D-Way Beading Tools

[David Delo]

Been looking these lately but just haven't decided if I was going to get just the 3/6" & 1/8" or just dive in and get the 5-piece set and maybe the diamond tool. Anyway, I watched a Harvey Meyer video today and he was using the tools without a handle. Dave recommends his 8" handle for these tools and the shortest handle I have of his is the 12". I can see the 12" handle would be a problem hitting the bed ways. Anyone else using these beaders without a handle? Doesn't look like there's much pressure being exerted on the tool during use so it kind of looks like it shouldn't be that big of deal without a handle. With some of the beaders, you need to get a handle insert to fit the 1/2" opening. Just trying to lighten the load a little cost-wise.

[Michael Mason]

I have had no need for handles when using mine. They work just fine for me. I wish I would have just went ahead and gotten the complete set.

[Thom Sturgill]

I started with two and now have the full set, should have bought them as a set. I started with handles on the first two and then removed the handles and now use them unhandled.

[John Grace]

I've seen them and the look like another variation of a scraping beading tool. How do they function in the 'real world' with respects to tear out? thanks...

[John Keeton]

John, they are presented to the wood differently than a scraping cut. Very little tear out, if any. I don't use handles on mine, and I do a lot of basketry pieces. Most of the time, I will spray a water/dish detergent mix on the bead prior to final cuts and that will minimize any tear out.

Buy the full set! I have ended up with all of them, and wish I had just done it in one buy.

[Justin Stephen]

I mostly just use the 1/8" and do have a handle on it, but I used it unhandled the first couple of times I used it. It works fine that way. You will be making slow, gentle progression so there shouldn't be any risk of a catch or anything like that. You are right to be concerned about a long handle being a problem with hitting the ways. Even the short handle (one of his 8" handles if memory serves) I have on mine can almost get in the way sometimes. I prefer it with the handle, however, as I feel like my mine control is better with the handle on it. While beading with these tools is "easy", it is also easy to screw things up if you are not very precise. Good light and a careful hand is critical if you want a nice row of even beads (both spacing and height).

I'm not sure it is worth it to spend the extra $120 on the other three beading tools unless you know you are going to use them. If you are looking to do basket illusion work, the 1/8" and 3/16" are where it is at for most people. I do also own his teardrop tool which I bought long before any of his beading tools and it is only situationally useful, but very useful indeed when I do use it. Maybe just buy one 8" handle from him and rotate the tool you need at that moment through the one handle.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

you might want to take a look at the videos on Dave's website http://www.d-waytools.com. He shows how the tools are used - very little tearout. Just go to the beading tools and scroll down to the videos.

[Russell Neyman]

I love these and have all but the largest two. The "diamond" (teardrop-shaped) detailer is especially handy for creating precise corners and grooves for burning lines.

And, this tip: I often use shaft portion of the D-Way beading tool to burnish my beads. I just fit it over the bead and gently press down. This compresses the grain and effectively eliminated the need for sanding.

[David Delo]

Thanks to yinz for the advise. Good info, appreciate it greatly.

[John K Jordan]

Anyone else using these beaders without a handle?

I don't buy tools with handles any more unless I have no choice. I use MANY of my smaller tools without handles on smaller work, despite alarmist views that this can be a dangerous thing to teach to a turner without a brain. This includes a beading tool, point tools, a variety of small scrapers I make from round and flat Thompson stock, Thompson spindle gouges, a fat round-shaft roughing gouge that Doug Thompson sells, and even an occasional skew chisel where appropriate. I mount these tools into a variety of handles as needed, which is with larger diameters, more aggressive turning, or when handing one to a student. Note that none of these tools have sharp tangs.

I'm looking forward to watching Harvey Meyer turn - he's coming this spring to our woodturning club in Knoxville, TN.

JKJ

[robert baccus]

John, If you would, share your presentation with us. Always a better way to do anything.

[John Keeton]

Robert, I bought my first beading tools at the AAW symposium from Dave. When he showed me how to use them, it was identical to his video on the D-Way website.

[Roland Martin]

David, if affordable, may as well get the complete set. Like most others, I bought 2 to start and within a couple of years I completed the set, very well made tools that produce beads remarkably well. I ended up making 6 to 8" handles for mine but certainly is not necessary. The teardrop tool is equally a very handy tool. I would start by using them without handles and take it from there.

