You my friend are definitely the Scraper Guru in my opinion. An excellent video, showing us all what can be done with practice and the correct technique, with the often maligned scraper. Take care Mike
About a month ago I asked a question on SMC about why one of my carbide scrapers would catch on the inside of a large semi-hollow form while a tool with the same cutter head would not. The only difference being one has a round shaft and the other had a square. You answered that question with something like “it would be easier to show you, so I should come to Portland this weekend and stop by your booth” or something like that. Well you showed me why in this video. It had to do with the cutter height and cutting at or above center or below. Since I had my tool rest set to cut at center for the square shaft cutter (cutter head on top of shaft), when I would switch to the round shafted tool and the cutter head was inset in the shaft, it presented the tool slightly below center. That few millimeters was the difference in the “Big Whammy”. Thanks Reed PS. I wish I could come down to the symposium in Portland this weekend, but family priorities prevent that. Thanks for making the video.
Watched this again, Reed, and glad I did. After I bought your Big Ugly several years ago, I soon fell in love with it and us it for all my bowl roughing, Love the way you explain what you do and why.
Robohippy...thank you for the video. I use my scrapers as a primary shaping tool. They're just fun as far as woodturning goes.I also get long streams of scraped or "cut" wood ribbons. They are my favorite tool. I do use others but none are as much fun...and that's the primary reason I turn. It's fun...it's relaxing,..it's my Zen ....lol
Great video! One day soon... I need my robo rest! Might I suggest doing a skew video for all the uses for a skew unrelated to woodturning? Opening paint cans, scraping caulk off of glass, taking gum off the bottom of school desks, lawn darts.... etc.
Verry interesting. Heard some new things I didn't know, helps me to build new skills. Verry good explanation also from a physics point of view. Thank you.
Great hunter killer technique. Way to get the most out of the weapons at your disposal. Outside the box is why we are unconventional. Thank you for adding to my inventory. It is something I will practice and develop. You just make it look so damn easy.
Dear sir The way you do woodturning is exactly the way that woodturners in IRAN are doing their job. And its all about the productivity as you have mentioned. They have their own chisels for this as well. 👍👍
Great info. Well presented. Impressive wood shavings nest all around your lathe at the beginning of the video. Thank you for sharing and keep up the good work. Reading some of the comments, you also seem very willing to patiently share your time, knowledge and experience. Well done.
Well my Friend, what a great video and Very helpful to someone like me that has only got into turning earlier this year. I like using scrapers and the finish they give on the right piece of wood. Your tip on mid to low outside and mid to high in side will be very helpful. Keep on making your videos and thank you. Michael UK
thank you for this excellent video hippy!!! very well explained, did get to learn a lot from you, thanks alot buddy!! keep up the good work & be safe! greetings from Switzerland. peace!
I really appreciate your videos and your knowledge. Been very inspired about your way of doing things. I like your straight / no nonsense aproach :) Looking forward to more videos from you thank you
I haven't been turning long, but the difference between scraping and cutting is how you present the tool. A flat scraper is just a flat skew with 1 bevel instead of 2.
Great to see this new video from you , as always a fantastic demo & straight into my collection for the many reruns it will get. warm regards from Australia......( Dave.... not Janet >>> Narf )
Very interesting and informative, I have not seen a bowl turned using a scraper start to finish. You cover some important aspects of scraper use. I do a lot of metal lathe turning various materials, how the stiffness of boring bars-like a scraper, various depending on the type of steel as well as its thickness. A solid carbide tool, boring bar or scraper is so much stiffer than high speed steel of the same proportions, the problem in a metal scraper would be the high cost of solid carbide. Just a small point, light is only refracted when passing ‘through’ a solid transparent object, a glass lens or prism, it can also be reflected at the same time. Light is only ‘reflected’ from non transparent material. Sharing knowledge is learning and what we are about. There is a lot you know about wood and turning that I don’t, so always happy to have small points explained. Thank you for sharing your skills. Greetings from Tasmania Australia 👍😁🇦🇺🦘
I’m really looking forward to future videos. Planning to buy one of your tool rests and a Big Ugly tool in the very near future. Thanks for your educational videos.
