Any tricks to turning oak spindles

[Mike Davin]

Hi, I am new to turning and my first project is to make five white oak spindles that are missing on a stairway. I am using sharp tools but I am getting a lot of chip out on the long tapers. Is RPMs a factor or debth of cut or is it the nature of the species?

Thanks in advance ,

Mike

[Prashun Patel]

I am no turning specialist, but I have turned oak spindles and am learning to pare dovetails in oak.

For me, my tears and chips were greatly minimized by focusing on the sharpness of my tools. Dull blades want to dig into and under the wood.

[John Keeton]

Mike, oak does want to chip, and any change of direction in the grain of the spindle would have you "cutting against the grain" or "uphill" at any given point along the taper. Starting with a straight grain blank, and always cutting "downhill" will help - along with sharp tools being an absolute necessity. RIDE THE BEVEL!

Good luck on your new found venture of turning, and be sure to post pics!!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Mike,

It's a combination of all those things and the nature of coarse grained oak IMHO.

I have turned oak and it requires considerable more sharpening of tools that other species.

Are you using a skew or a gouge?

The skew is the tool I would use but I am one of the strange ones who like using skew.

I'd practice and try adjusting all the varaibles you mentioned.

It would not surprise me if you had to sharpen your tool, "rough" them out.....resharpen and then using light cuts finish turn them.

Good luck and post photo when they are done!

[Mike Davin]

Thanks for the help. I am using skews and gouges. Although the skews are a little difficult to control. More practice. From what I have read, I think I need to visit the grinder more offen when I am working with this oak.

Mike

[Michelle Rich]

if you continue to have problems, get the part close and use a rasp or file while turning..it works! Even 60-80 grit sandpaper will help!

[Bob Vallaster]

Long-and-skinny predisposes a spindle to whip. A steady rest is handy.
If you don't have a steady, you can sorta make do by supporting the area behind the cut with a light grip over the turning. Requires finesse...
It is also helpful to work from tailstock end toward the headstock, so the drive end retains cross section to resist twisting in reaction to your cutting.

BobV

[David DeCristoforo]

Since I began to participate in the forum, there is one thing that always surprises me and that is the idea that a tool would be "sharp enough" to cleanly cut wood coming directly off a 120 grit grinding stone. If one were to suggest this on the "Neander" forum or any other woodworking forum for that matter, they would be met with, as Monty Python put it, "hails of derisive laughter" (but polite derisive laughter… after all, this is SMC!) You don't mention how you are sharpening but I would look to this before anything else.

[Gary Conklin]

Since I began to participate in the forum, there is one thing that always surprises me and that is the idea that a tool would be "sharp enough" to cleanly cut wood coming directly off a 120 grit grinding stone. If one were to suggest this on the "Neander" forum or any other woodworking forum for that matter, they would be met with, as Monty Python put it, "hails of derisive laughter" (but polite derisive laughter… after all, this is SMC!) You don't mention how you are sharpening but I would look to this before anything else.

So curious to me how many have this opinion, when so many pros sharpen this way???

[Roger Chandler]

A "scary sharp" skew honed on a stone or diamond sharpener would give you the best cuts and least tear out!

Time consuming, but the results will speak for themselves.

[Mike Davin]

Since I began to participate in the forum, there is one thing that always surprises me and that is the idea that a tool would be "sharp enough" to cleanly cut wood coming directly off a 120 grit grinding stone. If one were to suggest this on the "Neander" forum or any other woodworking forum for that matter, they would be met with, as Monty Python put it, "hails of derisive laughter" (but polite derisive laughter… after all, this is SMC!) You don't mention how you are sharpening but I would look to this before anything else.

You are right on David, that is exactly what I am doing. I do deburr with a diamond stone or fabric backed sand paper for gouges.

Mike

[David DeCristoforo]

"So curious to me how many have this opinion, when so many pros sharpen this way???"

Well, I'm no "pro" and I am aware that, for most turners, this is considered an acceptable level of sharpness. On the other hand, having spent most of my woodworking life striving for "the perfect razor sharp" edge on my cutting tools, I have a hard time grinding a tool on a 120 grit stone and just leaving it at that. In addition to my 8" grinder, I also have a horizontal water stone grinder with a 1000 grit stone. I find that honing on this stone produces a much better edge on my skews and gouges. Of course, you can't use a Wolverine jig on the horizontal stone but I have many years of practice sharpening "by hand" on bench stones so it comes more or less naturally to me. I do use my scrapers right off the 120 grit grinding wheel because I find that they cut much cleaner if I leave a bit of a burr on them.

[Mike Davis NC]

I sharpen all of my cutting tools to 600 grit at least and some up to 2500 grit then strop on leather with 50,000 grit diamond dust. I have been doing it this way for over thirty years because I had no one to tell me I was wrong and now i won't change. Lately I have been ridiculed by some pros and some pro wannabes, but they don't have to work in my shop nor I in theirs so I let it slide off.

To me sharpness makes a tremendous difference in the speed and quality of the cut and once achieved takes little time to maintain. But, when you let it get dull then it is dull and you have to start over to make it sharp again. That could mean back to the grinder or it could mean back to the 325 grit diamond plate.

Sharpening by hand takes little time and is actually faster and more accurate than using jigs once you learn what to do and get the feel of it.

[Gary Conklin]

"So curious to me how many have this opinion, when so many pros sharpen this way???"

Well, I'm no "pro" and I am aware that, for most turners, this is considered an acceptable level of sharpness. On the other hand, having spent most of my woodworking life striving for "the perfect razor sharp" edge on my cutting tools, I have a hard time grinding a tool on a 120 grit stone and just leaving it at that. In addition to my 8" grinder, I also have a horizontal water stone grinder with a 1000 grit stone. I find that honing on this stone produces a much better edge on my skews and gouges. Of course, you can't use a Wolverine jig on the horizontal stone but I have many years of practice sharpening "by hand" on bench stones so it comes more or less naturally to me. I do use my scrapers right off the 120 grit grinding wheel because I find that they cut much cleaner if I leave a bit of a burr on them.

David, to be clear, I wasn't criticing your methods. Just sharing a thought.

[David DeCristoforo]

"David, to be clear, I wasn't criticizing your methods..."

No worries. Your comments were not taken as such. We are simply discussing... right?