# The Making of a Chatter Tool



## glwalker (Jan 25, 2011)

A couple of months back I got inspired by Harold Poland/splinter99 to make spinning tops with chatter work on them. Harold kindly gave me some tips so I wanted to forge ahead and get started. I bought markers, researched the net for tipe, etc and asked for a Sorby Chatter tool for Christmas (Too $$$ to buy for myself). Well Christmas came and went....., my birthday came and went.... no chatter tool. (But I did get other nice things!) 

I was telling my story to a friend and he said "make one...blah, blah, blah." So the other day I did. Pretty simple.... old pipe, twine/ca wrapped around the pipe for the handle, thumb screws and nuts, jig saw blades, etc. Here it is. (Obviously the first pic)

Well, it was SO MUCH FUN to make, I decided to make another one. (2nd and 3rd pic) Here it is.... complete with a little chatter work on the end.

I've alraedy used both of them. They seem to work fine, but as many have said, there is a learning curve and I'm just at the beginning of it.

Thanks again SPLINTER99 for the inspiration. I haven't seen any nicer chattered spinning tops than yours!


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## glycerine (Jan 25, 2011)

Nice, how did you make it?!  Just grind an edge on the end of a jigsaw blade?


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## mtgrizzly52 (Jan 25, 2011)

Very inventive, very well done. I love the handle on the first one, only because it reminds me of some of the handles that I've seen in David Ellsworth's book. Nothing fancy, just practical is a great philosophy.

Good job, and it has inspired me to make a similar chatter tool.

Rick (mtgrizzly52)


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## juteck (Jan 25, 2011)

Your tools look good. Mine is just a chunk of steel bar and a rubber bicycle grip. 

Practice with different shapes on the blade as well -- square, round, pointed -- all give different results.

I've seen Bonnie Klein demonstrate chatter, and she explains the process well. If you belong to a turning club that has a video library, check out some of her DVDs. She has a couple of books as well that your club library might have. Of course, there's always google and youtube.... here's a link to portions of one of her books that gives some good info.

http://books.google.com/books?id=r6J_MXOk6BIC&lpg=PA7&ots=Wr_yrVs73m&dq=bonnie%20klein%20chatter%20tool&pg=PA7#v=onepage&q=bonnie%20klein%20chatter%20tool&f=false

And here's an interesting link I just now found, for those interested in trying these tools:

http://www.detroitareawoodturners.org/Making a Chatter Tool.pdf


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## glwalker (Jan 25, 2011)

Reply to John U:

Yes, just a jig saw blade. See below as JUTECK has provided two good links for more info. The detroit woodturners info is very good, but I did not use their construction technique. It looks like it would be a better result, but I don't have tools to do much iron work. I just took a rather thin walled chunk of metal pipe, would have preferred thicker walled, but this is what was available (maybe a 1/16 inch thick) drilled two holes in the one end just big enough that I could hammer in the nuts that hold the thumb screws I used. When the nuts are in place I sealed them in best I could with 5 minute epoxy. I have had no problem with the nuts loosening on the pipe. The 2nd one I made I used 2 thumb screw set ups to hold the jig saw blade as I noticed using the first one that I would have to retighted the thumb screw frequently. (makes sense to me with all the vibration.) One other piece is like an oak dowel turned down to fit inside the pipe. I made mine about 2 inches long. Flatten the length maybe 25% of the diameter, then groove the dowel to firmly hold the blade. Insert the blade/dowel into the end of the pipe and turn down the thumb screws to hold the blade firmly down on the wood dowel. I found this construction technique on the net, but don't remember where. You could probably find it and a lot more info like I did..... just do a search. Obviously the handle is a personal preference thing. I did run the pipe all the way though the handle on both of mine, but this probably isn't necessary.

Good luck. Hope you have as much fun as I did.


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## glwalker (Jan 25, 2011)

juteck said:


> Your tools look good. Mine is just a chunk of steel bar and a rubber bicycle grip.
> 
> Practice with different shapes on the blade as well -- square, round, pointed -- all give different results.
> 
> ...


 

Thanks for taking the time to provide these linkks.  I've got the Kline book.  The detroit link was very informative.  Thanks again.


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