Thank you very much for busting the myth about the use of scrapers full view and Like Mike waldt mentioned this video All the best and happy scraping:):) Yiannis (Athens Greece)
I'm trawling wood turning sites as I'm just starting out you guys make it look so easy but I'm getting there thank you all for making & your time to produce these video's Regards Steve UK London
It is a Robust American Beauty. I think they are up to $10,000 now. It is Made in the USA. I also have a Vicmark 240, which is their pivoting headstock lathe, and love it. A bit more difficult to find in the US now.
Reed, I am a four-year beginner turner but 74 years old. However, this old dog can learn new tricks but the secret is practice, practice, and practice. I sincerely appreciate your videos because they are both informative and easy to comprehend. You provide excellent insight in what to do and what to avoid. Many thanks and keep the videos coming. John von
Hello there Reed. I'm a newb. Don't even own a lathe yet, but I own a couple of scrapers. I use them when I'm working at my mentor's shop until I get my own. He's quite surprised as to how can handle a scraper. It's not one of his favorite tools. I do have a problem with them in the transition area within the inside of a bowl though. They want to BITE HARD !... ;) in that area. That's why I'm watching this video "again"...
I do have another video where I turn a bowl with just scrapers. The problem with the transition and your tool wanting to take a big bite is, most of the time, you go from having just the side of the scraper, if you are going down the side of the bowl, in the wood, and then when you get to the bottom, you have the side and the nose in the wood at the same time. You end up with twice as much of your cutting edge in the wood. If you know it is coming, you can prepare for it. Mostly I want a 1/4 round profile on my scrapers, so straight across the nose then rounding over the side a little bit, but not sweeping way down the side. Make sure to ease up when you get to the transition area. For most bowls, a scraping cut is great for heavy roughing, but lousy for a fine finish cut. You need to learn gouges too.
Thanks to you, I "discovered" scrapers. Use them almost entirely on the inside of bowls. I use two bowl scrapers and then a round nose for sheer scraping. Still use a bowl gouge for the outside. Don't know why, I just never think to pick up a scraper, I guess. I've noticed you've not posted a video for some time. I hope you haven't quit. You always went into the "why" of things, not just the "how". If I know the why, the how is nearly always apparent. Thanks for your time,
I’ve been playing around with my scrapers and really find them an asset for bowl roughing. Been turning a small box and have used them there with success. I ordered a Small Big 🤔 Ugly scraper and should be receiving it soon. Looking forward to playing with it.
With the Big Ugly tool, I can turn multiple bowls without having to sharpen. With standard scrapers, well the M42 D Way, or V10 Thompson, I generally sharpen every bowl. Depends some what on the wood. I did turn a glue lam beam into a bowl, and the glue is hard on the edge. I had to sharpen the Big Ugly a couple of times in order to rough it out.
Reed, on average size bowl, how many times would you estimate ur having to get a new burr on your scrapper. Also, what is your “go to” sharpening angle at the cutting end of your scrappers? Thank you, Really like your teaching videos.
Reed, I have some nice 2"-3" diameter segments about 7" long of Dogwood. Very hard! Are very hard woods ok for turning or best for the fire place? Great lesson . Thanks. Mike
Dogwood is a beautiful wood to turn, smooth even grain. Those could make very nice box blanks, small hollow forms, vases, chalice type forms, or other things.
MT..I had an old man I'm friends with (88) give me some dogwood. My bowl looks kinda like a Palmetto horse pattern with large areas of dark and light. It really surprised me how nice that wood is. He also gave me a huge piece of Mulberry and it too was a beautiful patterned piece of wood. It was light and aged to a rich golden color.
