# Rounding Blanks??



## Hugob (Feb 21, 2005)

I've always battled a little bit in the first face of turning blanks. The part were your blanks still have 'squared corners'.... 
I was wondering if anybody got a different way than turning this with a 'gouge'. What about a 'File' to get the blanks 'round' and then work them the rest of the way with yout favorite gouge..  or maybe 'router' the corners off..

?????????????????


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## pen-turners (Feb 21, 2005)

Hugo,
I have heard of people using a router to do a roundover on the sides before to shorten time to take the blank to round but have never seemed to need to myself.

Are your tools sharp????  I used to experience quite a bit of chatter when roughing my blanks until I found out how to sharpen correctly.  Now I actually enjoy roughing out my blanks....

It should not be a battle for you if your tools are sharp and you have the correct angle as you are cutting.

Chris


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## Old Griz (Feb 21, 2005)

I don't use a gouge at all on my pens... I start by taking a planing cut with my skew.. works like a dream and leaves a much better finish... 
If you can get Alan Lancer's videos on using the skew he demonstrates the technique better than I can describe... it is where I learned to do it..


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## Gregory Huey (Feb 21, 2005)

Some folks cut the corners off on there band saw using a sled.


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## Gary Max (Feb 21, 2005)

Use a stationary sander to remove the unwanted material.
Just sand the corners off one at a time.
I do wear a good pair of gloves---sanding something this small can get hard on fingertips.
I use this for some Acrylics that are very hard and oversized.


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## Gary (Feb 21, 2005)

I use the bandsaw and sled as mentioned above.


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## woodscavenger (Feb 21, 2005)

Sharp skew or fingernail gouge.  Just MHO.


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## jwoodwright (Feb 21, 2005)

Scary sharp roughing gouge, it's heavier mass and frontal presentation take no time at all...[8D]


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## its_virgil (Feb 21, 2005)

Like Tom, I never use a gouge on a pen. I start and finish with a skew. I rough turn with a 1.5" oval skew and end with a .75" or a 1" skew. The heavier skews seem to give a smoother cut than the smaller ones. More mass I suppose, but they don't seem to bounce as much....Love the skew!
Do a good turn daily!
Don


> _Originally posted by Hugob_
> <br />I've always battled a little bit in the first face of turning blanks. The part were your blanks still have 'squared corners'....
> I was wondering if anybody got a different way than turning this with a 'gouge'. What about a 'File' to get the blanks 'round' and then work them the rest of the way with yout favorite gouge..  or maybe 'router' the corners off..
> 
> ?????????????????


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## JimGo (Feb 21, 2005)

I'm a convert to the all-skew, all-the-time method.


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## ctEaglesc (Feb 21, 2005)

IF the wood is prone to tearing out, such a piece cut on the bias or cross cut I'll use the bandsaw sled.It's a little faster than sanding.
I have a tendency to over sand one end or the other.
I'll do the same thing with antler if it is a very dense section.
(You kind of get the hang of identifying it.)
I have custom ground my tools(Ahh the beauty of a 12 piece $10.00 set from HF)and use a small gouge with sharp"ends or edges" and kind of "snow plow" from one end to the other.
Any good SHARP tool should work.Love that diamond stone!
(Please excuse the techincal terminology)
Another technique I have started doing with antler is to rough turn between centers due to it's odd ball shapes,
I  use a collet to drill them on the lathe but also use a "V" block on the DP.
The neat thing is your center is already marked.Just make sure you have turned a straight cylinder.
It helps to have a "Steb center" for the live end.


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## ctEaglesc (Feb 21, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Gary Max_
> <br />Use a stationary sander to remove the unwanted material.
> Just sand the corners off one at a time.
> I do wear a good pair of gloves---sanding something this small can get hard on fingertips.
> I use this for some Acrylics that are very hard and oversized.


You might try adapting the method I use for roughing the tubes to save your fingers.
After you have glued and milled the blanks with the tubes in tehm
Slip a long handled screw driver( you might need a spacer) in the tube and angle it into the drive direction of the belt.
You should be able to hold the top "corner of the blank to keep it steady.
No more power manicures!


