DIY Vortex Tool

[Rob Price]

I know Cindy Drozda has her vortex tool. I’ve seen Ashley Harwood sells one as well. It looks like round stock with a flat on one side and then ground to a point by putting a bevel under it. I’ve got an old 3/8” Benjamin best HSS gouge I’m not using. I’m thinking of grinding the tang into a vortex type tool. Any thoughts on the angle for the top flat?

 

[Timothy White]

Grinding a flat on top should suffice. It would be like a flute less gouge beveled to a sharp point

 

[John Torchick]

Photo? What is it used for?

 

[Richard Coers]

You're going to grind the tang? It might be softer than the rest of the gouge.

 

[Tom Albrecht]

Doug Thompson makes Harwood's vortex. He sells an unground rod of the same tool.

 

[Rob Price]

I didn’t realize the tang would be any different from the rest of the gouge. I figured it came in rods and one side would be ground into whatever type of gouge.

It’s round stick with a flat on top. 20 degree bevel on the bottom ground to a point and then used like a skew for crisp details in spindle turning. It’s basically a really pointy flute less gouge. I didn’t know if the top angle was critical or not.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

I made a Drozda vortex from aBB gouge and it worked well. Then I saw Stuart Batty and made his from a THOMPSON rod snd like it better

 

[Tom Albrecht]

I made a Drozda vortex from aBB gouge and it worked well. Then I saw Stuart Batty and made his from a THOMPSON rod snd like it better

Photos would be helpful Gerald.

 

[Richard Coers]

I didn’t realize the tang would be any different from the rest of the gouge. I figured it came in rods and one side would be ground into whatever type of gouge.

It’s round stick with a flat on top. 20 degree bevel on the bottom ground to a point and then used like a skew for crisp details in spindle turning. It’s basically a really pointy flute less gouge. I didn’t know if the top angle was critical or not.

I didn't say it would be, but might be. If they sent the entire bar through the furnace, then it should be fully hardened. If they used an induction coil to harden the fluted section and not make the tang brittle, then it will be different. Take the edge of a file and try to cut both ends. If it skates off on both ends, both are hardened.

 

[robo hippy]

I did this video a while back, but the 'Vortex' tool is a variation of a tool that Allen Batty got me interested in. The Sorby 'Spindle Master' is another variation, which they did to imitate Allen's tool, and according to Allen, 'they got it all wrong'. I think there is another variation from Tracy Owens where he has a fine finishing tool, and the 'skewchigouge' is yet another variation. I prefer to make mine from Doug's fluteless gouge blanks and for detail work, I use the small one. I do prefer the half round bar stock rather than all the way round bar stock.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suRxCxdMn4k


robo hippy

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Photos would be helpful Gerald.

Maybe later this week at hospital with wife now

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Photos would be helpful Gerald.

Here is a picture of both.

 

[Dean Center]

Cindy's Vortex tool is 1/4" diameter, ground to 20 degrees as best I recall. Her web site shows it made from Doug Thompson's 10V steel. I am surprised I haven't ever seen Stuart Batty use one, and regret that I've not seen Ashley Harwood turn in person, so I can't comment on what their vortex tools look like.

EDIT: I stumbled onto 2 videos of Cindy showing how to sharpen the vortex. It's a 25 degree nose angle, she expects the initial shaping to produce a pointed tip, and she maintains a fresh edge with a diamond card. Much simpler than what I remembered (and have been doing), and not likely to use up a lot of 10V steel. M2, probably only periodic need to go to the platform and regrind, so pretty easy.​

Personally, I think you could use a stubby 3/8" BB bar and make a satisfactory one, though sharpening a 20 degree bevel to a round nose is a challenge and you'd be sharpening the M2 BB tool often. On the plus side, you don't hog off wood with a vortex tool, so it won't get dull quite so fast.

 

[Rob Price]

Thanks for all the replies, I did grind up a test on the tang- I’ll give it the file test and see if it’s hardened. I’m not so worried about edge retention- I’m planning on using it just for fine detail work. If I like it then I’ll get some of the Thompson bar stock and make my own. I started with a 20 degree angle for the flat and bevel. We’ll see how it goes. I want to work on my spindles/finials a bit over the next several months.