What is a spearpoint??

[Tim Leiter]

I have an old Craftsman woodturning set and the most famous HF red handled set of turning tools, among others. I apparently have two "spear point" turning tools.
What in the world are they for?????:confused:

[Gary Max]

Parting Tools

[Tim Leiter]

I have parting tools which you use with the edge against the toolrest and which presents a consistent edge to the item being turned. Thus making a straight "parting" cut. The tools I am questioning have the bevel on the flat side of the tool. If you present this tool to the wood you would end up with a vee shaped cut. Which would not be good for a parting result. Anyone else have a clue. :confused:

[Andrew Derhammer]

Pics would be helpfull

[Jake Helmboldt]

I have parting tools which you use with the edge against the toolrest and which presents a consistent edge to the item being turned. Thus making a straight "parting" cut. The tools I am questioning have the bevel on the flat side of the tool. If you present this tool to the wood you would end up with a vee shaped cut. Which would not be good for a parting result. Anyone else have a clue. :confused:

Spear point scraper. Used for getting a finish cut in tight corners and such. Look at Raffan's books; he likes them for shear scraping in places like the corner created at the foot of a bowl, etc.

[Tim Leiter]

Here is a picture of what I am talking about, if it helps.

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn259/timsturnings/DCP_0833.jpg

[Malcolm Tibbetts]

Tim, I use a tool like this quite often. As stated, it works great in tight places. It can be used as a simple scraper or as a shear scraper. I actually grind mine from a 3/8" "beading" tool. I keep my point a little sharper than 90 degrees so it can get into a 90 degree corner with no problem.

[Mike Peace]

I agree with Malcom. Regrind to a sharper point so you can get into tight corners with a longer bevel to scrape with. It can be a very handy tool. I also use it instead of a skew sometimes when making grooves on a bowl rim.

[Bob Hallowell]

I use mine to true up my tenon.

Bob

[Bernie Weishapl]

I sharpened mine so I could make a nice dovetail tenon. Gives me the angle for the tenon and a flat shoulder.

[Tim Leiter]

Thanks everyone for your timely responses. I tried it as a scraper once but I felt like I was doing something wrong so I stopped??:eek: Now that I know what it is I can use it when conditions warrant, legally. :cool:

[Ron McKinley]

If you're a little shaky with a skew the spearpoint is great for vee-grooves if you want to burn in lines on your piece. Others have pointed out other uses for it like cutting dovetails for a tenon and truing up square tenons. It's really a handy tool.....Ron

[Dean Thomas]

One of the old-timers told me that in his "olden days" the spear point was a mainstay for the production turners. V-grooves, beads, square tenons for chair legs.

It seems that the die makers were all taught that all turning meant scraping. They had gouges, but seldom used them. As a result, they had several different shapes, but relied heavily on the round nose and the spear point more than other tools. And that was in the carbon tool days. They honed a lot and ground a fair amount, too. So I'm told.