Custom lathe tool

[Brian Libby]

231450
Attended a demo of Andre Martel at the New England Symposium yesterday and this is the custom hook tool that he uses for endgrain!
Handle is about 3 feet long and the tool can hange over the tool rest 10 - 12 inches!!

[John Keeton]

Brian, I toyed with getting one of these when I first started turning - very interesting tool, but I suspect much of the success of the tool is in the technique.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Looks like it would be a handful to handle! Glad you had the chance to attend the symposium!

[Curt Fuller]

- very interesting tool, but I suspect much of the success of the tool is in the technique.

That is quite the tool! But as John said and is the case with any tool, the level of success rides heavily on knowing how to use it and how to keep it sharp. Most all of the old standby tools and the new latest and greatest tools are just a cutting edge with a specific method of presentation.

[Eric Holmquist]

Andre has an even bigger one that he sometimes breaks out at symposia. Three years ago he was using one of these with a 6 foot handle. These hook tools have a fairly small sweet spot that clears wood like a tornado. Someone like Andre who uses the tool all the time finds it easily, the rest of us struggle to find that spot.

[Keith Westfall]

So here's a question... Seeing the long handles above, and comments about stability etc, is there any kind of "standard" with concern to length of steel verses the handle? Is a heavier handle better?

I just got the Easy Turning mini tools (rougher & finisher) and while I like them so far, the handles seem really light and I'm wondering how much that affects the use/cutting ability of the tool?

Don't mean to hijack this thread....

[Nate Davey]

I believe rule of thumb is: for every inch over the rest you have 4 inches of handle.

[Sid Matheny]

I have a buddy that has one almost like that and I call it his harpoon tool. I'm sure you enjoyed the New England Symposium.

Sid

[Pete Jordan]

I keep waiting to get his video which is being translated. I received an email last week and he said it should be ready in June.