parallel to that side. If the bead is not square sided then the handle needs to be moved less. If you just roll the gouge you get a V shaped bead. If your tool was sharpened to an angle like 45 degrees then you have to move the handle a lot. If it's 25 degrees then you move the tool less.
 

john lucas

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If you look at the video at the 20 second mark it shows how far he had to move the handle to cut square to the end. This is the same as making a bead square sides.
 
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I think I will buy the beads and glue them on the turning. Takes all the skill out of it. ;)
I have watched John Lucas' video several times and find it very informative.
 

john lucas

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I have done glued on rims which I guess are a kind of bead. Wood movement becomes a major factor. If you don't take into consideration how each element moves it will pop loose. I did one ring that was epoxy. I turned a groove in a lip that I left on the bowl. Filled the lip with epoxy and then later turned away all the wood leaving just the colored epoxy as the rim. About a year later is separated just a little at one point. That area slowly enlarged. It took about 2 years for it to fall completely off. Fortunately when doing experiments like that I keep the piece rather than selling or giving it away. Glad I did.
 
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I learned something new, by accident and a frivolous comment. John, do you have a photo of one of these projects?
 

john lucas

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Not did not get a photo of that. Kept it in my demo box for years to show people what not to do but after the rim fell off I tossed it. I've been meaning to make another one but this time after I cut the groove to pour the epoxy in I'm going to cut another groove in the interior wall of the first groove. This will make a sort of epoxy T shaped tenon to keep the rim in place even if the wood shrinks. It will be another test. Maybe I can do that this week. I have some demo platters that I can waste. Of course I won't know if it works for a year or two. :) Stay tuned.
 
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