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## dougle40 (Feb 21, 2005)

I like that method of roughing antlers . It sure would make drilling a lot easier and straighter too . I use a "V" block for all my drilling too .


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## elody21 (Feb 21, 2005)

I like to use a table top belt sander to round off the edges. Works great and is fast!


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## KKingery (Feb 21, 2005)

I normally don't need to round off corners unless I'm worried about a lamination or something, so in that case, the disc sander works great.


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## Scottydont (Feb 21, 2005)

A simple jig and a router works great.


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## Randy_ (Feb 21, 2005)

> _Originally posted by pen-turners_.....It should not be a battle for you if your tools are sharp and you have the correct angle as you are cutting.....



I think Chris has the correct answer!!


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## opfoto (Feb 21, 2005)

I use a gouge to round then I use the skew.


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## Hugob (Feb 21, 2005)

THANKS ALOT for all the GOOD advice...
I'll read it again, so that it can sink in a bit......
I'll think going with the beltsander idea will work for me.
I've put times down for all processes of making pens, and find that the turning part is my biggest bottle neck. That's why I'm trying to find a way to turn my blanks quicker.


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## woodscavenger (Feb 22, 2005)

Excuse my ignorance, but I must not understand the issue.  I Haven't timed it, but it only takes about a minute to round out a blank with a skew or a gouge in my shop.  I am  a little agressive but have not had any blow outs at this point in time.  If I tried bandsawing or sanding all four sides on every blank I would go nuts.  Just MHO.


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## goldentouch (Feb 22, 2005)

I use a 1/2 inch gouge I put a longer grind on that I use until I get down to the final cut then switch to the skew.  It takes me less than a minute to round the blank with the gouge.  I cut from the outside in and this will help keep blow out down.  I use this on all burl.  So far no problems.


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## Rifleman1776 (Feb 22, 2005)

> _Originally posted by woodscavenger_
> <br />Excuse my ignorance, but I must not understand the issue.  I Haven't timed it, but it only takes about a minute to round out a blank with a skew or a gouge in my shop.  I am  a little agressive but have not had any blow outs at this point in time.  If I tried bandsawing or sanding all four sides on every blank I would go nuts.  Just MHO.




   Agree. On a little 3/4"X3/4" blank, knocking off the corners with a gouge is only a matter of seconds, and I use a light touch but big (1") spindle gouge. I think many turners are afraid to use high speed at the beginning. For pens, it is top speed from git go, often same for duck calls where I start out with a 2"X2" blank. For me, choice of skew or gouge for remainder of job depends on the wood. Some woods want a skew, others resist.


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## ctEaglesc (Feb 22, 2005)

Try turning some blanks cut cross wise rather than with the grain and you will eventually find out why it is sometimes prudent to knock off the corners.
this is a piece of red palm


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## pen-turners (Feb 22, 2005)

> _Originally posted by cteaglesc_
> <br />
> Try turning some blanks cut cross wise rather than with the grain and you will eventually find out why it is sometimes prudent to knock off the corners.
> this is a piece of red palm



Many of the woods I turn are cross-cut and unstabilized burls and have never had a problem.  Key to success is sharp tools and correct angle of inception to achieve maximum cutting efficiency.


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## jdavis (Feb 22, 2005)

Router and skew. Saves time and students can finish faster and more on lathe in a class period.


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## woodscavenger (Feb 22, 2005)

OK I'll concede on the cross cut stuff that it may be prudent to take a little edge off.


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## Rifleman1776 (Feb 22, 2005)

> _Originally posted by cteaglesc_
> <br />
> Try turning some blanks cut cross wise rather than with the grain and you will eventually find out why it is sometimes prudent to knock off the corners.
> this is a piece of red palm



  That must be trick photography, palm refuses to turn. Can't be done. [] I bought some and it just sneers at me on the lathe while it grinds down my tools. Five seconds, tops, before a tool needs resharpening. I gave away at a club drawing a large hunk. Still have a 2"X2" stick here that my descendants will probably throw away some day in the future. Harder than granite.
Good creative photography, actually looks like a very nice pen....for a pen that can't be turned. []


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## patsfan (Feb 26, 2005)

call me a dinosuar - hand plane


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