It's the little things............Stu-pid.....

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

.....boy do I feel dumb today..... (I know, I know, but ESPECIALLY today...)

I got some new toys from the local guy who sponsors all the turning demos, I figure the slightly higher price is worth it to keep this guy going, and he gave me 10% off for being a member of the local club, plus free shipping and it came in two days, so I figure what the hey.

So I got one of the new Eli Avisera bowl finishing tools (I'll be writing a review on it, but in a nut shell, you GOT to get one of these!!) and some potions....

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.... a nice bigger faceplate, and a diamond wheel dresser.

I was using the old "Star Wheel" type of dresser, getting the diamond dresser was kind of an afterthought, boy, what a good after thought....

The diamond dresser makes the wheels so much smoother, and flatter, it is now so much easier to get nice sharp tools, and they have a finer edge too.

Yep, well worth the money!

Cheers!

[Corey Hallagan]

Congrats Stu. I need to get me one of the diamond wheel dressers.

Corey

[Bernie Weishapl]

Congrats Stu. I got one of those diamond dressers and it works great. Flat wheel and smooth. Do you have a pic's of the bowl finishing tool?

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

I don't, but I have pics from the demo that Eli did....


Showing how the tool is presented to the work

http://www.ablett.jp/workshop/images/lathe/eli_avisera_july_06_demo/day2/dsc06685.jpg
Using the tool on the outside of a bowl

http://www.ablett.jp/workshop/images/lathe/eli_avisera_july_06_demo/day2/dsc06686.jpg
Again, the tool in use

http://www.ablett.jp/workshop/images/lathe/eli_avisera_july_06_demo/day2/dsc06687.jpg
Close up of the business end, bottom side

http://www.ablett.jp/workshop/images/lathe/eli_avisera_july_06_demo/day2/dsc06688.jpg
Close up of the business end, top side

http://www.ablett.jp/workshop/images/lathe/eli_avisera_july_06_demo/day2/dsc06694.jpg
Again, in use

http://www.ablett.jp/workshop/images/lathe/eli_avisera_july_06_demo/day2/dsc06698.jpg
More use, VERY light cuts, when he was done, he started sanding at the #400 grit range :eek:


http://www.ablett.jp/workshop/images/lathe/eli_avisera_july_06_demo/day2/dsc06691.jpg
Sharpening it, upside-down

http://www.ablett.jp/workshop/images/lathe/eli_avisera_july_06_demo/day2/dsc06692.jpg
Putting the second bevel on it, again, upside down.
http://www.ablett.jp/workshop/images/lathe/eli_avisera_july_06_demo/day2/dsc06712.jpg
On the thin edge

Now here is a VERY crude drawing of the tip of the tool......

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The tool is sharpened upside-down, so that a small burr is left on the top edge, there is also a second bevel on the nose of the tool, this give you a lot of manouverability when using the tool. The way the tool is presented to the wood, it is actually "Cutting" not "Scraping".

I've had fantastic results with it already.

It is a Hamlet #416 finishing bowl tool.

I hope that helps!

Cheers!

[Dennis Peacock]

Congrats Stu!!!!!!!!!! Remember to use a lite touch while using the diamond tool on your grinding wheels.

Now....on the turning tool. Wouldn't you get the same "type" results from sharpening a scraper in the same upside-down fashion? Talk to me and tell me what I'm missing Stu.

BTW, you get a box from me yet?

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Nope, no box, yet.....

No, you would not get the same thing, because the tool is very thin, and it is used as show in the pics, truly, you should have seen the jaws drop and the eyes pop of the group watching the demo, and some of these guys are VERY accomplished turners, not newbie hacks like me.

I'm not kidding when I say the finish was like silk, amazing.

VERY hard to explain, but once you see it in action, you sort of go "WOW" :eek::eek::eek::eek:

I'll try more later to explain it etc. maybe even some pics and vids, right now I'm for bed, as I got to get up and go have my eyeball fried to the tune of $1500 tomorrow........LASIK ;)

I won't be around until Tuesday.

Cheers!

[Mike Vickery]

Congrats Stu!!!!!!!!!! Remember to use a lite touch while using the diamond tool on your grinding wheels.

