Any of you turners out there:

What tool should I be looking for to make shoulder cuts on reel seat inserts? Ive been looking in the catalogues and see theres thicker square parting tools(3/8 1/2) and also beading tools. Any input?

Ive got a thin parting tool which cuts a nice sharp shoulder but Im running into problems when it comes to turning the smaller dia down to size. The gouge or scraper I have will cut the corner off before its down to the desired depth. My parting tool is so thin(1/16) I cant dig in turning away from the shoulder as it just chatters.

Scott

[www.solwaycustomcomponents.com]

Beading tool for shoulder cuts????? You might be thinking of a Bedan. Great tool, French turners use them alot. Kind of strange but works well. I like using a bedan for making accurate tenons with a nice sharp shoulder. A skew can be used too.

Bedan for sure. I have a 3/8 inch model that I use for many types of turing, including shoulders. Robert Sorby makes what I think is an exceptional one. Crown also makes a good one, and for less money.

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I have an 1/8" parting tool that works very well for that purpose - and in addition, it is exceedingly usefull in other areas of woodturning I'm finding out. A French Bedan is a also a very nice tool - have not used one, but a guy in my woodturning club has one. Actually, they are really very similar... What you can do is use one of those tools to establish the shoulder and diameter for the wood that the reel seat goes on, then use your skew or detail gouge (I prefer skew), to finish the rest of that cut. You would not want to use your thin parting tool - I have one of those too, and they are really just for parting pieces off of the excess stock, or cutting a wood round in half for making lidded boxes, etc. Bear in mind, I just started learning to turn about 2 weeks ago, but this is my impression of what all these various tools do.

I do much the same as Rich, I use a 1/8" parting tool and repeat the plunge cutting to the end of the piece and then come back with the skew to straighten out the work piece. I don't have a Bedan but after looking at one on line I may have to invest in one. That does look like it would be a better option. MB

Thanks

Ive ordered a Sorby Bedan tool. AND a 1/8 parting. The bedan seems to be just like a square parting tool with more side clearance. The price is not that bad on Sorby tools here. I looked at some US sites and its like daylight robbery. Crown are pretty reasonable as well.

Scott

[www.solwaycustomcomponents.com]

I use the 1/8" parting tool to establish a "close" depth at the shoulder then use a small round nose scraper to reduce the barrel portion. I may need to use the parting tool to dress up where the scraper could not fully get but for what I do this works well enough.

John