Tutorial on piercing ?

UKworkshop.co.uk

Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

OldWood

Established Member
Joined
1 Mar 2005
Messages
1,081
Reaction score
78
Location
Edinburgh
I'm making a pomander from a fairly recent WoodTurning magazine design which is pierced, but is the first piece I've tried with that feature.

Does anyone know if there is a tutorial anywhere on doing piercing or can give me some guidelines? I have a Dremel with a flexible shaft but don't know what tool to use, etc.

Thanks
Rob
 
nev":glzp8mgu said:
not so much a tutorial but a WIP and and this was done, here... http://aroundthewoods.com/laceorn.shtml

Thanks for pointing that out Nev, but sorry I found that last night and it doesn't really tell me anything on piercing such as if there is a technique and what tools to use.

Regretably that WIP is a little too like many of the magazine articles that are giving ideas to turners who know all the techniques, but are not detailed enough for those of us who now think themselves reasonably competent with the tools (ie we can cut the wood OK without catches, etc) but don't know about how to pierce for example and sometimes are left at odds with how a piece is held for the next turning operation. I do find it frustrating that The WoodTurner is so keen to get as much into each magazine that it is very short on detail as to how items are actually made - as the magazine is going to be bought in general by the less experienced turner this is a bad policy. (Rant over !)

Cheers
Rob
 
The main man for piercing is binh pho

He has a DVD

Binh Pho is much in demand all over the world to show his unique artistic skills.
In this presentation Binh demonstrates and explains in detail all the techniques he uses to produce those fine signature pieces of his. He also gives tips on what equipment he finds most useful. By the end you will be keen to experiment in Binh's style. 80 minutes.
£27
 
on the subject of DVDs, I've just bought, but haven't finished watching yet, Nick Arnull's new DVD, Ying &Yang, which covers, among other techniques, piercing. I think
In his DVD Bin Pho suggests some seriously expensive kit. Nick suggests some options which might be more suitable for someone just dipping their toe in the water.

Ian
 
Silverbirch":1r1fola1 said:
on the subject of DVDs, I've just bought, but haven't finished watching yet, Nick Arnull's new DVD, Ying &Yang, which covers, among other techniques, piercing. I think
In his DVD Bin Pho suggests some seriously expensive kit. Nick suggests some options which might be more suitable for someone just dipping their toe in the water.

Ian


Ian - that is amusingly ironic a piece of advise as it is Nick's article in the Woodturner that has been frustrating me and causing my rant!!!! I suspect it isn't really his fault but the text with his pomander designs is scant to say the least for the less advanced turner.

Many thanks for the suggestion - I'll follow that up. I should perhaps encourage you to watch all of the DVD and give us a review ! :lol:

And Blister - the less said about your advise the better; definitely bloody =D>

Rob
 
Blister":2e6k17tc said:
The main man for piercing is binh pho

He has a DVD

Binh Pho is much in demand all over the world to show his unique artistic skills.
In this presentation Binh demonstrates and explains in detail all the techniques he uses to produce those fine signature pieces of his. He also gives tips on what equipment he finds most useful. By the end you will be keen to experiment in Binh's style. 80 minutes.
£27


Can one get these in the UK Blister ?
 
Ian - that is amusingly ironic a piece of advise as it is Nick's article in the Woodturner that has been frustrating me
I have to admit to sharing your frustration, not necessarily with Nick,who is probably constrained in the amount of magazine space available to him. Articles on piercing do tend to say, in my experience, things like "taking a suitable bit, proceed to pierce the marked area". Yet when discussing other techniques, such as hollowing, there doesn`t seem to be the same reluctance to recommend types and specific brands of equipment.
I did notice that NA did have for sale on his stand at Harrogate, inexpensive piercing bits labelled as being for use with a Dremel. Didn`t get the chance to ask him about it, so bought the DVD instead.

Ian
 
Perhaps you could spend some time going through the necessary trial and error process, you may find your own unique style of piercing and a way that works better for you. It will save you the time of having to ask everyone else what to do, then when you know what to do you could always re-post your findings here!
 
mmmm.... thought the links above were sufficient and self-explanatory info.

Dental bur(r)s, high speed steel bur(r)s, tungsten carbide burrs - range and type depend on the power tool being used.

The NSK air powered unit require tapered types that are expensive, I can provide a link for these if required.

The dental burs shown in the link above work very well in Dremels and the larger pendant type flexi-drives.

Klein burs shown are probably the type demonstrated by Nick and work well for texturing too.

Efficient clean cutting requires high speed 40,000 revs+, patience will be required with lower revs and small, precise detail will be difficult.

I have an NSK air powered unit, a Foredom micro motor and Axminster pendant unit, each have their benefits and drawbacks.

Some piercing can be done on some shapes with a jeweller's piercing saw - a small and very fine bladed fretsaw type saw.

Anyone with a moderate capacity air compressor could also investigate a mini air grinder unit.

Wear protective masks as a minimum protection - fine dust is created.
 
Gordon is in hospital yet again, having French persons make him suffer hell. I have, however, just had them give me an internet connection so I'm back to a degree.

How you actually do the piercing is a very personal thing and you need to develop your own style. Phil has given you all the info you need really but I would suggest that as a start, on the assumption you have a compressor that you get one of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RDGTOOLS-...Air_Tools_and_Compressors&hash=item563e0ab0e9 It needs 6psi and uses quite a lot of air so a decent compressor is necessary.

Its a very good price and will give you the chance to experiment with decent revs. Dremel cutters are fine in it and various Dremel collets fit. I find the Dremel far too slow and lacking in oomph for real accuracy. I have no experience of the Foredom but it seems the business. If I can sell a few more bits maybe I could afford one but thats not going to happen stuck in here.

Sadly, this place has no lathe facilities. :(
 
Many thanks to all you who have replied and given advice.

I've ordered a batch of bits off Ebay, hoping they won't be chocolate steel, but do have to start somewhere. I've made a gash platter to experiment on also. I'll pass on the high speed air tool for the moment and take my chance with the Dremel look alike - air compressor + tool is just too much of an investment at this time of year (could put it on my Xmas Wish List - hmmm - and I've been looking for a reason to get a small compressor). I'll also look into Nick Arnull's DVD which must be very new as he mentions it in his blog but nowhere else on his site.

And of course I turned down an opportunity to go to Harrogate.

Anyway thanks again and if I do get somewhere I'll report back.

Rob
 

Latest posts

Back
Top