Recessed Mortise on Bowl with Carbide Tool

[paul trickey]

First I am new to turning bowls and currently use easy tools carbide cutters and really like them. I started turning bowls and can easily make a tenon with the dovetail to hold the bowl in the chuck using the diamond carbide tool. My question is what is the best way to get the dovetail profile on a RECESSED mortise on a bowl? The only I can figure to get the dovetail profile on a recessed mortise with the diamond carbide cutter seems to be very difficult (holding the handle of the tool far to the right away from the body to get the correct dovetail. I am sure there is an easier way but this has me stumped. Any suggestions? Thank you for your assistance.

[Edward Weber]

It's not easy if you don't have the correct tool or lathe.
As you said, you're leaning over too far. if your lathe has a sliding or pivoting head stock, this makes access much easier. If not, a dovetail profile tool, or any scraper type tool with a less than 90 degree cutting angle., You can always make a simple dovetail tool out of any piece of decent steel, it's only a small cut that lasts just a second or two.

[paul trickey]

Edward:
That makes good sense; thank you for your reply.

[Neil Strong]

You can always make a simple dovetail tool out of any piece of decent steel, it's only a small cut that lasts just a second or two.

Agreed!

Small skews adjusted to match your chuck jaw angles provide a ready tool to start with until you get around to making some dedicated dovetail recess tools.

Suitable HSS blanks to make your own are very cheap. Regular carbon steel can also be repurposed from old printer carriage bars, knives and chisels.

[Edward Weber]

I also forgot to mention,
IF your lathe has reverse and you can secure your chuck via a grub screw. Then you can turn in reverse for a moment or two, enough to cut the dovetail profile.

[mike calabrese]

Or you could just buy one .
https://www.amazon.com/Crown-Dovetai...d7d4a6b7ead2dd
calabrese55

[Neil Strong]

Or you could just buy one .
https://www.amazon.com/Crown-Dovetai...d7d4a6b7ead2dd
calabrese55

Much cheaper to buy the HSS bar and add your own nice handle...

https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Square...34&sr=8-6&th=1

[paul trickey]

Thank you for all of the excellent suggestions; even though I have reverse on my lathe (Rikon 700-220VSR), I will go ahead and make a dovetail chisel.

[Reed Gray]

I do have a bunch of videos on You Tube, channel 'robo hippy'. Most are about bowl turning, and I prefer a recess/mortice. I used to have a dove tail tool that was a scraper. It would give me pretty much perfect dove tail angles. I now use a NRS (negative rake scraper). A skew chisel would work also. I precut most of it with a smaller 40/40 gouge, then use the NRS to clean it up, and refine the angle. I use scrapers far more than most. The down side to using scrapers is that you don't learn how to use gouges, and scrapers never leave a very clean surface on bowls, which means more time sanding. I do prefer a shear scrape for my finish cut.

robo hippy