Reed, what’s your take on steel types in turning tools? Is the difference between M42 and V10 negligible? I look at scrapers as more of then sledge hammers of turning tools (even though I will typically do most of the bowl with them) ; do you think tool steel impacts scraper performance?
My friend Larry Karlin, who did a sharpening video with me, turned little myrtle wood trays for over 30 years. He couldn't tell any difference in edge holding. I have heard some say that the M42 is easier to get a really sharp edge on, but I haven't noticed that. It is more about how you sharpen. Other than that, the Tantung, which is what I use on the Big Ugly tool, is harder and wears better, but won't take as fine of an edge as the other metals, but it does a lot better with honing. I can get almost as good of a surface with it as I can with a skew, but I am not very good with the skew. Stellite is another metal, and I had a few pieces of it. It is a bit finer than the Tantung.
All of my scrapers cut with burrs. With the Big Ugly tool, I can hog out maybe as many as 10 bowls before I sharpen it, and I probably could do more. That tantung holds an edge almost as well as carbide, but sharpens easily. My scrapers are at around 70 degrees..
Well, I turned on a 3520A for 8 years before getting my Robust. The remote won't stick on the ways of the lathe, it is in the way on the banjo, I have to bend over pretty far if I put it on the lathe tube, just found it easier to keep it where I was already used to having it. For another reason, for emergency shut off, I just take my hand off the tool shaft and hit the off button with the left hand. If I had it on the other side, I am holding onto the handle with my right hand and would have to switch hands or reach across my body....
More than anything, that is where the controls were on my old PM 3520A that I got 8 or so years on. With the Beauty, the bed is stainless, which isn't magnetic. It is in the way on the banjo. I would put it up on the wall I guess, but if anything does explode, I would not have to switch the tool to my left hand to turn the lathe off. Just old habit I guess.
Great video as always. What is the name of the steel used to create the "big ugly" tool and where can I find some? I watched a video where you and Fred Uggla used silver solder to attach the metal to a steel bar but I didn't catch the type of the steel used for this scrapper. How many times did you sharpen this scrapper, if any, during this demonstration? Thanks again.
Ralph, the metal is called Tantung. It is cast rather than forged. I do have a few scraps left. Most of the time, it is difficult to find pieces 1 inch wide. Not sure if my e mail is linked to the video channel or not. The Big Ugly was only sharpened before starting to film the video. It holds an edge for a very long time. It can be honed to a very fine edge as well. I do have a video up on how to make them as well.
Hi from Airth Central Scotland. As a new learning turner thanks for the video, lots of info gained. Is what you were doing here in the video the same as if I were using carbide tipped tools ? Thanks again - Jim
Yup! I figure the popularity of the carbide tipped tools is that most of them function just like small scrapers. They are very efficient for removing a lot of bulk very fast, especially on bowls. The exception are the Hunter carbide tools which are small cups and are intended for shear cutting, which means they are at a 45 degree or so angle and work more like a bowl gouge. In most cases, the scrapers will not leave a good finish on bowls, even with very light cuts. You still need gouges.
@@robohippy fantastic ! Thanks for the advice. I have a good decent set of carbide tools to get me started quicker (I've got all the tools, lathe & shop machines I'm ever going to need but I've another 4 weeks to wait before my workshop build is complete) & a cheap set of traditional turning tools to learn on (& ruin) with the plan of replacing them with better quality ones when I learn more on using/sharpening them etc. Thanks again & I'll continue to watch & learn from your videos👍👍👍
You should know better, you only think you have all the tools and shop machines you are ever going to need...... I do suggest getting the better tools first, they just work better. With jigs, sharpening is simple. Do find a local club as they all have mentors. Do check out Mike Waldt over in Whales. Excellent turner, good guy, and lots of videos!
None of these scrapers are NRSs. I will have a video out on that later this year. The NRS is for fine finish cuts, and not for the heavy duty roughing and cutting I do here.
