Lucas beading tool in use
john lucas
OK I won't hide my beading tool. I think it's similar to Wally's except with about 30 or 40 years less experience. It's a Thompson 3/8" detail gouge. This mirror was made up of scraps from a local company that used to do custom wood interiors for vans. I glued enough scraps together to get a handle and mirror body. Pain in the butt doing that and trying to get it aligned properly.
The handle was the hardest thing I think I've turned in a long time. Somehow the glue joints must make it more flexible than most woods. I left it extra thick and still had a nightmare turning this. You absolutely could not put any pressure on the bevel at all. I was trying to stabilize it with my fingers like I usually do on spindles half this thick and still had trouble. Also either the glue joints or the different texture of the walnut and maple made it burn my fingers.
I usually turn a handle in about 15 minutes but I barely got this one roughed to round in 15 minutes. You had to take the tiniest shavings and if the tool wasn't razor sharp it still chattered. I think I sharpened my rough out gouge 4 times trying to get it done. Usually I can turn 3 or 4 handle before I have to sharpen that thing. Same was true with the thompson detail gouge. I would turn about 4 beads and have to sharpen. I turned then entire mirror head with the spindle gouge without sharpening and no problems.
Anyway it came out pretty good.
