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Alternative parting

Joined
Jan 1, 2025
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Location
Hesston, kansas
New turner here:
I don’t have a thin parting tool so I used my dewalt oscillating saw with the lathe turning at 150 rpm.

Seemed to work ok. I guess I could have used my Japanese saw instead.
 

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When you make boxes, in order to get the best grain match, you want the cut that parts top and bottom to be as narrow as possible (and not booger up the nice surface you have on the mating surface of each. Your Japanese saw will be better at that, with the lathe off. Unless you're a production turner, why be in such a hurry?
 
Good advice above
On dry hardwoods I’ve used both a fret saw and hack saw to cut a thin Kerf
I run the lathe backwards put the blade in backwards
A slow speed cuts away from the handle.
Nothing bad has ever happed but if it did everything is moving away

Used this a lot to cut most of the turning tenon off before gluing ornament finials into ornaments
When I finish the ornament held in a chuck with a 1/2- 3/4” tenon, I pull the tenon partway out and tighten the chuck and saw it off so I get the shortest tenon for gluing
 
Last edited:
I don’t have a thin parting tool so I used my dewalt oscillating saw with the lathe turning at 150 rpm.

You can make a thin parting tool from a saw blade. Alan Lacer shows how he does it in his DVD Woodturning Shopmade Tools and Jigs.
I suspect there is also plenty of info online. Basically, find a good saw blade, grind off the teeth, sharpen the end, and make a handle.
.
I've also used small hand saws and japanese style pull saws, but only with the lathe off. That makes it difficult to make a straight cut.

With the wood turning I'd definitely use the reverse.

Edit: I see a lot of youtube videos on making parting tools. Remember, there are good videos and some not so good and some just bad.

JKJ
 
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