I use Easy wood carbide insert tools for rounding the pen, shaving brush handle, and other blanks. I use skew for the final finish. I am thinking to buy a scrapper and looking for a video. I learn to watch youtube and craft supply store video on how to turn. from the first item, which was a little bit not perfectly turn sold it for 40$(shaving brush), after that never had trouble. I do better works than somebody 30-40 years experience(sold on eBay what I made ). It all depends on your accuracy. I sometimes do not follow the right rule for woodturning, but never had a problem. Quality tools also very important according to my experience to produce a good item. Looking for Henry's Round-Nose Scrapers, which has a reasonable price. I have a micro lathe and small place for work at the kitchen corner, If I had a garage or workshop, then maybe made larger items. I made good money even with those small items.
My shop is always 'cluttered'..... If I am doing a production run of bowls, I do push the shavings aside. One other benefit is that with wet wood, if you let the shavings sit for a day or three, they weigh about half of what they do when fresh cut.
reed you opened a new door for me on scrapers,,,i seen on you tube where someone was using a diamond point scraper for roughing,,,i tried it and I think it does a good job,,didn't know if you have ever tried it,,
I used to have a spear point scraper, which was a Richard Raffen signature tool. I am pretty sure the intended purpose of it is for shear scraping, which is another video of mine. I wouldn't use it for roughing, though it could be I guess. Main thing is I want the cutting edge in line with the handle, which for bowls, the 1/4 round is lined up like this. The curve on the 1/4 round is also better for creating the transition from bottom of the bowl to the walls. If I used the spear point for this, I would be cutting with the edge at about a 45 degree angle to the tool rest, so more sideways than straight on. It might work okay on the outside, and maybe for drilling a center hole for the inside, but it wouldn't work for the transition area. Drop the handle and with a good burr, you can sweep right or left on the outside of just about any form. I really do like shear scraping. Spear point would not work well for shear scraping on the inside of a bowl.
I listen to the sound of the scraper and it loud. meaning much stress is about...with the English grind..bowl gouge.. u shaped. never loud sounds..it just peels away wood..seems a shaper need much sharpening like a high maintenance old truck...lastly the scraper just pulls end grain out..creating fishing issues later..
I use it for roughing. It is far more efficient at removing bulk than the gouge because it doesn't come off of the wood. When roughed out, one or two passes and the bowl is done. I can turn with the Big Ugly tool for half a day without it needing to be sharpened.
In some videos, scrapers only produce what is slightly larger than sawdust. Your scraper cuts ribbons like a sharp gouge. What's the difference??? As always, an informative video. Thanks, John
Well, I am turning wet wood which helps. The scrapers are not scary sharp, just a burr from a 80 grit CBN wheel. I turned a bowl out of a laminated door header beam and it was mostly dust. If I am doing end grain in dry wood, I can still get shavings. I think it depends on the wood more than anything. If i am turning a dry wood bowl, the shavings are smaller...
Dear Reed, every now and then someone comes along and blasts everything you know out of the water. That was amazing. I have to ask about your jumbo scraper. It looks like you have laminated a top piece of tool steel to a standard base. The combination doesn’t flex and that is part of the story. The other part is that the burr you can create seems to last forever. Anything I make on my standard steel scrapers only lasts a short while and never produces the thick, wide shavings that yours does. I’m assuming that the key is the type of steel that’s sitting on the top of your scraper body. Any clues as to metal type? Why I ask is that with my access to blacksmithing, I can weld two dissimilar pieces of metal to make a smooth laminate. Cheers. WOOPS: I see another video of yours that covers this topic. My mistake.
Well, look up my video on the Big Ugly tool. The metal on top is tantung which is almost as hard as carbide, but can be sharpened on standard grinders. The tantung is put on with a torch, and silver solder ribbon, or a couple of strips of standard soldering wire. The solder will not wick in all the way so putting it on from the outside does not give good adhesion. I do still have a few pieces left. You can e mail me about it. M42 HSS is not quite as good, but can take a good burr.
