Easy Wood Tools - Do They Work?

[Eric Jacobson]

I've been making bowls with an Ellsworth grind for a couple years, and otherwise new to turning. Now that I can finally get a consistent edge with my grinder, the catalogs are really starting to push these new Easy Wood Tools, the ones with the disposable circular blades. Should I be switching to them? Are you? Do they work as good as they say?

I ask because I'm wondering if they will help me improve upon finishing the inside of bowls; I suck at it. I get little ridges and stuff and normally have to sand for 5 minutes or so with 60 grit to get it all smoothed out.

Anyway, I would love some opinions on using these Easy Wood Tools to finish the inside of bowls. Do they work miracles?

Thanks

[Steve Harder]

The Ci0 round cutter has helped me get rid of tool marks on the inside of bowls. It is very helpful when presented with good control, keep it level with centerline of bowl, and keep tool rest close to surface of bowl.

If you have means to cut square steel and drill/tap a screw hole, then buy just the replacement cutter and DIY the handle.

I also use the cutter attached to an elbo style captured system -- I get excellent control, even when deep into bowl or hollow form.

Just take small cuts.

[Marty Eargle]

Personally, I would give making your own a go before spending a ton of $$ on what is basically a very sharp scraper. I have considered doing this myself after seeing a lot of the videos on Eddie Castelin's Youtube channel. They seem to be useful for tricky spots that some are unable to get a good cut with a gouge.

[Paul Singer]

There is also another alternative. Captian Eddie sells a line of carbide tools. His name is Eddie Castelin. He has a round bar with three round cutters for $40 shipped. I have not used any of his tools and would like to hear from others about them if anyone has used them. I have not tried any carbide tools yet but his are affordable.

[Steve Rost]

I just purchased Captain Eddies square radius cutter and compaired it to to the easy cutter. They are dimensionally the same. Length width thickness. Eddies large round cutter is thinner than the EWT cutter. Durability and sharpness should be determined by the individual.

[Wally Wenzel]

I have both thr round and square tools from capt.Ed, the round one is just ok. the other one is such a botched up mess it is unusable, the screw hole is way off to one side and the cutter sets at a angle, the screw he furnishes is way to long and stickes out the bottom and will catch on the tool rest . not to happy with any of it.
Wally

[Don McClure]

I have been turning bowls with the Ellsworth gouge since 2005, but now use the EasY Wood tools to basicly hog out the interiors of the bowls. I switch to the round cutter to start the finish cut, but do not get as good a result as I can from a newly sharpened Ellsworth tool. The EW tools are great for pepper mills, spindle turning Christmas ornaments etc. I like them and would hate to be with out them.

[James Combs]

I have three of the mid size EW tools, a square, a round, and an oblong(detailer). As Don indicates they are great for smaller turnings such ornaments. I also "cloned" a couple larger versions in more traditional sizes. These are my "hoggen" tools for larger tunings such as vases and bowls. Although I use all of them a lot I do switch to gouges, skews etc. for final cuts on the outside. Insides are generally finished with my modified Minnie Monster using basically scrapers.


I have been turning bowls with the Ellsworth gouge since 2005, but now use the EasY Wood tools to basicly hog out the interiors of the bowls. I switch to the round cutter to start the finish cut, but do not get as good a result as I can from a newly sharpened Ellsworth tool. The EW tools are great for pepper mills, spindle turning Christmas ornaments etc. I like them and would hate to be with out them.

[Eric Jacobson]

Steve, what is the Ci0 round cutter? Is that an EW tool? Do you use a bowl gouge for most of the bowl and use the Ci0 cutter just for getting rid of tool marks?

[Steve Harder]

Yes, it's the round cutter. (EasyFinisher).

http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Finisher-Replacement-Round-Cutter/dp/B0039ZYQLW

I do most of the bowl with a bowl gouge - I only use the EasyFinisher cutter when I'm finish turning (not roughing out a green bowl). I'm pretty good with a bowl gouge, but making a couple of last gentle passes with the Ci0 really gets me ready for sanding.

You can get tearout depending on the wood, every bowl is different.

But, all in all, I have less tool marks when I move on to sanding when I've used the Ci0.

(And you may see others selling look-a-likes, but I haven't found any clone that is the same as the Ci0.)
(On the other hand, the rectangular Easy Roughers are very much the same as planer blades, which you will find lots of sources for.)

A caution, you want the concave surface you are approaching with the Ci0 to have a larger radius than the cutter. You don't want to engage the entire front edge of the cutter all at once. Usually I'm just taking threads off the wood. Be gentle, keep tool horizontal and at centerline of bowl.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I also have the EWT Ci0. It works well especially on stubborn woods to make a nice surface with which to start sanding.