[Thom Sturgill]

snip...If you are looking to do basket illusion work, the 1/8" and 3/16" are where it is at for most people.

Optima now makes tips for burning the lines on the bead in both 1/8" and 3/16" sizes. Harvey Meyer recommends 1/8" and 1/4" for the edge bead. If I was to do a larger platter or wall hanging, I would probably shift to 3/16" & 3/8". I use the 1/16" mainly for my doll house stuff.

[john taliaferro]

I had a bunch of nots and bottle stopper blanks , that i used for handles on the set i got at a garage sale .

[David Delo]

David, if affordable, may as well get the complete set. Like most others, I bought 2 to start and within a couple of years I completed the set, very well made tools that produce beads remarkably well. I ended up making 6 to 8" handles for mine but certainly is not necessary. The teardrop tool is equally a very handy tool. I would start using them without handles and take it from there.

Ordered the complete set plus the teardrop this morning without handles. Have some bone dry cherry that I just can't seem to get consistent results on with my Sorby beading tool. These look pretty easy to use, looking forward to receiving them.

[John K Jordan]

I bought 2 to start and within a couple of years I completed the set,

Do you find they cut cleanly? The side-grain in the second D-way video did not look clean to me, at least nothing like what I can get cutting beads the "old way". I can't see needing 400 paper to clean up a tiny bead and even then it didn't look clean. The beads looked cleaner on end grain which I would expect.

Maybe I'm too picky. I wish I could try one before ordering.

JKJ

[Ralph Lindberg]

We've had the "set" for some time, I say "set" as when I bought them a set was four, sans five.
I don't use Dave's handles, but rather made wood handles for each one.
The tear-drop tool is also useful for cleaning up a grove.
We find them really useful for making spaced groves also.

Some hints on getting a clean finish. Don't take the tool all the way to the top of the arch, stop just -><- that far short. If you have grain tear-out, try dropping the tool (raising the handle) to a negative rake position for the last tiny bit.

[Justin Stephen]

Ordered the complete set plus the teardrop this morning without handles. Have some bone dry cherry that I just can't seem to get consistent results on with my Sorby beading tool. These look pretty easy to use, looking forward to receiving them.

I only bead kiln-dried wood, often 8/4 stock that has been sitting in my indoor workshop for some time. I haven't found anything that these tools won't cut through reasonably well yet, including some ridiculously hard Anigre that was dulling my Thompson gouge every 10 seconds. It helps to hone the tool every few beads or so.

[Justin Stephen]

Some hints on getting a clean finish. Don't take the tool all the way to the top of the arch, stop just -><- that far short.

And to that note, good light is critical. You can clearly see the dome forming and how much "flat top" you have left, so long as you have good light. I use two lights when I am beading, with one at an angle from the side.

[David Delo]

Thanks for the pointers Justin & Ralph. Good info.

[Terry Vaughan]

Do you find they cut cleanly? .....Maybe I'm too picky. I wish I could try one before ordering.JKJ

I made a couple of tools similar to these some years back, one by reverse-grinding a spare gouge (you could easily do that to try it, then grind it back again) and one by grinding a short flute into a bit of square HSS. They worked well, very quick and consistent and the finish on ash and cherry was pretty good. Perhaps not all woods would be suitable. The main problem was that the size of the bead never seemed to be quite what I wanted. And they don't make shallow beads, they have to be full depth or the tops are left square.

[John K Jordan]

I made a couple of tools similar to these some years back, one by reverse-grinding a spare gouge

Good idea, I thought about that - I have plenty of spare gouges and grind them into various tools. I suspect making a shallower beading tool would be more useful for me. I mostly turn hard, fine grained woods, lots of exotics. Harvey Meyer told me he will bring some when he comes to do a demo so I think I'll wait to try those before I buy any. Thanks.

JKJ

[Justin Stephen]

Perhaps not all woods would be suitable.

Apparently not. I know that Harvey Meyer mentioned to me once that Holly did not bead well due to its softness and, as I recall, he cautioned against mahogany as well. I have only personally beaded Cherry, Maple (hard and silver), Anigre and Sapele so far and all have beaded quite nicely. However, all were also kiln-dried stock, which may make a difference with some. I had planned on trying mahogany some time anyway, just to see how it goes, but its not high up on my to-do list.