I don’t have a lathe. The few times I need something turned, I’ve relied on a guy I know and trust. He’s always done good by me, so I’m inclined to think he knows how to run a lathe. I asked him recently to turn me some knobs out of cocobolo. I’ve waited a couple of weeks, and got a call today that said he just couldn’t do it. The stuff chipped and broke every time he tried. So questions:
Is this a poor choice for turning, regardless of form? Is there something he’s missing? Anyone feel competent to want to give it a whirl and make a couple of bucks? The rest of the piece is done. I’m just waiting on knobs. Some guru out there can pull this off.
” If you kill a man, it is a tragedy. If you kill a million, it is a statistic.” – Josepf Stalin, attributed.
Replies
Contact Mike (PlaneWood) in Katy (Texas). He turns replacement knobs for planes and I'm sure he can either do this for you or explain the issues. He's an exceptionally gifted turner. Mike posts quite often here in Knots.
John
Mike,
Can you answer this guy's question or help him out with some knobs?
John
Hey! Someone using my name in vain???
Well, I wonder if that guy may have gotten some bad cocobolo?? I turn it all the time and it is a fairly easy wood to turn. The wax in it makes it turn like a bar of soap. I run my lathe at 3700 rpm and use a 1/2" wide scraper chisel (1/4" thick) on my duplicator. Never have had any problems with it. Pen turners use it a lot and it can be turned to very small thicknesses.
Native Cherry is bad to have tear-outs - have to have a freshly sharpened chisel. Walnut comes in 2nd in that regard.
Most of the waxy exotic woods turn quite well, in my experience. The wax helps to prevent tearout and sorta acts like a lubricant.
I'm always ready to help a customer to the limit of my abilities!
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)PlaneWood
How come you have difficulty with walnut ? I find it the wood of choice, turns like butter.Try to use skews and gouges or shear scrape rather than scrape.,Definitely agree with you about cocobolo and rosewood.great wood to turn.However I have become a bit allergic to cocobolo
Jako -
I agree that normally a scraper would not be the 'weapon' of choice for Walnut, but my home made duplicator uses a flat scraper. I have little problem as long as I keep it sharp. Only slightly more problem with cherry, but that depends on characteristics of each batch I'm working with. It would also help if I could change the angle of attack, which I can't do with my present duplicator. I do the last bit by hand if I see that i'm getting tearout.
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)PlaneWood
Have you looked at some of the other cutting tools used on duplicators? They tend to be like a sharp version of a metalworking round nose tool with an added groove on the top surface.If you could adapt your tool holder you might get cleaner cutting
Jako creator of elegant firewood <g>
MIke,
Any chance you could post a pix and description of your duplicator. I am building a chest, and wand 4 turned handles. I think I could do one OK (I don't turn much), but getting 4 identical will be difficult.
Also, any comment on this idea? Glue up a square block of ebony, maybe 1/2", with white oak, and turn the assembly. Or, perhaps use a tenon/plug cutter on the ebony, and drill the white oak blank, insert and glue, then turn the assembly.
look at this old message -> 6654.1
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)PlaneWood
One thing to remember is that cocobolo is one of the most poisonous woods in the world. It is prudent to limit one's exposure as much as possible. The more exposure the greater the chances of developing adverse reactions. I reccommend a fresh air supplied respirator for turning cocobolo. Personally I just don't think that it is worth the risks involved ... I stay away from it.
Clay -
Cocobolo will give me a slight skin rash, but Bolivian Rosewood will do a number on me.
I have my 1200 cfm DC hooked to a hood, with face shield, on my lathe and little escapes it. I also wear a long apron and nytril gloves. After turning those two woods I wash down with rubbing alcohol then soap and water.
You for sure don't want to breath dust from either of the two. Also, the severity of one's allergy to these woods will increase with time. Many people work with it for months with no problem, then WHAM, it gets them.
Just gotta take care in the handling.
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)PlaneWood
So, it seems to me that the wood is a poor choice for a tool handle ... though I suppose that a proper finish could minimize the potential for problems. I really like pecan hickory for handles ... extreme strength, beauty, low toxicity, it actually gives a superior grip when unfinished due to the woods natural texture and ability to absorb slight surface moisture from the hands. For some of my own shop tools I use rough shaped handles that I shape with a 60 grit sanding disc and leave unsanded and unfinished. These handles have unmatched gripability! They may not win beauty contests, though I love them.
I made all my lathe chisel handles out of Ipe. Nice, strong, and heavy.
Once you seal and finish the rosewoods, there are no problems. I also soak the Cocobolo and Bolivian Rosewood handles and knobs in acetone to leach out the surface wax. Most of the rosewoods make exceptionally good tool handles. One exception is Mexican Rosewood aka - Palo Escrito. Not much good at all for tool handles.
I once forgot and left some handles and knobs in acetone overnight and the next morning the wood was white!
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)PlaneWood
Edited 3/27/2003 9:47:45 PM ET by PlaneWood
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