Making tools...

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Well, I've yet to pull the trigger on a bowl gouge, I will, but in the mean time, I was looking for some thing I could bodge into something of use.

Most of the steel I have around here is the soft mild kind, but as I have motorcycles, I do also have some harder steel too.

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This is an axle from one of my motor bikes, and unused one that is.

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It is hollow, so I figured, I could make something of it

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I cut off the ends.....

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...and then cut a groove in it.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

SMC's answer to McGiver is at it again................:)

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

..I ground it somewhat flat on the one side...
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I've since regound it again to more of a fingernail, and even wihtout a handle on it, it cuts really well.

Don't know what kind of steel it is, but it is really hard stuff.

Cheers!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Stu you never cease to amaze me. Looks mighty good to me and if it works good, cuts good by all means turn a handle and go for it.

[Roger Bailey]

Seems I read somewhere that there has been a rash of axle bolts missing from motorcycles in Japan lately...Ha Ha Ha:D

[Chris Barton]

Stu,

I have a very old video by Del Stubbs which dates from the 70's where he shows his first bowl gouge he made out of some relatively mild steel pipe and he said he used it all the time even though he had better tools. I think as long as you are willing to sharpen as necessary that you tool should work fine.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Thanks guys.

I just realized that I have a bunch of these hollow bolts from when I swapped motors in my VTR..... :D

http://www.ablett.jp/bikes/vtr/vtr_pics/2_hours_work3.jpg

Cheers!

[Lee DeRaud]

Making lathe tools out of leftover parts from racing bikes...:eek:

Dude, you're gonna be the only turner in the world with a bowl gouge made out of unobtainium.:cool:

[Jim Becker]

You're dangerous to the whole turning tool industry, Stu! (Not to mention the motorcycle parts stock in Japan...) Nice job........

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Making lathe tools out of leftover parts from racing bikes...:eek:

Dude, you're gonna be the only turner in the world with a bowl gouge made out of unobtainium.:cool:

Yeah, I got a bit of that laying around, but it is a real pain to grind... ;):D

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

You're dangerous to the whole turning tool industry, Stu! (Not to mention the motorcycle parts stock in Japan...) Nice job........

Nice of you to say so, but I don't think so, well at least to the bikes, there are so many bikes here it is unreal, it is like they make them here or something.... :eek:

[Michael Cody]

RANT MODE ON:

Stu -- you are absolute proof to me that the entire woodworking tool, jig, machine industry is driven by proving to woodworkers they can't make their own tools so they need to buy one. Spend 2-300$ for a captive hollowing tool when you can make the same thing for 30-50$ and a afternoon. Wolverine jigs, shapening jigs, cutoff sleds, chainsaw mills -- it goes on and on! Your work and this gouge are the same thing .. how many folks lay out 80-150$ for a gouge they could make for less than 10$.. or have the to have the latest new lathe tool with some exotic metal so they can save one 30 second sharpening a day!! It drives me nuts! (not a long trip but...)

RANT MODE OFF:

Yep Stu, that is one slick mod -- keep the up the good work .. out of curiosity there is a guy who makes a gouge that is a tube and hooks a vacuum to it... instant dust collection .. though I think your gouge might be a little small in ID for that.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

I hear ya Michael, I really do....

You should see it here in Japan, it is WAY worse.

Besides, I like making my own stuff :D


Cheers!

[Lee DeRaud]

I hear ya Michael, I really do....

You should see it here in Japan, it is WAY worse.

Besides, I like making my own stuff :DYeah, but what's the list price on that axle bolt you ground up?:rolleyes:

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Yeah, but what's the list price on that axle bolt you ground up?:rolleyes:

FREE!! :D

You see, I bought this bike, a Honda VTR1000F, the bike was dirt cheap, less than $1500, the motor had something wrong with it. I figured I could part the bike out for well over the $1500, easy. The next weekend a buddy crashes his VTR1000F, same bike, he dropped it in a corner and it hit an oncoming car, he was fine, the bike was really totaled, and the car too. I bought the bike from him for $200, the whole kit and kaboodle. I swapped engines and kept the $1500 bike, now I have this huge pile of extra parts (the $1500 bike had a bunch of race parts on it, that I did not need).

So far the big box of parts have netted me over $2000, so the bike that cost $1500 plus the $200 busted bike has made me a net profit of $300 (I know, not counting my labor, but I like working on bikes). Now the kicker the $1500 bike, I just sold it for $3000 :D

....and I STILL have a large stack of parts to sell, and a huge box of bits and pieces.

Cheers!

[John Hart]

I hear ya Michael, I really do....

You should see it here in Japan, it is WAY worse.

Besides, I like making my own stuff :D


Cheers!

And I like watching you do it!!! That is just great Stu!! With all those bikes in Japan....there's plenty of steel just lining the streets....Kinda like wood around here!;)

[Lee DeRaud]

And I like watching you do it!!! That is just great Stu!! With all those bikes in Japan....there's plenty of steel just lining the streets....Kinda like wood around here!;)Oh great, now I've got this mental image of Stu roaming the countryside in a pickup truck with an acetylene torch in the back, looking for downed Hondas.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Naw, no need of a pick up, or driving around, just walking would do it :D

I have a mini, mini, micro mini Pickup....

http://www.ablett.jp/bikes/images/loaded.jpg

That is my 50cc Honda Gyro Up, it has a top speed down hill with a tailwind of about 30 mph :D

But around the hood here where I make deliveries, it is worth it's weight in gold, I can park anywhere, and drive on between the cars stuck in traffic and the curb. Good on gas too.

I've rolled the speedo 3 or 4 times (it goes to 9999 Km) and I've reringed the motor and rebuilt the clutch thing once each.

Darn handy machine to have.

Heck, I've even carried found wood home on the back of it.

Cheers!