These tools can be purchased from
Alan.
(You can click on any of the images to see a larger view.)
OneWay Spindle Steady as used in the baseball bat article by Alan appearing in the June 2007 issue of American Woodworker. This steady is for lathes that use flat rails on the bed of the lathe. You will need to send the distance between the rails of your lathe (as measured from above, and usually is between 1 and 2 inches).
This is a new tool made by Hamlet Craft Tools of England. The
smaller is 5/8" wide with a 14" handle, while the larger is
1-3/8" wide and comes with a 16" handle. Although these tools do not
have the edge holding properties of the Glaser and Lacer Skews, they are finely
made tools from a reliable tool steel (M2 high speed steel). These skew heavy
weights (made from 3/8" stock) provide more stability than most skew
available today. The short point side is rolled completely for improve ease in
planing spindle stock and for rolling beads. The long point side is kept flat,
but with softened corners—an advantage in make such cuts as the V, shoulder,
parting off, or pommels as shown in Alan’s videos. The cutting edge is an old
profile, not seen much today: a flat area just below the long point, moving into
a radius edge for the lower 2/3’s of the tool. Again, this profile facilitates
many of the cuts illustrated in Alan's
video. Also available in 2030 steel (a particle metal steel of high
wear properties)
These tools are factory ground and will still need some grinding and honing. Alan offers a sharpening and honing service for an additional $5 per tool -- they then come ready to use and "scary sharp."
Top shelf heavy weights for greater stability and ease of use.
Made from high wear A-11 tool steel for exceptional edge holding qualities. If
bought in the handled form, they come sharpened and hand-honed-ready to work.
The original diamond honing tool that combines both two flat
surfaces and two different radii to hone virtually any woodturning tool. Both
flat surfaces and both radii are electroplated with diamond--not glued! These
are made to the same specifications as a high-speed diamond-grinding wheel-and
should have an extremely long life as a hand tool.
It is 4 1/2 " in length, 2" in width, and is 1/4" thick tapering to 1/8" at the narrow side. Provided in 600 grit for turning tools. Finer grits available for carving tools.
A finer grit of 1200 is now available for carving
and bench tools or for turners
who want an extra level of sharpness.
This is not the honing stone that appears in some catalogues and uses Alan's name--those are flat hones with diamond only on one side.
This style of hone with two different radii and two large flat areas--all covered with natural diamond--is only available from Alan.
You have seen this in my videos and articles as an alternative
to a spur drive. I carry the Oneway Safety Drive that is an excellent choice for
this application.
I stock this in a #2 Morse taper (most common) and now have it also in a #1 Morse taper and a Shopsmith version.
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