Vortex tool vs detail carbide tip

[Tom Beatty]

Have seen people using a carbide detail tip to get into tight places. I have been using a vortex tool that a friend made that is small. Any comments on using a carbide tip detail tool. Have been looking at both the woodpecker and easy wood tools. They both have a larger tool size and thought they might work better on larger turnings

 

[Tim Tucker]

Simple Wood tools makes good quality - and at a better price point than Easy Wood Tools. I have their detailer. Works well.

 

[Damon McLaughlin]

The vortex tool is easy to sharpen whereas the carbide bits can't be sharpened and have to be replaced periodically. I have a vortex tool and find it a versatile tool, it's great for lines, riding the bevel to get into some tight quarters and so on. It seems to me that the carbide detail tool would be more limited as carbide tools are usually presented in one orientation, horizontal to the wood.

Just my perspective.

 

[hockenbery]

I will offer the pyramid point tool as an alternative. It will do everything the carbide point will do and most of the things the vortex will. I can use the vortex a bit like a fluteless gouge.

Pyramid tools are easy to make. Get a 1/4” or 3/16 diameter HSS rod and grind it.
There are also several on the market.
I got lucky and got two given to me one made by a friend the other a thank you from a vendor for doing them a favor at a woodworking show.

just be sure to grind a top on the left and right side. I put a mark on the handle for the top.

 

[john lucas]

The carbide detail tool that I have is the Woodpecker and it is a long triangle. I would have to measure the angle to see how tight of an area you can get into. I have a skew ground to 25 degrees and it will reach into extremely tight areas. My detail gouges are 35 degrees and I think that's close to what the carbide cutter is. The carbide cutters can be sharpened a few times by polishing the top surface with a diamond hone. The disadvantage of the carbide tools are they are still scrapers and can easily knock the sharp edge off of some details where as the Vortex tools and the toe of my skew are cutting tools and will leave a super sharp edge. The 3 point tool or pyramid tool has a cutting edge of 120 degrees, (360 divided by 3). I don't find that it cuts all that clean but is handy for making lines in turnings especially if your going to burn those lines with wire.

 

[Glenn Lefley]

The vortex tool is easy to sharpen whereas the carbide bits can't be sharpened and have to be replaced periodically. I have a vortex tool and find it a versatile tool, it's great for lines, riding the bevel to get into some tight quarters and so on. It seems to me that the carbide detail tool would be more limited as carbide tools are usually presented in one orientation, horizontal to the wood.

Just my perspective.

Carbide tools most certainly can be sharpened.I hone mine all the time when they get dull.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

Well I looked up Vortex tools and got a manufacturer of CNC tooling so I added woodturning to my search and got Cindy Drosda's video on the tool and could see that it is no better than the long point on a skew, but it is a cutting tool verse the carbide scrapers that could never work as well.

 

[robo hippy]

I first saw a vortex tool in the hands of Allen Batty. It is the fluteless gouge from Doug Thompson, but ground to a point rather than the ) shape nose it comes with, kind of like a very pointy spindle detail gouge. It has its uses.

robo hippy