@@robohippy Yes, I poked around and found the video you mentioned. I sat gobsmacked watching it and can say that you have turned my woodturning world on its ear. I don’t have a lot of money to spend on turning tools @ grinding setup and this approach seems like it could be far simpler and cost effective. Thanks.
Love your video. lm a newbie so i would have liked to have Seen the difference between to much burr and what is more appropiat. Not trying to be an Ass.just giving you my opinion/ keep yout videos coming please.!!!!
Well, if I am understanding your question, should I have gone into more detain about the burrs? I am continually experimenting with edges. I used to only use the 80 grit CBN wheel for raising my scraper burrs. Went to the 180 grit wheel and it works fine. I have been using a 600 grit wheel lately and that seems to work fine as well, but can't tell if it is better than 180 grit. With the Big Ugly tool, I don't bother with anything beyond 180 grit. Burnishing a new burr doesn't seem to be any better than the grinder burr. Might last a little longer, but no real cutting difference. I really need to do a video on NRSs, negative rake scrapers...
I wonder if you are still monitoring you channel as it appears you aren't making any more videos... too bad, love your videos. I'm guessing you made your big ugly? Is there anyway for a person to buy one?
whats the point i guess if you are in the back woods and have never heard of gouges and skews this is your tool but its the most inefficient tool there ever was
It is only inefficient if you don't know how to use it. I do have just about every tool there is because I have to experiment. Most efficient tool for removing huge amounts of wood faster than any gouge can.
There are some 'thumping' sounds, but they come from the lathe, and would vanish if I was using the tailstock. Yes, there is tear out, but that is because I am doing roughing cuts. Scrapers, when used on bowls will leave tear out going down the sides, more or less, depending on the particular wood, because they are going down through the fibers. They leave a fairly smooth surface when you sweep across the bottom because you are more parallel to the grain, and for many, this is a method that people use to smooth out the ripples that are common along the bottom of the bowl.
It’s different..you talk about the line of Fire...you have a dovetail Chuck.. weak holder...your turning huge wood..a split in the wood bowl is off..you using a scraper with a huge bite..all of these add up to a bowl flying off the chuck.. I have turned huge oak..green for 40 years..I use an English grind..bowl gouge..3/4..I never used a Chuck like most do until recently.. I use steel 6 inch face plates with 6 to 8 number 12 screws that are never longer than 2 “.. these are on the inside of the bowl and their holes are gone later..some of my out of round blocks weigh over 150 pounds..point is.i have never lost a bowl or had one fly off....I started using the dovetail Chuck and most split and fly off..seem all you guys on utube preach usage turning..one of fire...think about this..I am back to faceplates and screws..too unsafe...! plus a 3/4 inch English grind just peels wood much clean and faster with less inpack to the what’s bolder the wood on the lathe.. to many folks getting hurt..
I have turned thousands of bowls with the dove tail chuck. I have never split one. I did have a few fly off until I learned to make the dove tail properly. For a 150 pound blank, I would use a face plate for turning the outside. I would use a big chuck with big jaws for turning and coring the inside. A 3/4 inch gouge can peel off a lot of wood. How fast you remove wood depends on how sharp your tools are, how much horse power your lathe has, and how hard you push on your tools. If you are splitting bowls, and having things fly off, then you didn't learn how to properly mount your bowls with that method. If your method works for you fine. I found that method to be more time consuming and less efficient. Just like the scrapers, a more efficient tool for removing bulk than the gouge, and people have forgotten how to use them.
Say what you may reed..seems you have issues..you ranked me..I been turning for 45 years..yet you ranked me.. why..time to understand...there are other opinions.. you deleted my comments and then blocked me.. try to grow up.. I am old to.. just not hateful.
Terry, I have no idea what happened to your comments. I don't even know how to delete them. I answered your comments as they were posted. My responses come from experience, which I guess is far more than you have. If you would listen, you would be able to figure out what I am talking about. I got 3 separate comments from you about the missing responses, and they are not up here either. No clue as to why.
