Parker

[blacky]

Al told me that you turn strikers and that you would be more than willing to answer a few questions for me.

I am having problems with the peg end of the strikers and have been looking for the secret to turning that small diameter. I read last night that I should turn in one direction only. What do you think of that?

I also watched a video of a guy making icicles and learned from him how to wrap my finger around the peg and it does help a lot. It does almost eliminate the chatter.

I use a round nose scraper for most of my turnings and have played around with the skew but haven't got that one down yet.

I am sure as time goes by I will have more questions.

By the way, it's nice to meet you.

[VECtor Calls]

Hey blacky!   ;D

Dunno how much help I'll be.  I'm far from a professional.  I've watched Jerry French (Poor Valley Calls) turn one striker on his lathe, and I've gone out on my own since then.  My method works for me, but I sure doubt its the best out there. 



I dunno what you mean by turning in one direction, you'll have to give me some details there.


When I'm making a striker, I turn the whole stock to round first, at the thickest size I will be working with.  (which will be somewhere in the head  ;) ).  I do almost all of my cutting away work with a 3/8" spindle gouge.  I bought a 1/4" and it cuts away wood too fast for me.   

Next, I work the head to the size and shape I want it to be.  Including parting tool vee's and burn lines......everything but the sanding. 

Then, I work down the stick.  Don't work down the stick more than say.....1/2" longer than what you will cut it off to be.  If you make it longer, it will bounce on you more.  (You may be trying to make your stick too long compared to the thickness also).  The 3/8" spindle gouge won't get you the SUPER smooth cut here, so I go back in with a......????? flat scraper????? and clean things up a bit.  I still do the finishing work with 150 sandpaper.  Once the size reads on my calipers to what I want it to be, I finish smoothing it round with the 150. 

My sanding sequence is 150, 180, 220, 320 and XXXX fine steel wool.  All my sandpaper is Kingspor Gold........it works out VERY well for this kind of work.  The steel wool I buy at Wally World. 

I think the only strikers I've ever had break on me are dymondwood ones, and that's because they have no give.  If you make the wrong cut with them, the game's over.   ;D  Dymondwood sure makes an awesome peg though.   8)

I hope I've helped.  You'll have to let me know if you have any further questions.

Parker

[VECtor Calls]

And I'll probably get ripped for this by some other makers, but when I'm turning strikers, I run my lathe as fast as it will go!  Fast speed and sharp tools gets the job done faster in my shop.   ;)

Parker

[Braz]

Thanks for the info Parker. I found it to be helpful. I'm with you on the speed. If you have really sharp tools, a fast speed seems to me to be more controllable. At least for me.

[blacky]

Thank you for the information. It has helped.

What I mean by "turning in one direction" is this. After I have turned the large end of my striker and put the lines, grooves, etc. there I start turning the peg end. I work from the large end toward the tip of the striker(one direction). I read somewhwere that if you do it this way there will be less chance of creating catch points in the wood.

One other thing. I am turning between centers and know that this creates problems when doing strikers. I need a chuck and have hinted to the wife. I will have to wait and see if she took the bait.

Thank you again and if there is anything I can ever do for you, give me a shout.

blacky

[VECtor Calls]

(HEY!  THIS IS POST #100 for the website!   :D )

I don't have a problem working my tool back and forth.  I usually get catches when I try to take away too much wood too quickly.  If I'm using a forgiving wood like cherry, I get my one chance to slow down.  If I'm using dymondwood and it catches, I get to chuck up a new block of wood.   ;D

I also turn between centers.  The only time I use my chuck is when I'm drilling a hole in a finished head to drop a cherry dowel in.

How about this blacky.....are you drilling tiny pilot holes in the ends of your original stick so you get a positive grab from point to point on the centers?  This is a must for dymondwood, and I do it with others too.

Parker

[VECtor Calls]

Where do you think things are not working out blacky?   :-\

Have you slid your tail stock towards your head to make sure it matches up point to point?  If it does, I've got to think the problem is trying to turn too long of a striker for the small diameter of wood you're wanting to get.  (Or the type of tool you're using, or its sharpness).

