This won't work, right?

[Shawn Pachlhofer]

if someone else hasn't mentioned it - if it's like any router bits I have - you'll have 2 large cutting surfaces contacting the wood at the same time.

maybe grind one of them off?

[Ron Rutter]

if someone else hasn't mentioned it - if it's like any router bits I have - you'll have 2 large cutting surfaces contacting the wood at the same time.

maybe grind one of them off?

Shawn. Doing that would create unbalanced forces & vibration on the bit & also the wood as well, as those bits don't have small surfaces. Not good! Ron.

[Shawn Pachlhofer]

holding a router bit steady and rotating wood around it - you're basically using the bit as a scraper.

imagine you took a round-nose scraper and stuck the entire cutting surface into the wood. Not good.

now double that by having 2 cutting surfaces in the wood at the same time - double not good.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Brian I haven’t read every post here totally, so I maybe saying the same thing others have said already.

To get a nice finish in endgrain isn’t easy with scrapers, and as you have found vibration is a problem, lots of that is from the clearance in the bearings, needed to be able to turn and worse if the bearings are close together, not much you can do about that.
What does help is using a cutting tool rather than a scraper, and I have used the Termite made by Oneway, it will cut both green and dry wood, there is very little chance of catches if you use the tool as recommended.

Here is a link that shows how the tool cuts and how to hold it, also another link to a tool review about the Termite tool, it should help you make a decision if this is a good tool for you, I would think that it is 1thumb.gif

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtMDAmQyBU0

http://www.newwoodworker.com/reviews/termitervu.html

[Brian Brown]

I have a termite tool, and it works well in end grain. Not so good in side grain. It leaves a rough surface, and clogs easily. Also, end grain takes the edge off somewhat quickly, and sharpening is not the easiest thing to do.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I have a termite tool, and it works well in end grain. Not so good in side grain. It leaves a rough surface, and clogs easily. Also, end grain takes the edge off somewhat quickly, and sharpening is not the easiest thing to do.

You are right about it not being a sidegrain turning tool Brian, there are certainly much better tools for that.

It is strictly a endgrain turning tool in my opinion and what I used it for, it does a reasonable good job on the inside grain like in turning a goblet and hauling the tool up the inside.

As for sharpening,I picked up a used router and leave it set up with the grinding point in it, any time I want to use the termite I clamp the router in the bench vice,and then the sharpening is quite quick and easy.

[Richard Wolgemuth]

Here is a video of a guy doing exactly (if I understand correctly) what you are trying to do. He is making acorn boxes and not goblets, but he demonstrates that a router bit can be used: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9CtwaY4hxA
It is a long video and the router bit portion is about 18:50 into it. Hope it helps.

[Mark Greenbaum]

I usually start my hollowing with a Forstner bit, then scrape the inside corners and bottom to get the interior where I like it.

[David Delo]

Here is a video of a guy doing exactly (if I understand correctly) what you are trying to do. He is making acorn boxes and not goblets, but he demonstrates that a router bit can be used: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9CtwaY4hxA
It is a long video and the router bit portion is about 18:50 into it. Hope it helps.

Well, learn something new everyday.

[Brian Kent]

Hey, thank you Richard.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

Brian - when I learned to hollow from Dave Schweitzer, he showed me how he uses a cheap spade bit to drill the central hole. Grind off the central point of the bit, then grind the bottom of the bit to whatever profile you wish on the bottom - gently rounded works well. Remember to sharpen each wing separately - so they cut in the same direction - and you can drill all the way to the bottom of the vessel. When you hollow, there's no nub to worry about.

Seems like this would work for your chalices. You may still have the issue of trying to scrape end grain (it is a scraping cut) but it's cheap to try. Spade bits are pretty inexpensive.

[Marvin Hasenak]

I use a modified round nose scraper, I increase the rake on it, to about 50 degrees. That works for me.

[Tom Sherman]

Brian, I realize I am late to this thread, but you might try this website, http://woodennicol.com. Jeff has a drill bit he has sharpened like a bowl gouge that eats up end grain easily. Check it out.