These pictures show a project I just completed. They are a 1/4 and 5/16 Oland tools, they are touted as better than a bowl gouge. I do not know if that is true because I have not used them yet. They were fun to make and very cheap about 6 bucks each. Similar tools sell at woodworking stores sell for around 100 bucks or more so I think these may be a true bargain. The bits are from a industrial supply house $2.75 they are metal lathe bits with a slightly rounded 45 degree angle grid. The shaft is just 5/8 bar stock from the hardware store. The end has been drilled to fit the tool bit. Then set screw were drilled and tapped to hold the bit in place. The handles were scraps. I got the design from a good web site called around the woods. Anyone just getting stared might want to give this a try ans save some money on lathe tools. I wish I would have known about this project before I spent so many $$ on lathe tools.
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Home made tools
Hi,
Nice work on the toold and they will do a decent job for you; however, they cannot be compared to the bowl gouge.
I have made some of those tools and find that they leave a fairly rough surface.
The tools that you made are scrapers, the bowl gouges cut or slice the wood, and leave a smooth surface if very sharp and used correctly.
Ray -
Instead of the set screw to hold the tool steel in the bar -- super glue CA can be used...Guy Cox
Life isn\'t like a box of chocolates...it\'s more like a jar of jalapenos.
What you do today, might burn your butt tomorrow.Comment
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Not a scraper
I have to disagree about the statement that the oland tool is a scraper. The tool is a cutting chisel used normally with the bevel rubbing. It can be used as a shear scraper just like a skew or gouge but that is not its normal function.
The oland tool properly ground sharpened and used will give you an extremely smooth surface akin to what you can get with a skew chisels.
It is an extremely versatile and I use one of them in almost every project.
I use my 1/4" tool the most as it is good for everything from simple roughing to spindle and hollowing work. I have a 1/2" tool I use for the big roughing jobs and a 3/16" tool for the smaller work. I even have a goose neck variation of this tool for hollowing. In addition to the standard bits for this tool I also have some hook bits that make end grain hollowing a snap.
In fact on most of the pens I turn I just use two tools my 1/4" oland and my skew chisel.
You can see pictures of some of my tools on my website.
A good site for information about making these and other tools is Around the woods
I just recently picked up a Shear Scraper Blade and my next tool will be a variation on the oland tool using it.Comment
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Thanks for you input Don, I would appreciate any other info about the use of the Oland tool. I got a chance to use it fotr the first time on a recent segmented bowl. It worked good. I did use my bowl gouge to. I am am not sure I have the oland tool sharpened correctly. I ground the tip of the bit to 45 degree and used my fingernail jig to round the edge and the bevel slightly. Thanks againComment
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Sharpening
It sounds like you have the basic grind correct. How much you round the bit depends om what you are using it for. For spindle and roughing work I have only a slight rounding of the edge. For hollowing work I grind the bit farther back on the sites more like a fingernail grind on a bowl gouge. This gives me more cutting edge on the sides which makes hollowing easier.
The site Around the Woods has some real good info on making your own tools and has videos of some of the tools in operation.
You can also get some ideas from the official oland tool site.Comment
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How is the tool bit shaped and sharpened? I took a look on the Around The Woods website and the photo really dosn't really show very well the cutting bit shape and geomerty.
JWCredidi me felem vidisse!Comment
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I just grind the face to a 45 degree bevel in a bowl gouge jig and then round the just round the end. If you go to you tube there is a video just search for sharpening oland tool that should get it for you.Comment
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Sharpening
Yes I grind the bevel at a 45 degree angle and round the edge of the bit. How much I round it depends on what I am using it for. For the majority of the uses I put it to I just slightly round the bit. For hollowing I grind the sides farther back.
This is one of the reasons it is better to use a set screw to hold the bit instead of gluing it in. This will allow you to have more than one bit with different grinds that you can change out easily. Also it will allow you to make some hook bits and change them out.Comment
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Shear Scraper
Here is a shear scraper I just finished making over the weekend.
It is based on the Roger Sorby multi-tip scraper and uses a replacement cutter for that tool. Here is a closeup of the cutter on the shaft.
I put this tool to use on my latest turning and it works great and best of all I have less than $20 invested in it.
For a full write up go to my websiteComment
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Don
That looks great. I wish I would have known about the oland tool design before I plunked down 70 bucks on my sorby milti tip. Do you sharpen the tool as shown in the sorby instruction or like a regular scaper ?Comment
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Honing
I will most likely follow the sorby instructions for now. I plan to extend the versatility of this tool by getting a round scraper bit from craft supplies USA and I will grind a couple of hollowing bits That can be mounted with a screw and washer.
I have a few other tools I am planning on making as well.Comment
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