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I posted the question on the comments of this video but haven't got a response. Does anyone know what attachment is being used at the 3:20 mark?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=yo ... uJN8HBOQoQ

It looks like a scraping tool being held in the chuck.

It looks like he cuts the tenon totally reversed from the way everyone else does.

Rad

I think it's basically a tenon turning tool sort of similar to the one Tim West sells. Essentially a cutting tool mounted on the headstock so that it spins while the rod stock (or in this case, premolded stem) is presented to to turning cutter. Tim's has a ring on it that adjusts the radius of the cut, while this one appears to be adjusted by tapping it with a hammer?

Here's a pic of Tim's:

RadDavis wrote:It looks like he cuts the tenon totally reversed from the way everyone else does.

That was my original thought as well. "He's doing it backwards!"

I would figure that this type of tool would be common, not just for pipe making, but for making tight fitting dowel joints on the end of say a table leg. regardless if you turn the tool or turn the stock.

I just realized he's using a wood lathe.

Rad

He's still doing it backwards.

This is the same video posted here a while back, and the first thing I noticed (for the second time) is the utterly DANGEROUS method he employs in the use of his lathe. Metal, wood, or otherwise, that's how you get hurt. Look at how much that tool is bouncing around. That should NEVER happen like that.

I thought fitting the stummel to the stem while the chuck is spinning about 2 inches away was a pretty bad idea.

Rad

Lol no doubt, especially with long loose sleees dangling there.

That's what I noticed too Rad - my heart was in my throat for a second there. "Just reach past the rotating knives here and...."

Side besides the safety concerns of the guy's technique. Is there a good (and inexpensive) way to cut tenons on a lathe without having a precision lathe or using derlin.

I cut all my tenons by hand on a wood lathe. I use a 3/8" skew chisel and a parting tool and sandpaper.


I hold the fishtail end with a piece of plywood that has a groove dug in it (mounted to the faceplate) and put the tenon end on the live center.

I can fit a tenon in about 5 minutes.

It looka like dis:





I'm not saying this is the best, I'm not saying it's good, I'm saying it's a way to turn stems with VERY basic (inexpensive) lathe setup.

Sasquatch wrote:I cut all my tenons by hand on a wood lathe.

I do to, Sas. Not because it's a good way to do it and I'm not near as fast as you but because I don't have the cash to buy the tools to do it any other way just yet.

Then I'm guessing you shave a little off, test fit, shave some more, test fit, more, test, more test, until you get the fit.

Zero, one way i get real accurate diameters on my wood lathe is to keep a box end wrench next to me. As you say above, shave and test shave and test. but the wrench makes the test go much faster as I get close to my final diameter. You can actually use the wrench to burnish the final diameter this way also. just be careful it can catch. I've never hurt a turning that way but a wrench flying around is not a lot of fun. if you use a wrench that is just a touch larger than what you want you can do the fine tuning with sandpaper. it is not nearly as hard to get an exact diameter by hand as it might seem.

ZeroContent wrote:Then I'm guessing you shave a little off, test fit, shave some more, test fit, more, test, more test, until you get the fit.

The basic idea is the same whether you do it on a metal lathe or a wood lathe. The difference is the cutting tool used, and how it's manipulated. The reason why a metal lathe is preferable is because you can get it done a little faster. Also it's easier to get to final diameter on a metal lathe without needing to sand the tenon.

I boughtt PIMO's tenon cutting tool for around 40 bucks. It pops onto the end of a drill and works nice. It looks very similar to the Tim West tool.

Kola

kola wrote:I boughtt PIMO's tenon cutting tool for around 40 bucks. It pops onto the end of a drill and works nice. It looks very similar to the Tim West tool.

Kola

It is similar, though not nearly as accurate or as easily adjustable. But, it's $250 less, so that's a big difference.