Bob Bergstrom
07-26-2012, 5:35 PM
I have used one of the thicker Sawsall blades for a thin parting tool for some years now. I don't recommend it for deep parting,(may vibrate) but for shallow thin cuts it works great. The teeth on the bimetal blades are high speed steel and the backing is a softer steel. I grind the teeth off just enough to make the top end flat.
I watched a Ray Key Demo at the Chicago Woodturners Seminar. He used a skew sharpened to a extreme point to cut under his beads on his platters. I tried that and it worked well, but the blade increased in width too quickly to go under the bead well. I ground my Sawsall parting tool to a point and now I can make a fine piercing cut under the bead to cast a better shadow and set more depth to the beads. I do turn all my beads with a 3/8" pointed gouge on bowls and platters. This tool just allows a 3/4 look to a bead rather than the traditional 1/2 bead. It will also work after using a traditional beading tool.
237710237711237712
I watched a Ray Key Demo at the Chicago Woodturners Seminar. He used a skew sharpened to a extreme point to cut under his beads on his platters. I tried that and it worked well, but the blade increased in width too quickly to go under the bead well. I ground my Sawsall parting tool to a point and now I can make a fine piercing cut under the bead to cast a better shadow and set more depth to the beads. I do turn all my beads with a 3/8" pointed gouge on bowls and platters. This tool just allows a 3/4 look to a bead rather than the traditional 1/2 bead. It will also work after using a traditional beading tool.
237710237711237712