Box Turning Progress

[Waka]

Since making my first box a couple of weeks ago, I've been practicing on size and types of wood. The photo's show where I am to date, please critique because that's the only way I'm going to learn.

I have a question regarding the small boxes and getting the sides nice and smooth before applying the sandpaper. For me I find it difficult using the bowl gauge in such a small space. I was thinking that a tool ground so that it scrapes on there side of the tool could be useful.

Am I away with the fairy's here, or does such a tool exist?

 

[mikebeetle]

Looking good. Use a skew chisel chisel for the outside and a side cutting scraper for the inside.

 

[nev]

You can use a scraper to clean the sides prior to sanding carefully pushing the tool in at 90 degrees to the base of the box with the handle just above horizontal. I use either the round or the square depending on the inside bottom shape of the box (rounded or square corner). or you can splash out on dedicated box scraper e.g.

http://www.turners-retreat.co.uk/tools/ ... -unhandled

http://www.axminster.co.uk/henry-taylor ... ment-tools

http://www.stilesandbates.co.uk/product ... n/M269_MST

http://www.turningtools.co.uk/projects/box/box.html

 

[CHJ]

Waka, it's a bit trial and error finding what works for you, and it will differ slightly for different woods, the more you do the more you will find you are instinctively picking up the tool that seems the best.

Keep your eyes open for second hand flat and more rigid square section tools and grind them to give you the shape that you feel comfortable reaching into the boxes to clean up that little niggle.
This is the sort of thing I use to get into that last little corner, cutting edge on front face and side, ground less than 90dg. so that only one face is cutting at any on time.

I use a square carbide tip for a lot of boring work emulating how you would approach the task on a metal lathe.
Then if needed because of grain tear some gentle shear scraping with the tools as linked by Nev or home ground equivalents.

Important thing to remember is that for best cutting and finish a turning scraper works best for finishing if it has a freshly formed burr as you would on a cabinet scraper, used in a slightly trailing edge mode. Look for candy floss coming off the tool and no chattering.

 

[chipmunk]

One of the key aspects you need for effective scraping down the inside side-walls of boxes is relief beneath the cutting edge so that the bevel doesn't foul the side-wall beneath the cutting edge.

One nice way to achieve this is with a round bar like the Crown scraper Nev linked to. These tools are easy to make yourself from round HSS bar. You can grind it like a un-skewed skew chisel (Les Thorne uses such a tool for his boxes) or grind a long bevel on the top half-way down and then a short scraper'ish bevel on the bottom and you have the Crown or Rance box scraper with a negative top rake.

HTH
Jon

 

[Waka]

One of the key aspects you need for effective scraping down the inside side-walls of boxes is relief beneath the cutting edge so that the bevel doesn't foul the side-wall beneath the cutting edge.

One nice way to achieve this is with a round bar like the Crown scraper Nev linked to. These tools are easy to make yourself from round HSS bar. You can grind it like a un-skewed skew chisel (Les Thorne uses such a tool for his boxes) or grind a long bevel on the top half-way down and then a short scraper'ish bevel on the bottom and you have the Crown or Rance box scraper with a negative top rake.

HTH
Jon

Jon

Thanks, I haver a lot of information to digest to make sure I get the right tool.