Let me digress for a moment to say that turning tenons has always been the most difficult part of pipemaking to me. I have always struggled to get a perfectly polished tenon with a perfect fit. FINALLY I can do it with regularity.
Here's how: (Please note, this is using a Taig lathe)
First, and this is not new, make sure your cutting tool is sharp, sharp, and spin the rod at a high speed.
Now for the new, I use a bit than makes an acute angle to to the left, and has a nice point that cuts with the slide travelling from right to left. I believe Taig calls it a Left-Hand cutting bit. At any rate, I have always used the very tip of the tool to do the cutting. I discovered the other day, that if I will angle the tools so that the entire length of the side parallel with the tenon is cutting at the same time, the cut will me MUCH nicer. I mean MUCH nicer. The entire edge doing the cutting results in a cut so smooth that I need no sanding. It is basically perfectly polished right off of the tool. This also makes for easier fitting because there is no guess-work with the sanding, where luck is as important as skill for getting polished and the perfect diameter to happen at the same time.
OK, now most of you probably already know this and wonder what has taken me so long. If so, why the HECK didn't you tell me?!
This is the best thing I have learned in some time!Now I will need to go back and redo my tenon turning video.
Tyler
have a question is the right side actually suppose to come in contact w/ the tenon or you use more angle to get the right side of the tool not touching. i know you have a lot of oars in the water but would love to see your new video - a picture his worth a thousand words. any help will be welcome. and thanks for sharing.
