Beading tools choices

I've got a LN...

John in New Mexico

>and at the risk of offending the loyalists, I'll say its got a problem. The fence will not stay set, so one has to be very careful to re-set the fence when it starts to wander (less than 6 passes). I have no idea if other brands share this problem or not, but I'm assuming its an inherent difficulty with an adjustable beader, given the amount of drag involved. Still beats making a dedicated tool for each profile you want to cut!

John

Re: Beading tools choices

Jack Guzman from Maine

>I love the look of the KSWTW beader but it's pricey.I have a Stanley 66 I got cheap at a flea market.I bought a set of blades from LN and made my own fence with a piece of wood and a screw. It works just fine. I plan on making a new one out of brass but it's not a hurry project.The Stanley's are fairly common on ebay but a complete set(with blades and fence)will probably cost about the same as a new LN.If you do get the KSWTW please post comments.---Jack

Try this...

jim reed @ tallahassee

>If your fence is wandering, it is due to badly fitted/adjusted fence or less than optimal technique. Make sure the fence fits in the groove. Use a washer between the screw *on top* so that the contact points are the washer on top and the fence on bottom. It should snug down pretty well. You may need to file it slightly to make it fit the slot. As for technique, set the cutter to barely protrude and make light passes. Once the cutter bottoms out, advance it about 1/16" and make a few more passes. This is what works for me. Good luck.

Mine as well.

Paul Kierstead

>The fence on my LN also has a tendency to drift. Once it starts to move, I can move it with my fingers with some effort. If I move it some more, it will suddenly become free. It seems the track it runs on is not consistent in thickness or something.

It's an odd thing. I thought it was just mine. I use it a few times on very light jobs with no problem, but last weekend did a heavy job (curved end grain maple on) which it ruined (well, I ruined as I didn't notice the problem) and I was forced to use the powered fellow to router in a cove instead to remove the damage. Worse thing was that I thought it was my fault in that I was not keeping the fence snug (and that irritates me far more), but then discovered the fence had moved.

I'll try the lighter cuts...

John in New Mexico

>That may be the problem.

Thanks Jim

Re: I've got a LN...

GolfSteve in Calgary

>I haven't had a problem with my fence moving. How are you arranging the little paper? washer? I put the fence in place in it's slot, then on the top I put the paper washer, then the brass washer, then the bolt.

I think the problem is...

jim reed @ tallahassee

>the fence. It should ride freely in the track. If it does not you should file it (gently, the brass is soft and comes off easily)until it does. What may happen is that instead of being snugged down, the fence is just wedged into the track. When you apply force against the wedge, the fence will move.

Got a mess of 'em

Neal in San Jose

>I have the out of production KCTW Windsor #5. It is a beautiful tool; very high quality. It works well, but is fussy to set up. The blades it came with aren't profiles I use, so I begged some off-cuts from Ron Hock from his blade making operations so I can grind my own profiles. I don't bother to harden them since I only cut a few feet of any given profile. If the new #7 is made to the same quality standards, and I expect that it is, it should be a beautiful, good working tool

I have an Ohio 066 with a couple of original blades which I seldom use, again since I don't have profiles that I use. I suppose I could make (or buy from LN) new blades, but I just haven't. I have used it enough to be comfortable that it also works well.

I also have two Lee Valley beaders. These are the wooden handles with the dowel-like thingey that the blades clamp in, and locks with a thumb screw. Is this what you are talking about loosening up and moving? I haven't had that problem, and these get used quite a lot. I rounded the end off on one of them with the belt sander(fence end) so I can cut inside curves, and can swap the dowel-tool holder back and forth. One thing to watch out for when taking the tool holder out of the handle is there is a brass washer in there that will fall out. If that washer isn't in place, I suppose the thumb screw wouldn't lock down securely.

What I'm saying is that it's pretty easy to scratch a profile on wood. At least straight grained American hardwoods, which is all I've done. The only time I had any issues with a slipping fence was a few days ago when I was using an electron powered scratch stock (router) to hog off most of the excess so I could refine it with a PROPER tool. Stupid fence slipped and I ruined a table apron. Serves me right, I guess!

Re: I've got a LN... *LINK*

Bill Sams

>I purchased a LN for job this winter. I had no problem running the 3/8" bead. Definitely had to make light cuts and change direction for grain. Took 4 hrs to shape the bead on 4 arc pcs and 2 elliptical pcs plus 1 extra. See the link for photos.


http://jwsjoinery.com/jws/officecabinet.html

Re: I've got a LN...

mikew

>Gorgeous work, Bill. Simply gorgeous.

Take care, Mike

New vs shop made

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>I have a Stanley #66 with the LN fences and LN blades. It works just fine. I also have a home-brewed scratch beader ala LV, as I was given the blades that goes with it (incidentally, they will fit a #66, but not great), and this works well too (not as well as the #66).

But my favourite is to make scratch beaders (from scraps of wood) and blades (from old bandsaw blades) ala Garrett Hack. These work extremely well.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: problem...

paul womack

>As for technique, set the cutter to barely protrude and make light passes. Once the cutter bottoms out, advance it about 1/16" and make a few more passes.

That sounds rather prone to risking messing with angle and/or distance from the fence during the adjustment.

BugBear

Fantastic work Bill.

Ian Smith (Sydney Australia)

>

Not really

jim reed @ tallahassee

>The angle is the same and is set when you clamp the cutter into position. Sliding the cutter down does not affect the relative position of the cutter to the fence. The fence stays the same and should not be adjusted during the cut.

Re: I've got a LN...

Donald Pierson

>Beautiful cabinet. Enjoyed the website. Nice to see what the pros do.

Magnificent work, and

Wiley Horne

>there doesn't seem to be anything the matter with the LN tool either!

Wiley

Wow impressive work!

Frank D. in Montreal

>

Thank you all!

Bill Sams

>

Oh man!!!

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>

Re: Not really

paul womack

>Probably true and manageable for simple beads. I wouldn't fancy trying it with some of John Lloyds mouldings.

The approach recommended in many old sources is to have a deep (front to back) stock body, and run the stock on the body edge. As the cut progresses, a simple yaw twist motion lowers the blade into the cut, until at full depth the body is perfectly square to the work.

BugBear