Robo Hippie - Question on dovetail tool

[Jon Kurtz]

Reed,

i was watching your video on recesses and you had a dovetail scraper. I just ordered a Vicmarc 120. I believe the angle is 7 degrees??? Is there a particular brand of dovetail scraper that matches the Vicmarc angle. I could not make out a brand on the one you were using.

I really enjoy your videos. They are an amazing resource. Thanks for the public service!!!

[John K Jordan]

Reed,

i was watching your video on recesses and you had a dovetail scraper. I just ordered a Vicmarc 120. I believe the angle is 7 degrees??? Is there a particular brand of dovetail scraper that matches the Vicmarc angle. I could not make out a brand on the one you were using.

I really enjoy your videos. They are an amazing resource. Thanks for the public service!!!

Until Reed answers I'll say this: you can grind the same scraper (but with any angle you want) from any flat tool such as a scraper, skew chisel, parting tool, etc. I make custom scrapers all the time, sometimes for a one-time use. (I usually end up saving them in case I ever need them again - that's why I have a drawer full of scrapers!)

I also like his videos. And his posts.

JKJ

[Jon Kurtz]

Thanks for the reply. If I can't find one OTC I will try and make one.

[Lamar Wright]

Jon, I bought a Sorby OTC dovetail tool that works fine for me as is, however, you could grind it to suit your situation. Hope this helps.

[Pat Scott]

Vicmarc is a 77 degree dovetail.

[Jon Kurtz]

Thank so guys.

[Reed Gray]

I was out camping.... My Vic jaws measured out at about 7 degrees, which matched a dove tail scraper that I got from one of the suppliers, Packard maybe. I used a brass marking one that I got for hand cut dove tails years ago.

robo hippy

[Jon Kurtz]

Thanks very much for replying. Really appreciate it.

[robert baccus]

This type dovetail cutter works great on a mounted bowl but is esentialy? useless on a piece roughed out between centers.

[Reed Gray]

Not sure what you are asking here Robert. I have found that the dove tail offers a better grip than straight sided jaws. It 'wedges' the chuck and wood together. There are many different ways to mount things on the lathe.

I have found that the dove tail scraper cuts more cleanly with a burr on it rather than just honing the top of the tool. With really hard woods, it doesn't make a lot of difference, but with medium and soft woods, it makes a lot of difference.

robo hippy

[John K Jordan]

This type dovetail cutter works great on a mounted bowl but is esentialy? useless on a piece roughed out between centers.

For dovetailing a tenon on a piece between centers I use a parting tool with the end ground at an angle instead of straight across.

Years ago I saw some demonstrator with one ground like this. He shall remain nameless since I can't remember his name.

JKJ

[Reed Gray]

I have seen that method, done both with a skew and with gouges. Do you plunge in from the side like a peeling cut, or towards the headstock in more of a scraping mode?

robo hippy

[robert baccus]

Come on Robbo--I know you are an old experienced turner--read the memo again. I use a self ground custom tool that does a hook to get around the tailstock point--mostly I now avoid between centers or better flatten the end and CA on a preturned glueblock threaded for a single screw. Holds hundred pounders of wet wood and I don't know a safer way done properly--ha ha.

[John K Jordan]

I have seen that method, done both with a skew and with gouges. Do you plunge in from the side like a peeling cut, or towards the headstock in more of a scraping mode?

robo hippy

I've done it with other tools also, but the angled parting tool is handy for other things too. Sometimes towards the headstock and sometimes straight in towards the axis, both with a scraping cut, mostly just to clean up the tenon and add the dovetail after cutting the tenon with a gouge or Hunter tool. This is more flexible and I think works better than the special dovetail scraper.

JKJ

[Reed Gray]

Robert, I really have no idea what you are talking about. Maybe it is all the forest fire smoke that has been hovering over town the last week or so.

"This type dovetail cutter works great on a mounted bowl but is esentialy? useless on a piece roughed out between centers."

Are you talking about a log mounted end grain wise? I turn any bowl over about 10 inches between centers. I never use waste blocks. I cut and trim blanks before they go on the lathe so they are rounded off well, and sides are pretty parallel. I drill a recess to expand into for turning the outside of a bowl. I turn a recess on the bottom and reverse. Waste blocks and screws are useless in my method of turning. I don't turn pieces that are hundreds of pounds though.... Are you flattening the end of a bowl blank and then mounting a waste block? Threaded? Threaded for what? Do you mound directly to the headstock spindle? Are you mounting a rough sawn log chunk on the lathe in side grain orientation this way??? Big end grain vessel pieces?

Oh, Robbo is the Aussie who did the clip about why you don't use a spindle roughing gouge on bowl blanks and donated a wee bit of blood.... robo hippy, kind of like robo cop, the original version of the movie.... I used to twirl my hammer around my finger before sticking it into my tool belt and was wearing a knee brace when the name was given...

robo hippy