Recycling Those Little Used Lathe Tools

[DocStram]

The early results of the poll on "How Many Do You Have?" is interesting reading. Unfortunately, as I already suspected, I have too many lathe chisels of various assortments.

Which leads me to the big money question. How can I put those little used lathe chisels to better use? And, how do I go about grinding them down to turn them into specialized lathe tools?

Suggestions, and, especially, pictures of how you have recycled your lathe chisels would be appreciated!

Maybe eagle will even show us his butter knife.

 

[ctEaglesc]

Doc
YOu aven't seen a butter knife?

 

[Chuck Key]

These were made for function and not for show but since you asked[]

The top tool is made from the cutoff from a foot long 1/4 inch drill bit with a walnut handle. The bottom is an allen type wrench that came packaged in a Put it Together your Self unit. The handle is a cut off from a pool que. They are ground as needed for the job at hand, currently using them as hollowing tools for XMAS ornaments.

<br />

Chuckie

 

[Dario]

Not what you might have in mind but a friend makes his own tools as shown on pics below. I think these cost him less than a 20th of the similar (but much prettier) commercial versions. Literally nickel to a dollar...and cheaper after the initial investment on the handle is taken cared of.

His turnings are amazing too...proves that it is not only the arrow that matters...it is also the Indian. []

FYI, I will be making similar tools soon (I hope).

Hope this gives you some idea.

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[chigdon]

$*#, those sure are some ugly tools -- I love them!

 

[whatwoodido]

Scrapers, scrapers, scrapers. Any tool that can be turned into a scraper, should be ground when a specilized scraper is needed. I have had people cringe when I take perfectly good scraper (typically a recycled tool) and regrind it for a specific bowl, or box. But then I end up having to grind one of theirs to match it as soon as they try one of my weird grinds.