Extremely hard wood

[Brad Adams]

I'm working on a vase right now from a cherry stump. It is so hard it dulls my Thompson gouge after one pass. This piece is making me feel like I just started turning. This thing is so frustrating its makes me want to quit turning for the day. It had been drying for at least five years under the deck, so it is completely dry.

Do do you guys have any tips to get this thing finished, besides perseverance.

Here is the piece in question.

[Paul Williams]

It is going to be beautiful. A great piece of wood. keep sharpening and keep cutting. I wonder if it doesn't contain some sand or dirt because of it coming from a stump. Regardless of the cause it looks like a great piece and worth the effort.

[Tom Brouillette]

I recently had a piece of hickory like that. I roughed it green and it cut like butter. I went to finish it, and found it harder than Chinese arithmetic. Patience and perseverance.

[robert baccus]

Consider obtaining a Woodcut hollowing tip or tool--it will hollow it in a reasonable time.

[Scott Hackler]

I had a honey locust log once that was horrible to rough out when wet. It was so bad I threw the other half of the log in the burn pile, but after the rough out dried I didn't have any issues. Really strange.

[Prashun Patel]

My only tip is don't give up. It's a beautiful piece of wood.

[Brian Kent]

On a couple of my very hard woods, like a very dry eucalyptus, the best tool was a small (3/4" x 5/16") round nose scraper.

[Olaf Vogel]

I worked with root pieces before and had the same issue.
Sand and other grit were the issue.

I finally gave up on the gouge and went to a 1/4" carbide tip. Lasted longer, easier to sharpen and its cheap, didnt cut as smooth though.

So I used the gouge for only the last passes.

[Richard Casey]

I worked with root pieces before and had the same issue.
Sand and other grit were the issue.

I finally gave up on the gouge and went to a 1/4" carbide tip. Lasted longer, easier to sharpen and its cheap, didnt cut as smooth though.

So I used the gouge for only the last passes.

Brad, exactly what Olaf has written is the best advice. A lot of the wood I use is like that or OK to turn when still green, but when it drys out all the Silica crystalizes and it becomes an emery wheel to your tools.
rgds,
Richard.

[Brad Adams]

I finally gave up on the gouge and went to a 1/4" carbide tip.

That sounds like what I need. Whats your source for something like that?

[Brad Adams]

Hollowing this thing has been a bear. It dulls the M42 3/16" cutters after about thirty seconds of hollowing. High speeds will dull them almost instantly, I have found that my limit is 500 rpm to make the cutter last that long.

[robert baccus]

Years ago I was gifted with a 13" log section of Zirocote dried 30+ years. Started on a faceplate and tried to cut the flat side. My best gouges (glasers) , parting tools ect. merely shined a ring on the face. Went through 45 or so tools of any breed before a cheap+++ 3/4" spindle gouge cut the wood. Must have been casehardened?? No fancy shape on that rascal. Finished outa plain bowl in about a month.

[Michael Stafford]

Brad, you don't mention the size but one of Mike Jackofsky's Hollow-Pro tools with the small negative rake Hunter carbide cutters will make it much easier to deal with hard wood. The No.1- 7/32" cutter is probably your best bet for really hard stuff. The No. 2 Cutter at 5/16" diameter works best on softer woods for rapid stock removal.

[John Grace]

You may have better luck with your edges if you used a carbide tipped tool for all but the final finishing.

[Bruce Lewane]

Years ago I was gifted with a 13" log section of Zirocote dried 30+ years. Started on a faceplate and tried to cut the flat side. My best gouges (glasers) , parting tools ect. merely shined a ring on the face. Went through 45 or so tools of any breed before a cheap+++ 3/4" spindle gouge cut the wood. Must have been casehardened?? No fancy shape on that rascal. Finished outa plain bowl in about a month.

Yup. I do a lot of laminated bowls. Just took one off the lathe. A nice glue up of Ziricote, Maple and Padauk. Even with Carbide tools it was a slow process.
Finally had to give it a rest. It might just beat me. Got some olive on there now. Smells great. Like being on vacation.

[Michael Stafford]

I turn lots of hard and brittle woods including verawood, lignum vitae, ziricote. cocobolo, blackwood, locust, koa etc. etc. etc. When I am hollowing them I use a Hunter #5 straight and a Hunter #5 swan neck. The carbide cutters love hard brittle woods particularly when you turn them at high RPM. For smaller projects such as birdhouses and hollow globe ornaments I use the #1 Hunter set. That small cutter effortlessly removes wood. With good tool control you can hollow smaller items and leave such a smooth surface that little sanding is needed.

A little over a year ago I had the need for something that would reach deeper for cremain urns than the #5 tools and was directed toward the Jackofsky Hollow-Pro tools. They use a small carbide cutter and with the 5/8" square bar can reach a long way over the rest. The small cutter puts little strain on the entire operation and the only adjustment you have to make is to learn to not depend on the cutting sound while hollowing to know when you are getting thin. The small carbide cutters do not cause the wood to screech as you approach the point where inside diameter equals the outside diameter. I learned this the hard way, more than once.

[Bruce Lewane]

I've been working with the #1 and 2 Hunter Osprey. For rough work I've got the #3 Hercules(along with a full compliment of sharp gouges). My problem is probably patience. After a while of working with dry, very hard wood I long for those long wet curls coming off a fresh blank.

[Michael Stafford]

Love the Osprey's for fine finish work. The Hercules is a great tool for roughing out just about anything. Heck, you can turn a patio block round with it if you want. I haven't done it but Mike Hunter of Hunter Tools did just that.

The larger #4 Hunter removes wood a little faster than the #5 but I agree with you Bruce, that there is nothing more thrilling than throwing long streamers across the shop.

[David Cramer]

Have turned Bolivian Cherry, Snakewood and Verawood...challenging for a rookie like me:)

David

[Olaf Vogel]

That sounds like what I need. Whats your source for something like that?

Sometching like this.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-10pc-Metal-Lathe-Mill-Carbide-Tipped-1-4-C2-Cutter-Tooling-Turning-Bit-Set-/301728855041

Less than $2 each.

these are metal cutting tools. There are better qualities, but even the cheap stuff works well on wood.

you need a long bar, drill a hole in the end.
grind the dull end of the bits to fit the hole.

Tap a set screw into the side to hold the bit.

the handle is anything you like. I usually wrap it in rope and cover that with hockey tape. Not pretty but feels good, works well and can be shaped how you like.

its a bit crude but works beautifully.
NOT suitable for roughing. They break.

[Brad Adams]

Thanks Olaf. Didn't think of using those. I can mount one of those right up on my hollowing system.