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Carbide blade for Termite

W

Wayne Spence

Joined
Jun 13, 2009
Messages
217
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Location
Denver, Colorado
Is there a carbide blade that will fit the Oneway Termite hollowing tool? I did a search and found nothing.

Does anyone have a method for sharpening the Termite hollow ring? I have found the ceramic cone and router method recommended by Oneway to be overly time consuming .

Should I forget it and buy a Hunter or the like?
 
Wayne I also found sharpening the Termite to be a hassle. I switched to the Hunter tool which is solid carbide and works very similar to the Ring tools and hook tools. You can't take quite as big a bite but it actually cuts as smooth or smoother. I've used my #4 Hunter for well over a year now and haven't changed the bit. I don't think it cuts as well as it did new but it still cuts cleanly. The Hunter tools come in 3 different style tips and few different shaft sizes. They won't interchange with your termite although the #1 cutter may come with the right size shaft and might fit.
 
Wayne,

I don't follow the rules for sharpening the termite.

I bought a $10 harbor freight die grinder (air tool)

I sharpen the termite cutters in the termite. I hold the sharpening cone tight against the cutter then turn on the die grinder for an instant. flip the tool and repeat on the other side.
probably one of those things you shouldn't try at home. it seem safe to me and it works for me.

die grinder hasn't been oiled in 16 years. I haven't used the termite much the past 5 year but used to use it a quite bit. I did sharpen it a couple of times with a router.

Happy turning,
Al
 
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Carbide in a ring would be a disaster. I snapped one HSS ring early on, and from posts, it was not an uncommon occurance. As John said, the solid tooling with the gutters cut the same way, they're just shaving limited. Given the number of us who have overfed our termites and cursed the clogs, that may be a good thing.

Hook tools will cut fine or heavy and clear the shavings if you try 'em. They're strictly a hand sharpening job, though.

I do my termite on the drillpress, because the idea of getting sand and steel, much less fingers that close to a wailing router just scares the snot out of me. Wish they'd come up with a diamond cone like they have for my mortise chisels, because it's just a quick touchup job, and working by hand would be enough.
 
Mm

I wasn't thinking of a carbide ring but perhaps adapting one of the other commercial cutters to the termite. I don't think now that is possible.

I too do not like the idea of having the router bit so close to my face and hands. I will only use a router for any task as a last resort. I mainly hate the noise.

I have now used the drillpress, the hand held drill and a dremel tool. They all work well for sharpening. That dremel tool scares me as much as the router.

A cabinet maker in the shop next to mine some years ago knocked at my door missing the tip of a finger. While trimming a piece he forgot about his left hand position and cut the tip off very clean. I can still hear that wailing all the way to the hospital. Be careful.
 
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