SS Beading tool

[Racers]

Hi Chaps

I received a beading tool in my secret Santa, and I thought that looks makable, so I dragged my self in to the garage and set about making one.
I started about 1:30 and finished at 4:30.
I dimensioned a block of oak with my band saw and hand planes, marked the mortice for the blade and wedge and drilled out the waste and cleaned it up with a couple of floats I made some time ago.
Marked the cut outs for handle shape and band sawed them off and then cleaned up the handles with my Millars Falls cigar shave.
The wedge is made from an off cut of rosewood.
The fence it made from some stainless steel with a slot chain drilled and filed out, the blade is 3mm O1 steel cut to 6mm wide and hardened and tempered.
I think it turned out well.

Beading tool by Pete Maddex, on Flickr

Beading tool by Pete Maddex, on Flickr

Beading tool close up by Pete Maddex, on Flickr

Pete

 

[custard]

Very elegant, bet it works a treat too!

 

[Racers]

Thanks custard
It works well even though I haven't properly sharpened it, I left a bit on the bevels so I could sharpen away any decarburised steel left after heat treating, I will knock up some other profile blades when I get chance.

Pete

 

[AndyT]

Proper job!

As always, a casually expert standard of work.

 

[Racers]

Thanks Andy.

Pete

 

[ED65]

Nicely done! I love how the grain in oak changes in a shape like this.

Since the fence is SS would you happen to have any tips on drilling it? I've had a ******* of a time every time I've tried to drill pin holes in the tangs of stainless blades.

 

[Racers]

Thanks ED65.

No tips apart from a sharp drill and don't stop because SS work hardens, that's what the click click noise is its hardening due friction heat the chips breaking off.

Pete

 

[Racers]

I made a 4mm beading cutter using some more ground flat stock and some needle files.

Beading cutter by Pete Maddex, on Flickr

Edge bead by Pete Maddex, on Flickr

Makes a nice little bead.

I hardened it and gave it a final sharpen with some diamond needle files, the cheap sets you get from Aldi/Lidl.


Pete

 

[bugbear]

Superb!

BugBear

 

[Racers]

Thanks BB

Pete

 

[n0legs]

Fair play Mr M that's a little beauty =D>

 

[sunnybob]

Nicely done! I love how the grain in oak changes in a shape like this.

Since the fence is SS would you happen to have any tips on drilling it? I've had a ******* of a time every time I've tried to drill pin holes in the tangs of stainless blades.

To drill stainless successfully you need to slow down. Keep the speed as slow as possible and a steady pressure but not too much. High speed and excess pressure both cause heat, and thats your biggest enemy. A small amount of lubrication helps, but dont flood it.

 

[Bm101]

That's a clever bit of kit, the beading blade is very smart.
Pete, can I ask how you temper? I did a plane blade a while back using charcoal and a hairdryer, then tempered in the oven with a sand 'heatsink'. I have a little project going on at the moment and to save time I hardened it with a plumbing torch. Not 100% I got it to bright cherry red, maybe a little under shadewise but it should be hard enough for its purpose. Wondering if tempering in the oven without the heatsink (bit of a faff) would be okay.
Cheers.
Chris

 

[Racers]

I have used the BBQ and hair dryer method and tempered in the oven just on the oven shelf usually after Sunday lunch.
But the beading plane blades are small enough to use a MAPP torch, to temper I clean the blade and heat it with the torch about 20mm from the edge and watch the colours run towards the edge and quench at a straw colour.

Pete

 

[Bm101]

Thanks Pete. That's useful to know. I got the plane blade to straw yellow /light brown in the oven but it came out cooled a lovely blue shade, I didn't realise you could re-heat with the torch and quench to temper. It makes sense when you think about it. Still very new to this. Cheers again, keep the Mrs happy too!
Chris