# turning question, and parting



## old folks (Jan 30, 2005)

If you are trying to turn a very fragile object (hair rod) and every time you try to turn a bead or cove in one end it breaks as soon as you start your cut what can be done to stop this ? 
  Next what can be used to part off a very fragile turning ? Thanks


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## Fred in NC (Jan 30, 2005)

John, WHAT is a hair rod ?


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## old folks (Jan 30, 2005)

This is one






<br />


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## Gary (Jan 30, 2005)

Ladies' hair pen



> _Originally posted by Fred in NC_
> <br />John, WHAT is a hair rod ?


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## Mac In Oak Ridge (Jan 30, 2005)

From what I see there you have a piece of yellow pine.  the dark part is fairly hard and relatively strong.  The light color part is the pith (no miss spelling there) and has no substance to it at all.  Change wood.

Go with something that has dense compact grain, dogwood - ebony - bloodwood - hornbeam - cocobolo - bocote -  snakewood - etc.  Try some other wood and let us know how it comes out.


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## jwoodwright (Jan 30, 2005)

John,
Your Mesquite will work just fine, or any other woods mentioned... 

You also need to support the thin turnings, or they will whip and snap.  You can use your hand or a steady rest( wheels or bearings set-up).  []


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## Fred in NC (Jan 30, 2005)

I would say you need a steady rest.  A long skinny spindle flexes too much, and will break easily. Even a makeshift steady rest will help.  Some people can turn while they hold the back of the piece with the left hand, I never was able to.  

If you always turn them to that approximate size, then you can build a homemade steady rest very easily, since it does not have to be adjustable. What it does is support the back of the piece you are turning.  

We might be able to give you an idea of how to make one.


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## goldentouch (Jan 30, 2005)

When turning small long items on a lathe.  I turn to 1/2 to 3/4 round and using a scroll chuck insert the wood into the chuck and only leave about 2 inchs out and tighten and put the tail stock up.  I then turn this to the diam.  Then I pull about another inch out and keep going until I get what I want.  I agree with the above to use a denser wood.


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## old folks (Jan 30, 2005)

John, Where do I get a steady rest for small turnings like the hair rods ? thank you.
  Is there a really thin parting tool ?   Thanks


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## Fred in NC (Jan 30, 2005)

Anybody who has made a hacksaw blade parting tool, and has an ilustration, please help John!  Thanks!


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## Fred in NC (Jan 30, 2005)

OK !!!!  I found it!!!!

Look down this page, for "quick mount center steady"

http://www.davidreedsmith.com/Articles/MakingDropSpindle/MakingJudi.htm

The white piece is UHMW poly rod.  Nylon will do too.  Regular polyethilene from thick containers could be adapted as a shoe to a wood dowel. Remember friction generates heat, and some plastics will not take the heat.


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## Rifleman1776 (Jan 31, 2005)

I made one from an ordinary table (butter) knife. Seems to be good steel and has a handle already. I just put it on my fine grinding wheel (dipped in water frequently to not lose temper) until I had the point I wanted, the sharpened on my finer sharpening wheel. Voila, free parting tool. Until my wife finds out. [:0]






> _Originally posted by old folks_
> <br />
> John, Where do I get a steady rest for small turnings like the hair rods ? thank you.
> Is there a really thin parting tool ?   Thanks


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## tipusnr (Jan 31, 2005)

I haven't made a hasksaw parting tool but saw Alan Lacer use one.  He did recommend a particular TPI but don't recall that either.  The point I remember clearly was to mount the blade backwards so the cutting teeth face the right direction!


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## Scott (Jan 31, 2005)

Hi John,

When you're turing long thin items they tend to flex a lot.  Flex is bad!  The simplest and most straight forward way to deal with flex in a small thin spindle is to hold the spindle lightly with your off hand (the hand you're not using to hold the tool).  Since I'm right handed, I usually rest the heel of my left hand on the tool rest, and use my thumb to help guide the tool.  The other four fingers can wrap around the spindle lightly, and exert just enough pressure to make up for the pressure of the tool cutting in from the front.  This is handy when parting-off because you're hand is there to catch the parts as they separate.  Since you mention the part breaking when you try to cut beads and coves, I'll also tell you that in addition to holding the spindle LIGHTLY with your left hand, as mentioned above, you may also want to increase your speed.  It sounds like you may be trying to do this at too low a speed (but I'm guessing, since we haven't discussed speed yet).  Good Luck!  And please let me know how it works!

Scott.


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## Rifleman1776 (Feb 1, 2005)

My woodturning club has an annual symposium where we hire a renowned turner to do a day long class. The last one, among many things he did, made a 'goblet'. It was only about two inches long and the stem was, virtually hair thin and had several captive rings on it. Incredible. He supports objects like that with his off-hand. However, the consensus among club members is that holding work while turning is dangerous. Personally, I won't do it.


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## Rick Prevett (Feb 2, 2005)

There has just been a flap over on WC about this technique.  The consensus there was that the 'digital steady rest' was an acceptable practice for those turners who have learned to do it through years of practice.  It's featured in instructional videos by two nationally known turners, at least.  While it's not for the beginner, this technique is at times the only one that will work on long thin spindles.


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## Fred in NC (Feb 2, 2005)

Rick, going as far as saying "the only one" overlooks the use of a steady rest.  

I will grant that long thin spindles are hard to support, and that most steady rests for wood lathes, whether commercial or homemade, are not designed for thin pieces.

However, earlier in this thread I posted a link to a site with one easy to build rest designed especially for long thin spindles.  It essentially does the same thing your fingers would do: supports the spindle from the back, top and bottom.  

Also, there is a type of steady rest that can be build with a circle of wood and string. It is a little more cumbersome, but will work also.

Frankly, I don't think steadying a thin spindle with your fingers is any more dangerous than turning a large bowl where a catch is possible with all possible consequences.  I think somebody at WC was worried about beginners trying it.  

Just my 2 cents. . .


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## Scott (Feb 2, 2005)

There are a lot of ways to do anything!  I concentrated on mentioning holding the piece by hand mainly because the the use of a spindle steady had already been mentioned.  I also have a spindle steady that I use!

That being said, I am what you would call a "touchey-feeley" kind of turner.  Turning, and appreciating turned work, is a very tactile experience, in my opinion.  No matter what I'm turning (well, except for natural edge bowls), I find myself inclined to touch the piece, both while it's at rest and while it's turning.  Sometimes touching the work is a great way to dampen the vibration just starting to cause some chatter.

Scott.


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## Rick Prevett (Feb 3, 2005)

Okay Fred, you're right, there's always another way [:I] . But I did qualify myself with saying 'at times'. 

A problem with a steady rest is that it's static.  The 'digital' version can move with the tool and steady the work just behind the cut.


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