• January Turning Challenge: Thin-Stemmed Something! (click here for details)
  • Conversations are now Direct Messages (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Scott Gordon for "Orb Ligneus" being selected as Turning of the Week for January 20, 2025 (click here for details)
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

Here's a new invention........

Odie

Odie

Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
TOTW Team
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
7,279
Likes
11,495
Location
Missoula, MT

Attachments

  • il_570xN.904309486_1fny.jpg
    il_570xN.904309486_1fny.jpg
    59.2 KB · Views: 179
Last edited:
Well, it got a chuckle out of me, the scraper psycho..... Fine for swan neck hollowing tools if you are on the curve and not on the straight.... Variations have been around for a while...

robo hippy
 
odie said:
I saw this on Etsy, and thought some of you might like to comment. It's called the "torque tamer". I have my initial reaction to it, but thought I'd reserve comment, so as to not influence anyone else's opinions........yet!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/222040...19c26dfc3a686ce9eacf67760111b75bd68:222040191
Click to expand...

Yep, I'm thinking the same thing that you are thinking, Odie. 🙄 -- training wheels

Seriously, I have the same box scraper as the one in the picture and don't see any torque issue. Since the cutting edge is in line with the part of the tool that is on the rest, I would ask, "what torque"?

Looking at the picture tells me that there might be something else wrong ... it appears that he is working well below centerline and with a very large overhang ... and maybe with the scraper angled upwards. I would say that the problem is getting catches from improper tool use.

That wing hanging off to the side looks like it could be more of a hazard than a help.

So, have you ordered one yet?
 
OK, thanks for the replies, gentlemen....... 😀

First, let me explain that I've never done a hollow form, and the number of boxes I've made can be counted on my fingers.......so, that's where my reactions to this turner's aid is based upon. (I've never been much interested in making boxes and hollow forms. I'm pretty much a "single minded" turner, and bowls/platters are the only things that do interest me!) My opinion on the torque tamer probably doesn't mean a whole lot to you more experienced box and hollow form turners........😛

It looks to me like the example photo shows the fulcrum, or contact point of the scraper on the tool rest, to be too far from the scraper tip, causing it to be way over extended. The tool rest should be right up to the rim of the box, so it would be better for a more positive hold on the tool. I have a flat-top tool rest for doing boxes, and it extends right into the mouth of the box and provides a more stable base. (I would provide a link, but I see CSUSA no longer sells this flat top tool rest......I might photograph it and post later.)

Presentation is always critical, but much less so when doing the interior of a box....than it is with hollow forms. I can understand why many of the hollow form jigs have "captured" tools for this. Capturing the tool is basically what this "torque tamer" does.

ko
 
Outriggers were used by lots of folks attached to hollowing tools.
Often welded to the shaft. They lost popularity because size and shape of the vessels were limited by what could fit
between the shaft and the outrigger and the size of the outrigger was limited by the tool rest length.

These out riggers worked well for small shapes like ornament balls
The Derry ornament hollower is a nice little tool.
http://www.donaldderry.com/ornament.htm

There are so many choose for stabilizing the hollowing bars today.

Al
 
Last edited:
One of the turners in our club uses the outrigger on his vessels. His vessels and skill with the tool is incredible. But then If you turned as many as he does your would be also. I know many people swore by the Arm brace that also. It nearly broke my wrist when it got away from me on a vessel. When you watch my friend Jim use the outrigger style hollowing tools you can see that if he accidentally takes too big of a bite it tries to flip the handle and takes good control to not get a catch. It can't twist on you but it can lift. I think not terribly long after these came out people discovered the captured bar systems and found out how much easier they are too use, at least for newbies or those of us who don't do many hollow vessels.
I'll grant you the guys who turn lots of vessels can use most any tool. John Jordan and David Ellsworth neither one use torque arrestors or captured bars. I can see where the strictly hand held bars would be more versatile and probably quicker for the more experienced turner. But when your nervous and especially if you've already blown up one or two, some type of torque arresting equipment sure makes you feel better.
Of course when we all start using lasers and video cameras along with the torque arresting captured bar systems it sure makes life easier. At least it seems that way to me.
 
Dave at DWay among others sells a nice unit for hollow forms to about 8" deep. I bought and use it often. I bought the one that is used with the lathe running in reverse but am not sure it is any easier than one that is used the other way. I for one would never use an arrestor with a straight scraper as the only catches I get are straight down the shaft and don't have any rotational forces.
 
odie said:
I have a flat-top tool rest for doing boxes, and it extends right into the mouth of the box and provides a more stable base. (I would provide a link, but I see CSUSA no longer sells this flat top tool rest......I might photograph it and post later.)

ko
Click to expand...

OK, here it is. The flat top surface provides some stability for scrapers.....but, like I said, I haven't used it very much for boxes. I occasionally have a use for it with another purpose, though.....

It is a very well made tool rest.

ko
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2067.JPG
    IMG_2067.JPG
    152.9 KB · Views: 35
Odie, Got mine from Bestwoodtools.com I thought I would use it for boxes but don't anymore. If you need a tool to stay truly horizontal this rest will help.
Say maybe for really precise small grooves or beads?
Was invited to a small gathering of turners for an afternoon demo with Mark St.Leger, he showed us how it can be used as a tool rest when hand threading.
He hollowed a golf ball, then threaded it for its top. I think it was a half inch opening, so keeping the threader horizontal in such a small opening is a bit more important then when threading larger boxes (I think).

cc
 
Bestwoodtools does sell one. I built one. the only reason I use it is for hand chased threads. It keeps the cutter perfectly aligned.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top