[Rick Markham]

I also have the EWT Ci0 (It's the small finishing one with the round cutter that they offer) It's ok IMHO, I personally find it's easier to use a gouge and ride the bevel. That being said It has been a useful tool on occasion, I'm not sure I would miss it very often if I didn't have it. For tricky transitions and bowl bottoms if I'm having trouble getting a good finish with a gouge I will grab my scraper before I'll try the EWT, with only the cutting edge touching the bowl, I actually tend to get more ridges than I do with a gouge. Maybe it's the fact that I favor more traditional tools and really kind of left the EWT in the dust... or curlies as the case may be. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking it, it works as advertised... it just isn't my cup of tea ;)

[Bill Boehme]

I have the Easy Finisher and the large Easy Hollower. I only use them for hollowing very hard wood. I had a very old piece of post oak burl with lots of pith and voids that was simply too hard to cut with conventional tools so it mostly sat on the shelf for the past eight years. Occasionally, I would try hollowing it without much success. I was able to complete the hollowing using my two EW tools, but at the expense of dulling the entire edge of the Easy Finisher and most of the edge of the Easy Hollower.

My thoughts about the tools are that they are beautifully made first class tools that have a price tag to match. When you really need them, they are great, but the recurring cost of using them ranks right up there with buying ink for my photo printer that has ten ink tanks. (For those who are not into large format photo printing, it costs well over a C-note for a set of ink tanks). :eek:

[Steve Rost]

I need to add that I have made my own bars for the carbide cutters. The thread size for the easy cutters and the cutters from Eddie were different, I re-threaded since I purchased the easy cutters first. If I were Wally I would call Eddie and get him to send replacements, I am sure he would. Also I try to use my gouges and use the carbide cutters as another weapon in my arsonal.

[Prashun Patel]

Eric-

I'm about as experienced as you seem to describe yrself. I humbly submit that if you are trying to remove tool marks, then you examine yr bowl gouge sharpening and technique. I am finding that these things get me to a better smooth surface than any scraper (carbide or otherwise).

What are you using the sharpen? What gouge are you using?

To tackle ridges, I use a regular curved scraper around the bottoms of the bowls, and around the rims if they're thick enough. But i use a sharp gouge for the final passes.

On the outsides, for a while I used a skew chisel as a scraper to flatten ridges, but even there I've lately realized that a bowl gouge is superior (YMMV).

I guess I'm just saying I think the practice with the gouge has been worth it, and don't lose heart: if *I* can do it, I'm sure you can.

[Tom Walton]

I've been making bowls with an Ellsworth grind for a couple years, and otherwise new to turning. Now that I can finally get a consistent edge with my grinder, the catalogs are really starting to push these new Easy Wood Tools, the ones with the disposable circular blades. Should I be switching to them? Are you? Do they work as good as they say?

I ask because I'm wondering if they will help me improve upon finishing the inside of bowls; I suck at it. I get little ridges and stuff and normally have to sand for 5 minutes or so with 60 grit to get it all smoothed out.

Anyway, I would love some opinions on using these Easy Wood Tools to finish the inside of bowls. Do they work miracles?

Thanks

Have you looked at Ellsworth's DVDs? He teaches a really good inside finishing cut, essentially a back-cut with the long left edge of his gouge. Aside from leaving a an extremely nice finish off-the-tool, that cut is a joy to perform. It has a nice rhythm to it. I often use it to hog out the whole bowl, just to get warmed up for the final passes.

I know I'm a Luddite, but it seems a shame to scrape out a bowl shape with metal-cutting tools when there's such an elegant alternative using a proper gouge and some fun-to-learn technique. I get the same feeling about people scraping wooden pens with carbide cutters; a couple of hours spent learning to cut a simple cylinder with a skew seems much more appealing.

--Tom

[Scott Hackler]

Eric,

A helpful tip for keeping the ridges out of the inside of a bowl is to pratice and preform a full cut from the rim to the center, in one pass, without stopping. With a little practice, you can ride the bevel of your gouge and create a ridgeless surface.

That being said, I have a giant Sorby inside scraper that I will break out from time to time and use it to smooth out the contour inside a bowl where the side transitions into the bottom. If I spent more time practicing, I could do it with the gouge...but the giant scraper is faster and I turn at a quick pace.

As far as the EZ tools. I, personally, don't have a use for them but someone once said to me in regards to turning..... "It doesn't really matter what tool you use to produce the end result, as long as it works for you and works for the wood." BUT, don't discount the current arsenal of tools you have and their ability of doing the job IF they are used properly and are SHARP!

Good luck!

[Jamie Donaldson]

Scott, that uninterrupted cut from rim to bowl center is called the "hero cut" according to Don Derry! I think it fits, because the hero turners make it look so easy.

[Tom Walton]

Scott, that uninterrupted cut from rim to bowl center is called the "hero cut" according to Don Derry! I think it fits, because the hero turners make it look so easy.

The Ellsworth finishing cut I was referring to above is a continuous rim-to-center cut. It's a lot of fun. And it can't be all that 'heroic'; I've been doing it for years, after all, and I'm hardly a hero turner.

--Tom