My tools won't cut!

[JoAnn Duggan]

I was all set for a day of turning and sharpened my tools on my CBN wheels and when I went to turn nothing would cut. I have sharpened and resharpened, tried different kinds of wood and no matter which tool I tried nothing was cutting. Has anyone ever experienced this? I am a fairly new turner but this is the first time that this has happened. I am at my wits end trying to figure out what I am doing wrong. I took a class this past weekend and my tools were sharpened during the day and they cut like they were cutting into butter. But today they won't even scrape let alone get a curl. My tools are Robert Sorby's and my lathe is the jet 1221vs and this is the first time I have run into this problem. Please, can someone tell me what might be going on or what I might be doing or not doing.

thank you

JoAnn

[John Keeton]

Did you check to make sure the lathe was not in reverse?? Sounds crazy, but it happens - to all of us!

[Lance Mirrer]

Sorry if this is over simple, but when this happened to me it was because the lathe was spinning in reverse. Reverse is great for sanding, cutting left handed (from the back).


If your tool is not reacting at all, check the direction.

Good Luck!

[Lance Mirrer]

Did you check to make sure the lathe was not in reverse?? Sounds crazy, but it happens - to all of us!

Great suggestion, apparently we were both typing it at the same time.

[JoAnn Duggan]

John, you are an angel! Thank you so much. That is exactly what was wrong. I put it in reverse previously and must have forgotten to put it back. You just made my day as I was really disappointed at not being able to spend my day practicing what I had learned in my weekend class. I love this forum and have learned so much from reading it everyday.

thank you so very very much

JoAnn

[Dan Case LR]

John, you are an angel! Thank you so much. That is exactly what was wrong. I put it in reverse previously and must have forgotten to put it back. You just made my day as I was really disappointed at not being able to spend my day practicing what I had learned in my weekend class. I love this forum and have learned so much from reading it everyday.

thank you so very very much

JoAnn

JoAnn, please don't feel bad about this mistake -- I also have a 1221VS and this happened to me, too. If there's one thing Jet left off the 1221VS it's a big, flashing read light that says "YO! You're in reverse!" It's way too easy to bump that switch.

Enjoy!

D.

[Jamie Donaldson]

This is a great trick to play on visiting demonstrators!

[Greg A Jones]

My very 1st thought as it happened to me last week - bumped the switch when hitting the off button. Glad I'm not the only one. Definitely a "Doah!" minute

[Ian James Webster]

Been there - done that!!!!!!!

[Russell Neyman]

Glad the mystery has been solved so quickly, because this topic was going to draw a lot of sarcasm.

[Mike Campbell KS]

I recently spent a good hour drilling 4 pen blanks. They were some new kind of acrylic that I hadn't tried before. I was wondering why I couldn't go further than 1/4" at a time, figured my bit was very dull. WHOOPS!! Reverse was on.

[Harvey M. Taylor]

That problem is easier solved than buying a new bandsaw blade and putting in on in reverse. ' course I havent done that either.----not. Max

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I put a new bandsaw blade on, and yes it does cut installed upside down. What a POS blade. Checked it 2 times, (and cut wood) before I checked a third time and noticed it was in wrong.....

[Brian Kent]

Yes in turning in reverse.

Yes on reversed bandsaw blade.

And yes on one on one smokin' hot table saw blade.

[Mel Fulks]

Saw a movie with a lathe going in reverse .I immediately noticed the chips flying up and sticking to the work.