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Knowledge You Can Build On — Est. 1998

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Home made beading tool

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Home made beading tool

#1

Home made beading tool

john lucas

After watching Harvey Meyer do some basket illusion pieces I thought it might be fun to try and make a beading tool that works similar to the Dway. I took a 3/16" HSS steel cutting bit. I used a 1/8" green Dremel grinding wheel. I mounted the wheel in my metal lathe chuck and then fed the bit into it by mounting it in my tool rest. I fed it in a little and the raised the bit and fed it again. Took a while. that steel is hard. The grinding wheel overheated the bit but that won't hurt HSS.

Then I ground some mild relief on the both sides. I got the points too thin and they chipped off so I simply ground them round. Still seems to work as you can see by the test piece of dogwood behind it. YOU use this tool flute down and the points must be on the center line.

The beads came out pretty clean.


Re: Home made beading tool

#2

I made a similar tool several years......

JamieDonaldson

...ago, and it has a nasty habit of skating sideways with the sharp wings. The only solution I could find was to "white knuckle" the thing on the tool rest.

Re: Home made beading tool

#3

Re: I made a similar tool several years......

john lucas

Didn't have a bit of issue with that. I think the trick as Harvey said is to have the points at dead center. Have the tool at a steep incline angle, handle down. Move the tool rest until the tip of the tool is exactly at the center height of the lathe. then with the flute down gently push it in rocking it left and right so the wings cut. the instant the top touches the top of the bead stop. If you go further it is a pure scrape and can leave the top rough.

If I have time I'm going to try and make one by hand using a less hard metal. Most people don't have access to a metal lathe.

Re: Home made beading tool

#4

Re: I made a similar tool several years......

john lucas

I should say the Dway tool is far superior. Thicker and easy to control. If money wasn't a problem I'd buy one in a heart beat. However I don't plan to do much of the basket weave. I never really want to copy anyone just want to learn the technique because you never know where a new trick can take you.

Re: Home made beading tool

#5

Re: Home made beading tool

Harvey Meyer in Atlanta

John - that tool looks exactly like the beading tool I made. I used it a lot until I got the D-Way tools. The one I made was about 3/16" and it worked very well. Now that I've used D-Way beaders for at least 5 years, I have to say D-Way wins.

Re: Home made beading tool

#6

Re: Home made beading tool

Craig Daymon

One of the turners at Bucks Woodturners would grind single flute drill bits to make beading tools, for relatively fine beads. Wide variety of sizes available. Pick up one of those boxes of drill bits that Woodcraft frequently puts on sale and grind away. When you grind a flat on the bit, you get essentially the same form.

Re: Home made beading tool

#7

Re: Home made beading tool

john lucas

Not sure where you find single flute drill bits. I was in town today and decided to look. did not find any. Of course you can find them online.

Re: Home made beading tool

#8

Re: Home made beading tool

Craig Daymon

Probably doesn't require single fluted, just that's what came to mind was used. Whatever those 120 bit boxes from Woodcraft (or other places) that go on sale cheap quite often would be. When grinding the flat, you are grinding to expose one flute and leave 2 sharp points on either side to start/shape the bead with.

Re: Home made beading tool

#9

Re: Home made beading tool

john lucas

I have a ton of old drill bits. I'll try that when I get back from Atlanta in a few days.

Re: Home made beading tool

#10

Dick Hines

Re: Home made beading tool

dick hines

I saw a post "someplace" where a old spindle gouge was used to make a beading tool.

If you have an old spindle gouge, and most turners have one. Grind the end off at a 60 degree angle. Grind the gouge with the flute UP. When you are done you have a great beading tool.

To use your new beading tool use it with the flute DOWN. Nice and easy and it already has a handle.

Re: Home made beading tool

#11

Re: Home made beading tool

john lucas

I saw bob Rosand do this many many years ago. I almost have a gouge ground down too that short finally so I can give it a try.