Now....on the turning tool. Wouldn't you get the same "type" results from sharpening a scraper in the same upside-down fashion? Talk to me and tell me what I'm missing Stu.

BTW, you get a box from me yet?

Dennis the difference is this looks like a negative rake scraper (notice bevel on top) not sure why it works but suppossedly it is less chance of catching on harder woods. I got a free AAW magazine at my last turning meeting and they had a whole article on negative rake scrapers. Never used one before though.

[Bill Boehme]

When I saw the sketch, my reaction ws that it looks to be essentially the same as a negative rake scraper with some extra material removed on both the top and bottom. The main difference is that it seems that sharpening would be quicker because #2 bevel is shorter length.

Bill

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

But they way it is presented is so important, it cuts, it does not scrape, this is accomplished by the thinnes of the 1st bevel, allowing it to be presented in this way.

Like I said, hard to explain.... :rolleyes:

[Jim Becker]

And the OneWay dressing attachment for the Wolverine actually makes the wheels round again!! ;) But yes, a diamond dresser (T-style) is really nice to have to keep your wheels clean and "metal-free"...

[Vaughn McMillan]

And the OneWay dressing attachment for the Wolverine actually makes the wheels round again!! ;) But yes, a diamond dresser (T-style) is really nice to have to keep your wheels clean and "metal-free"... I've got an old skew that I've been using as a sacrificial tool for grinding experiments. I'll have to mess around with the shape you showed, Stu.

Just to change subjects, I got a t-style dresser, and it's got one diamond chunk that's a bit higher than the others, so it leaves a groove in the wheel if I keep the dresser in one place very long. Any ideas on how to remove that one chunk of diamond? (I can't really grind it down, I guess. :p )

- Vaughn

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

I've got an old skew that I've been using as a sacrificial tool for grinding experiments. I'll have to mess around with the shape you showed, Stu.

Just to change subjects, I got a t-style dresser, and it's got one diamond chunk that's a bit higher than the others, so it leaves a groove in the wheel if I keep the dresser in one place very long. Any ideas on how to remove that one chunk of diamond? (I can't really grind it down, I guess. :p )

- Vaughn

Show us the results of you "Experiments" :D

As for the T-bar grinding dressing wheel, do you have an angle grinder with a concrete cutting disc? I you did, I bet you could grind diamond with diamond............ :D

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Some pics to look at................

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43678

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The Eli Avisera bowl finishing tool, By Hamlet tools


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Two shots of the double bevel Eli uses on his gouges to get a different presentaion to the wood so you are always cutting never scraping.

he got a super smooth finish on maple that had to be seen to be believed.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

..............and my sharpening station, I think someone asked about it...? :confused:

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All hand made, works fairly well.....

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New tools, well the bowl gouge is only there for size ref, but the Hamlet diamond dresser and the Eli Avisera Bowl finishing tool.

Cheers!

[Greg Koch]

Stu..

Sorry, I couldn't help noticing the "brand" of your grinder.... Having lived many years in Japan myself, why doesn't it totally surprise me? It is "interesting", though.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/MTF/sidelaugh.gif

[Tom Sherman]

Stu, the finishing tool looks to me to have a slight radius is that so. Great gloats on the new tools, like Vaughn I may have to make an attempt to duplicate something like that myself.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Stu..

Sorry, I couldn't help noticing the "brand" of your grinder.... Having lived many years in Japan myself, why doesn't it totally surprise me? It is "interesting", though.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/MTF/sidelaugh.gif
Ya, "New Strong" makes me smile each time I see it!

A little underpowered, but it works fine, it was another legacy unit, given to me by a friend who was leaving the country, so I cannot complain....:D

Cheers!

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Stu, the finishing tool looks to me to have a slight radius is that so. Great gloats on the new tools, like Vaughn I may have to make an attempt to duplicate something like that myself.

Yes Tom, you are correct, there is a slight radius on the tip. I comes with less of a radius, but Eli showed that he personally likes more, he finds it more maneuverable...

Cheers!

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

I'm REALLY missing something here, Stu.................................Why the Stu-pid?

Bruce

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

I'm REALLY missing something here, Stu.................................Why the Stu-pid?

