Fluted parting tool - recommended?

[Norm Zax]

Any of you owning a fluted parting tool can recommend its performance over a regular (thin) parting tool and also manage to sharpen it with little hassle?
Thx!

[Mike Minto]

Norm! (think TV show 'Cheers' :p - heard that before, eh?), I'm interested in this type of tool also; glad you asked. They sure are expensive - is this a new type of tool?

[Matt Hutchinson]

I have recently modified my large diamond parting tool to have a flute at the edge. I really like it, as it cuts very quickly, and the endgrain doesn't tear quite as much. I still would like to have another regular parting tool for certain things though.

Sharpening is actually quite easy. If you watch one of Richard Raffan's early videos, "Turning Wood", he shows a very fast and easy method of sharpening. Just sharpen it as you would a typical parting tool, then cup one side of the edge by using the corner of the grinding wheel. It only takes a second, and as long as you leave the side points intact (that is, don't make the cup so wide as to go all the way to the sides) it should work great.

Hutch

[Brian Brown]

Great tool, easy to sharpen, but does not leave a flat or square surface. I start with the fluted tool for speed making tenons, then finish with the standard 1/4 in. parting tool for final touch up.

[Larry Marley]

I have the Sorby fluted parting tool. Don't like it don't use it. The one I have has tapered sides for "Clearance". I find it makes the tool a little unstable. The flutes are a little hard on the cast iron tool rest as well. I have a thin parting tool that I really like, and the 1/4" and bedan for the rest. I bought the Bedan because I didn't have one.... Now that I think about it, that is why I bought the fluted parting tool..

[Bernie Weishapl]

I like mine and also use it to make small beads inside the lids of my lidded boxes. Saw Cindy Drozda do it on her box demo. Really makes the inside look different.

[Larry Marley]

I like mine and also use it to make small beads inside the lids of my lidded boxes. Saw Cindy Drozda do it on her box demo. Really makes the inside look different.

Hmmm...

I didn't think about that...
OK, I change my mind. See? I am a smart shopper!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I just got a Sorby fluted thin parting tool. Used it once on one project. It works well. I'll still use my regular parting tool. I think the two of them will have areas where they each shine, areas where they overlap and areas where the other one is a better fit.

[Dan Forman]

I assume you are thinking of the thin blade model. I have the Sorby and really like it for precision work. It leaves a cleaner surface, cuts with less resistance, easy to sharpen, the flute is built in, and doesn't need to be refreshed when sharpening. There is a little flex in the blade, so it can wander if not supported by both sides of the cut.

Dan

[Dave Halter]

I also have the Sorby thin fluted parting tool and really like it for specific applications. I've got a diamond shaped parting tool also and I think they compliment each other.

[Ryan Baker]

I also have the Sorby thin fluted parting tool. I like it a lot. It is quite flexible, and not the right tool for every job, but it is really nice for deep, thin cuts. It's easy to sharpen -- you only grind or hone the smooth edge, not the fluted edge.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Here's another for the thin blade Sorby, I also have a couple of other once, like the one that has the flute running the whole length on the bottom, it is murder on a soft tool rest, it is the Henry Tailor one, the Sorby has the flute only on the short front edge, it makes a pretty nice clean cut for a parting tool

This is the Henry Tailor one with the fluted bottom edge

137965

This is the very narrow kerf Robert Sorby, the flute is in the annotated short front edge

137966

[Norm Zax]

Thanks all! Guess I'll add it to the arsenal soon.
Norm
PS:
Mike - not new at all and now on sale at Hartville - http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/13736
Leo - The site says "bottom edge". Can you reconcille?

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Norm that is not the same one I showed and have, it looks like Sorby has also a different one, much like the Henry Taylor one, never seen that one, I would not want that one, knowing the problem I have with the Henry Tailor one.

See if you can find the 2 mm parting tool from Robert Sorby, failing that, you could shape a thin parting tool to the shape I showed and gring a groove on the bottom end face, you can do that on a nice sharp corner of your grinder.

This is the one Norm
http://www.rockler.com/gallery.cfm?Offerings_ID=17943&TabSelect=Details

[Norm Zax]

Thanks Leo!

[Richard Madison]

Wanted a thin parting tool but could not quite justify the $$. Made one from a piece of metal-cutting bandsaw blade (gifted by an SMC member) that works very well. Also still use a thicker one made many years ago from a long carving knife. Never use the "real" diamond parting tool.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Richard like they say, you can never have tooo many tools.
I've also made a few from things like a sawsall blade and just a hacksaw blade and some other steel strip, they all have their use, the diamond one I do use on the face-side of a face turning, where the curve would bind a straight cutoff tool or sometimes even as a very narrow skew to cut a small bead it the tool happens to be close at hand ;-))
Safe to say though it isn't the most often used tool :-))))