WTB: Pimo (or other) Tenon Turning Tool

JohnCongleton · Post by **JohnCongleton** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 10:12 am

Anyone got a tenon turning tool they can part with?

thanks,
John Congleton

bscofield · Post by **bscofield** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 12:49 pm

I wish I were able to get rid of mine!!! Buy I'm more likely to take mine out and put up on a fence post and shoot it with my 3030! I've had it up to here (*holds hand up to forehead*) with having to work the tenon face to get it straight with the shank face...

bscofield · Post by **bscofield** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 1:44 pm

I suppose that there is a wobble... how else would I keep getting a crooked tenon?! Basicaly when spinning a new stem with a fresh tenon in my hand the tenon is not at a right angle with my stem. The face of the tenon (really the face of the stem that faces the tenon) waves up and down when I spin it. I usually assume that it's because I'm not holding it straight on the pin...

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 2:01 pm

Some time back I posted a quick how-to on the PIMO tool. There is a learning curve, and it takes patience, but it can be a very precise tool as long as you take into account its construction. I don't recall that I ever had a problem getting my tenon and stem face straight - but I also don't have a problem doing the same thing on a wood lathe, so take that into account.

If you haven't read that post, look it up and give it a good read. It's worth it if you're going be using one of those tools.

Also, to drill the airway, you can either use the .128" bit that PIMO sells, or find a 1/8" bit that's slightly oversized. I used a bit from DeWalt with black oxide finish, and it was exactly oversized enough to provide a snug fit that did not result in stem damage (no wobble and no snapping).

RadDavis · Post by **RadDavis** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 6:26 pm

I had a tenon cutter like the kind that JH Lowe sells, and like Kurt, I replaced the pin on it with a 1/8 drill bit. I never had a problem with wobble or a flat stem face.

Rad

bscofield · Post by **bscofield** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 6:59 pm

well herein may lie the problem. I have bits from jhlowe that do not require any drilling. They do provide for some wobble. So are pimo bits tight enough to just drill straight?

RadDavis · Post by **RadDavis** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 7:21 pm

If you are using Guidici (sp?) bits , they are the same ones I use.

They don't *require* drilling, but the hole in them is just a little less than 1/8, so while they are drilled out a little when cutting a tenon, the main purpose of the bit is to give a snug fit and keep the stem from wobbling on the tenon turner.

Rad

bscofield · Post by **bscofield** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 8:17 pm

are Guidici's what Tim W. sells? If so then I guess that's what i have. However I get quite a bit of wiggle room when I cut the tenon with the pimo tool, but you said you use the JHLOWE tool tho... Hmm. I need to solve this problem. It's not getting any easier the way I'm doing it AND there doesn't appear (to me) that there is a solution with the tools I have.

Rad, You have the JHLOWE tennon cutter where you replaced the rod for a 1/8" drill bit, right? How did you replace this? Does the tennon cutter from Tim allow for this rod to be removed? I wonder if mine does... haven't check (doh!). How do you cut the tennon? Do you rest the stem on the base of a drill press (that's what I do) and drill by pressing down? Where am I going wrong?!?

bscofield · Post by **bscofield** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 8:18 pm

John, sorry for hijacking this post

But hopefully your getting some good info before you make your purchase, eh?

JohnCongleton · Post by **JohnCongleton** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 10:40 pm

Yep - trying to take it all in. My stems showed up today. Not sure how much longer I should put off ordering the tool from pimo.

RadDavis · Post by **RadDavis** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 12:39 am

I don't have the cutter any more. I sold it when I got my lathe.

I had my tool threaded to fit an arbor on the buffing head that I use to carve pipes. It turns at about 1100 RPMs. I just put the cutter on the arbor and while it was spinning, insert the 1/8 drill bit into the hole in the stem (tenon end

. I held it with my hand.

The stem is drawn down the bit toward the cutting bit on the tenon cutter, and you actually have to hold it back a little. You aren't guiding it in any way, just slowing it down as it approaches the cutting bit Cut the tenon to where you want, and pull it back off the 1/8 bit. Using a drill press in the manner you described sounds complicated, and hard to control. If you've got your cutter mounted on your drill press, just try running it up by hand.

As far as replacing the pin, my tool had an Allen set screw that I loosened and took the pin out. Put in the 1/8 drill bit and set the screw again.

Tim West sells Guidicis as well as a number of other brands/types of stems. But if you bought vulcanite stems, it shouldn't matter who made them. They should all cut the same.

Hope this helps,

Rad

bscofield · Post by **bscofield** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 10:19 am

As far as replacing the pin, my tool had an Allen set screw that I loosened and took the pin out. Put in the 1/8 drill bit and set the screw again.

Problem: The nut to take out the original guide has no way to center the new drill bit. It has to compress it up against one side...

bscofield · Post by **bscofield** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 11:22 am

To use a larger draugh hole through the stem? it's quite large is the problem. The original guide pin goes from 1/8" where it's in use guiding the stem to somewhere around a 1/4" where it is held in place. To go larger means to go larger than 1/4".

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 3:20 pm

RadDavis wrote:I had my tool threaded to fit an arbor on the buffing head that I use to carve pipes. It turns at about 1100 RPMs. I just put the cutter on the arbor and while it was spinning, insert the 1/8 drill bit into the hole in the stem (tenon end . I held it with my hand.

Oh thank God I'm not the only one that did it that way! I still drill stems through with a 5/32" bit in that fashion - I find it provides the most accuracy and best tactile feedback if there's a problem.

Here I thought I was a weirdo.

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 3:24 pm

bscofield wrote:Problem: The nut to take out the original guide has no way to center the new drill bit. It has to compress it up against one side...

Yup, you've got to get one that's oversized. The pin included with the tool is slightly more than 1/8" - so you either need to shim it, or find a drill bit that's closer to .128".