Bruce
Geez Bruce, maybe you need a LASIK tune up....? or them Stanley glasses need a power up? ;) :D Just funning :)

I do stupid stuff, we all do, but sometimes I do stuff, that is stupid, partly because of my personality, I call these things "Stu-pid" mistakes or moments, as they are Stu stupid things. This was one, the thing I was using to dress my grinding wheels was not up to the job, but I was being cheap by not spending the $20 on a wheel dresser, now that I did, I see that I was being penny wise and pound stupid......Stu-pid.... :D

I hope that made it clearer... ;)

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

Now I understand! BEEN THERE DONE THAT too many times in my 64 years! Trying to be better about it! I had help when I got my sharpening setup and got the right dresser for the stone. But, I found out the hard way yesterday that my tabletop bandsaw table had slipped and was 2 degrees short of square! Boy did that make a mess of what I was doing! Just because I got in a hurry and didn't check for squareness! NOW THAT WAS MORE than Stu-pid!

Take care and I hope that all your other checkups are as good as mine have been. 20/20 and 20/25 and can see a golfball land at 300 yards (No, I didn't hit it. Have a heck of a time gettin' it out to 200 yds lately.)

Bruce

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Don't know if I mentioned it, but I have 20/40 vision now :D Oh yeah, I'm stoked! :D:D

[Mark Pruitt]

....Up until now I have always used the gray square shaped bar that comes with Delta grinders for wheel dressing. I've just purchased a new grinder, not even out of the box yet. Am I being "stupid" for thinking that my gray bar will suffice for the 8" al-ox wheels, or do I need to spend more $$ on a better dresser???:confused:

BTW, Stu, that is one intriguing tool! If I understand, the burr is what produses a cut rather than a scrape--but it seems to me that the burr would wear off frequently and you would be making many trips to the grinder, no?:confused:

Mark

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

....Up until now I have always used the gray square shaped bar that comes with Delta grinders for wheel dressing. I've just purchased a new grinder, not even out of the box yet. Am I being "stupid" for thinking that my gray bar will suffice for the 8" al-ox wheels, or do I need to spend more $$ on a better dresser???:confused:

BTW, Stu, that is one intriguing tool! If I understand, the burr is what produces a cut rather than a scrape--but it seems to me that the burr would wear off frequently and you would be making many trips to the grinder, no?:confused:

Mark
Buy a diamond dressing "T" stone thing, for me, the difference was night and day, as the wheel runs much smoother now, making it MUCH easier to get a nice smooth grind, and I find I'm removing much less material from the gouges as well.

You are correct about the bowl finishing tool, but you have to understand, the way he uses the bowl gouge, he gets a very smooth cut with it, so this last tool is only taking the smallest of cuts, and he uses the whole burr, not just the center.

Here is one shot of him doing a finishing cut with the gouge.........

http://www.ablett.jp/workshop/images/lathe/eli_avisera_july_06_demo/day2/dsc06696.jpg

It really is amazing and most everyone there had a :eek: moment or two ;) :D

Cheers!

[Dick Strauss]

Stu,
We had a turning demonstrator use a rectangular cabinet scraper on the outside of the bowl/vase. The surface was amazing smooth. However, the curved cabinet scrapers aren't the right tool to be used on the inside of bowls safely IMHO. I'm sure many of the turners on this board have cab scrapers that could be used. I assume the same mechanism is different from the tool you showed.

Take care,
Dick

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Well he did the inside with it as well.

This is not a scraper, it is not presented to the wood as a scraper, the burr is cutting, like a skew.

I'm sorry, I do not have a pic of him using it on the inside of the bowl.

Cheers!

[Ernie Nyvall]

Stu, I've done a search for this tool and have found nothing. Where did you get it?

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

It is made by Hamlet tools, one of their Eli Avisera line of tools, but I think it is just hitting the production run.

He demoed it here, and the guy that imports the Hamlet stuff, here in Japan, got a special deliver of maybe a dozen or so of the tools, I had pre-ordered one.

The tool catalogue number is HCT416.

I'm new at this, maybe it is not such a big thing, maybe it is just a variation on something that someone else has done in the past that I'm not aware of, but, the reaction of the other member of the Japanese turning club was jaw dropping.....so I do not know what to think.

One thing Eli did show us, was that you need to have the right tool, sharpened correctly, and presented correctly, if one of the three is off, it don't work like it should.

Cheers!