Parker 

[blacky]

Yes, I drill a 1/16" hole in the center and make two cuts with my bandsaw 90 degrees of each other for the headstock piece to fit in.
I haven't tried the line up example you suggested but will for sure.

I have been beginning with a piece of 1" x 1" x 10" piece of wood and just this morning was told that if I could cut 1" off of that and make it 9" long it would help some.
I am open to any help or suggestions you or anyone else has to offer and rest assured I do appreciate it.

I am going to also work harder at getting my centers perfect.  that may be part of the problem as well.

Thanks again.

[VECtor Calls]

I have been beginning with a piece of 1" x 1" x 10" piece of wood and just this morning was told that if I could cut 1" off of that and make it 9" long it would help some.

 ;)  I think we found your problem.  My finished product is around 7 3/4".  Start out with 8 1/2" to 8 3/4" stock. 

If you want your original stock to be 10", you're not going to be able to make your striker pegs very thin.  I know there's quite a few calls makers out there that make their strikers this way, but I sure don't like the way they sound. 

I don't think you need to do the 90 degree cuts to lock it in either.  To find the center of my original stock, I use one of these:  http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=291-001  If you don't have one, shop around, cause they can be found for a whole lot less than 10 bucks.  One of the most used tools in my shop. 

Check those centers too.   ;)

Parker

[blacky]

Parker, I have and use that same center finder.

My strikers are 7 3/4" long as well mainly because the fit the clamshells I package them in.  lol

I tried moving the tail stock to the head stock and it is dead on so that is not my problem.

When you are turning the peg end of the striker do you turn down somewhere close like a 1/2" and then work from the tip back in 1" sections. I have been told this will help also.

[VECtor Calls]

I don't do that method the way you're talking, no.  I tend to work the whole section down evenly. 

Welp.....I think these are all the tips and thoughts I've got left bud:

Try using a 3/8" spindle gouge.

Make the head of your striker be down on the tailstock end. (is this how you do it?)

Start out with as small of a blank (length wise) as possible.

Parker

[blacky]

I have tried it both ways. With the head of the striker on the tail stock end and the other way around.  I don't see much difference but will try the shorter stock to see how that works.

I appreciate all the information you have given me and if there is ever anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask.

Thank you so much.

[VECtor Calls]

No big deal blacky.  Ask away any time.  I don't have too many secrets when it comes to my call making. 

Parker

[Poor Valley]

This looks like a good place for a first post so here goes:

I cut strikers similar to Parker but with a few differences so I'll just run ya through my technique and maybe ya can pick out a thing or two of interest.

I like my blanks just a shade under 1" square and about 8 1/2 in long. I cut the X with a bandsaw and eyeball centermark the tailstock end (no drilled hole) and mount er up on the lathe and turn at a medium speed.

I only use three chisels on a striker. A 3/4 in spindle gouge, a 1/2 in spindle gouge and a parting tool.

I turn the head on the tailstock end making a parting tool cut to depth for the shaft. No more cuting on head. All other cutting on head is done with the 1/2 in spindle gouge.

Now to the shaft(mine are mostly 5/16). I use the 1/2 in gouge to reduce the entire shaft to just over the required dia( little less than 1/2 in) working the entire length at once , Reduce to finish dia at the end useing the parting tool. Use the 3/4 in spindle gouge to finish the shaft. Sand it and cut to length with a small saw with the lathe running(when it starts to wobble)turn lathe off, remove and snap the waste off the end.

OK----here is how I get away with this method. First the tools have to be very sharp, very sharp and don't get in a big hurry. I believe 90% of your problem is here. I use a cardboard sharpening wheel and when sharpening I run it and the lathe and sharpen and test and repeat 'til I am satisfied. When the shaft is still slightly oversize I switch to the larger gouge and take very light full length cuts. That gouge is much stiffer than a scraper and does not need the "proper angle " of approach that ascraper might. The wider gouge also makes it easier to keep the dia even.

Hope some of this helps.

[Al_at_THO Game Calls]

That was a good post, thank you.   Makes sense with the larger gouge at the end.   I think I will try that.  I love my scrapers though.  But not so much that I wont try something different.

thanks again

Al @ THO