pipemakersforum.com

scotties22 wrote:I face all my shanks on a pin gage with the Easy Wood Tools square cutter. Super easy to get a straight cut the first time. They make a small EWT you can pick up for $60 at Woodcraft (you can find it cheaper other places...). It is all I use to face shanks and cut tenons.

Scottie, I'm having a hard time finding that tool on the woodcraft website. is it called a square cutter? is it similar to the one in the link in the OP?

Here it is. It is the Easy Start Rougher with the Square cutter head (You can get one with a radius too, but I like the square the best).

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/154714 ... -Tool.aspx

Set the bamboo up on the pin gage and make sure there is enough room to get the easy rougher between the end of the bamboo and your chuck. Taking very light cuts move the cutter head straight in to the pin gage. you can watch the gap between the pin gage and the front part of the cutter head to make sure you stay square. These cutter heads cut on both sides and the front, so it's really easy to face stock on a wood lathe with them.

The method Scottie describes is the easiest and most accurate way to face squarely on a wood lathe, IMHO, and the way I do it. The square cutter by it's own nature faces at a 90 degree angle as long as your front edge is parallel to your pin gauge which isn't hard to do. I face my shanks the exact same way with good results. Obviously, a metal lathe is better suited for this task but if you don't have a metal lathe this is the next best thing.

wdteipen wrote:The method Scottie describes is the easiest and most accurate way to face squarely on a wood lathe, IMHO, and the way I do it. The square cutter by it's own nature faces at a 90 degree angle as long as your front edge is parallel to your pin gauge which isn't hard to do. I face my shanks the exact same way with good results. Obviously, a metal lathe is better suited for this task but if you don't have a metal lathe this is the next best thing.

thanks Wayne, and Scottie. I appreciate the advice. I just broke down and ordered a pin gauge set and will pick up this turning tool as soon as I can. with the pin gauges, I'll have to start out using the tools I have. Off we go!

cheers,
Jeremy

SUCCESS!!!

Okay, I had to share my evening's proud papa moment.

I've been banging my head trying to get a nice facing,
and I just couldn't make it work, light gaps all around.....

If only I had one of the fancy tools that Scottie mentioned....
If only I had a metal lathe....
If only I had a tool that was kinda like this, or this...

Wait a minute, I've got this steel rod....
And maybe if I.....

Tonight, I made a turning tool that allowed me to perfectly face bamboo, and ebonite, and delrin,
and mate stem to shank.

YES.

It's not pretty,
it's not unique,
it's maybe not a big deal to make a tool, for some of you guys,
but tonight, I solved a problem that's been killing me, and made it work.
feels good.

Just in time for IPSD, tomorrow.

Ta da!!!
Necessity is the mother of invention as the old saying goes. The nature of what we do requires a lot of one-off hand made tools and cutters, particularly with lathe tooling.
Trying to snake a tool into a tight spot with out getting your knuckles broken is always a challenge.
Good job!.

Good thinking! I have many self made tools also. What a feeling when it solves a problem!!!!!

Good job dude.

andrew wrote:Also, don't spin the bamboo too fast. Bent pieces can flex (center of mass isn't spinning on the spindle axis) and cause a gap on the mating faces. Just make sure you knock off the shoulder on the bamboo mortise. That will help with gap issues without providing you with the little gap Jeremiah is talking about.

There is a method for straightening bamboo used by bamboo rod makers. It involves heat and a wood piece used as a lever to gently bend the bamboo as straight as your eyes and arm power can do. Is anything like this used prior to drilling/facing?

Sent from my HTC0P3P7 using Tapatalk

i've always done bamboo on the drill press with a counterbore. step 1 make sure counterbore is razor sharp , step 2 stick bamboo up through drill press table and clamp with v blocks. sometimes treat the top with ca first to get a nice cut.
bending bamboo can be done with a propane torch and something to clamp it with. stand torch on bend and move bamboo back and forth without any pauses until it steams out the ends, don't burn it or dry it out or it will break. bend it slowly. clamp, let cool a few minutes. i use this method to bend straight pieces. should work to straighten also. torch toasts it slightly.