Could it be the grind?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I have a 3/8" spindle gouge. Since last year I have it ground with what I refer to as a "detail gouge grind"....the corners of the flute are ground back and the angle of the bevel is a little bit more severe than most.

I recently puchased a set of Pinnacle "mini-tools" and I ground the 1/4" spindle gouge similarly using the vari-grind tool.

My problem....Yesterday I spent the day practicing turning some knobs for a fellow Creeker. It seems that regardless of how hard I try, my beads end up more shaped like an upside down V than an upside down U. Could it be the grind that's causing this or is it my limited skills? I've only got an even dozen of these to make....The guy I'm making them for is kinda picky:rolleyes: ;) ....He'd like them to look very similar as they are all going on an 8 drawer bubinga/maple shaker dresser he's making.:confused: ..So far I'm just practicing and wasting some excess poplar I have. I'm considering regrinding my 1/4" spindle gouge to a conventional grind to see if it gives me better control over the shape. Any comments or recommendations?

[Dominic Greco]

Ken,
I had the same exact problem. No matter how I tried to shift the spindle gouge around, I formed pointed beads. I ended up trying to use a skew for forming beads. Instead of forming beads, I found myself forming multiple foul words. :eek: These were the results of the frequent catches!

I switched to using a 3 point tool and have found that it is SO easy to form a bead that I probably will never switch back to a skew or a detail gouge.

You can easily make a 3 point tool (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=43307&highlight=point+tool) (as I did not too long ago), or if you find yourself short on shop time, you can buy one from CSUSA or Packard Woodworks for under $30.

[Mark Pruitt]

How about one of these? (http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/cgi-bin/shopper?search=action&keywords=sorby-beading) I know it won't answer your question about the grind you're using, but it sure will make for some uniform beads. I'll have to let somebody smarter than me answer the grind question.

[Paul Engle]

Ken,
Try using the skew to roll your beads. make a register ( use parting tool)the width of the bead and use the skew to roll the edges. Just below center line and sharp sharp sharp skew.

[David Fried]

I'll probably embaress myself but here goes ...

Somedays the skew makes fine beads, other days it's by gouge. It used to be a skew only affair but since I put a fingernail grind on my spindle gouge I find it does great beads. (Watch, I'll go butcher one now!). I start by declaring the middle third of the bead off limits. I stat cutting the bead on the outer third on each side and then work the starting point of the cuts in toward the center, continuing to take light cuts - pausing to watch the shape.

Of course, there are those days when I'm ready to order a EasyBeader or some such thing :rolleyes: When I end up with skinny beads it's because I have too much roll with the gouge for the swing ... If that makes any sense.

Keep practicing.

[George Tokarev]

Might be the grind, but without a picture, difficult to say. I do convex beads with a chisel, but the U cove can be done with any gouge small enough to get between the uprights. Long grinds are a bit more difficult to hold properly for me, so a fingernail or flat is what I choose. Remember, you can't really cut across the bottom, has to be a scrape. Lots of times I try to cut from either side to avoid sanding and end up with a V for my efforts. Better to sand the bottom a bit and avoid the pitfall.

[Andy Hoyt]

Ken - skew or gouge. practice practice practice

[Ken Fitzgerald]

After George's reply........I thought.....DUH!......Went to the shop...turned a couple of cylinders...then beads......then more cylinders....then more beads........It'll be done with the skew!

[Bill Grumbine]

Ken, it looks like you may have solved your problem based on your last post, but just to pile on, the main reason people end up with V pointed beads instead of U shaped beads is failure to roll the tool through 90 degress as they cut the bead. Whether skew or gouge, it needs to be rolled completely through one quadrant of a circle to get that round shape you are after. Good luck with it.

Bill

[Bob Hallowell]

This may seem Wierd to people but most the time I use a parting tool for my beads?

Bob

[Gordon Seto]

This may seem Wierd to people but most the time I use a parting tool for my beads?

Bob
Nothing wierd about that; they are called "beading/parting" tool in some catalogs. The french Bedan is an excellent beading tool also.

Gordon

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Well....using a combination of suggestions.......I've just had a good round of beading using the parting tool, the skew and the gouge.....Thanks folks!

[Corey Hallagan]

Ken, if you can... try to catch the Woodworking At Home Issue # 8 ( I think that is the number) it is called Turning with Gouges. Dick Sing gives some excellent tips on bead and cove turning and especially with a detail gouge like you are using as it is his favorite. You will pick up lots of tips!

Corey

[Ken Fitzgerald]

A quick thanks to everyone for their replies! I practiced most of the weekend and was getting frustrated. After trying everything here including David's, George's and Bill's suggestions....I'm making beads with a gouge, parting tool and my favorite...the evil skew..........I like that skew!

I just went out and had another successful beading session. Everything went well!

Thanks again folks!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Ken, Ken, Ken, here is the old boy from Kansas sitting on a snow drift looking down shaking his head.

[George Tokarev]

A quick thanks to everyone for their replies! I practiced most of the weekend and was getting frustrated. After trying everything here including David's, George's and Bill's suggestions....I'm making beads with a gouge, parting tool and my favorite...the evil skew..........I like that skew!

I just went out and had another successful beading session. Everything went well!

Thanks again folks!

Don't know if it'll hurt or help, given your success, but these pictures of three tools trimming endgrain show how they might be applied to beading as well. Took them to answer another question a while back. Besides, glue-ups are all over the shop.

The roughing gouge is a bit large to do anything but round over, but you can see it'll do a credible job. A forged gouge will peel nicely, and if you have room between beads, all you need to do is U it out at the bottom with a roll and scrape with a narrow flute gouge. The shavings show what kind of slice is being made.

The easier way, and these aren't fully rolled beads, because I was trying to show something else, is to use a beading tool or a wide parting tool, as others have indicated. I also have a one-bevel beading tool which is ground with a long bevel for getting into tight places, something the parting tool can't do, and the bi-directional can, but poorly, because he has a tendency to leave heel bruises. The long bevel makes it grabby somewhat like a skew, but with no nose hanging out to grab above while you're cutting below, it's a lot friendlier and tougher to screw up. The two closeups of the beading and parting show how easy it is to come by a beading tool. It's that stupid diamond-point scraper they include in sets, reground. My one-sided spent some time as a skewchigouge ground from the round-nose scraper, but eventually I ground square for planing and found it superior in that capacity to my skew in addition to doing beads.

[Ernie Kuhn]

Ken,
Our woodturning club here in the Tricities was fortunate to have Stuart Batty conduct several classes this last July. Beads and Coves, lots of practise. For the beads, he teaches the use of the Bedan (Brittish Bedan, of course). Here is a poor pic of a poor example but the beads came out not too bad for this beginner.
Ernie

[John Hart]

Ken...I was going to suggest all the things that everyone has suggested, but since they've all suggested all my ideas, I won't try to upstage anyone. I also had a bunch of pictures like George's, but it might hurt his feelings if I posted them. I got some shots of Ernie Kuhn's beading techniques as well, but as you can see...he already posted one. So, I guess I'll just congratulate everyone on some fine fine suggestions!!!;) :D

[George Tokarev]

Right, John. We know you've got something foolproof and easy that you're hiding. C'mon, share it!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

George.....I think John uses a special tool rest designed just for beads and one just for coves. I think he's welded the two of them up from the shoes of one of his horseys.........:eek: :rolleyes: :D