RS2000 SYSTEMInstruction Manual

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Several bowls can be madefrom one blank with minimumwastage

TCT SLICER RS205

The hollow ground nose of the tungsten carbide tip allows deep plunge cuts, at anyangle, to remove cones from bowls and vessels. The Slicer can also be used as aheavy-duty parting tool. The Slicer should be mounted in the Main Handle with theSide Handle assembled at a convenient position on the Slicer blade. It isrecommended that the side handle be placed in the VERTICAL position tocounteract downward forces.

Mounting Side HandleThe Side Handle requires Collar (RS203C) & Stud (RS203S) for use with Slicer orHooker. The components are quickly assembled and can be readily locked in anyconvenient position.

Using the Slicer to produce several items from one blankTraditional bowl turning techniques are usually wasteful in terms of material andtime, and become particularly uneconomic when using expensive exotic woods. Thefollowing techniques enable several products to be made with minimum wastage.

Utilising the outside wastageMaking a picture or mirror frame

Fig 1.A) Mount the blank securely to a faceplate or screwchuck.B) Rough down to round with a suitable bowl gouge.C) Cut a groove (say ¼” deep x ½” wide) to accommodate thickness of glass & backing plate.D) Part in a little deeper at the inside edge of the groove.E) Remove the outside waste, at an angle, with the Slicer.

Fig 2.A) Mount a suitable spare block to the screwchuck (say ¾” thick).B) Cut a rebate to suit the inside Ø of the frame and about 3/8” deep. NB. The edge of therebate should have a slight taper to ensure a good push-fit for the frame.C) Push frame into woodchuck.D) Shape the outside and front of frame.E) Finally sand & polish.

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Turning several bowls from one blank

Fig 3. Having produced the picture / mirror frame, replace the bowlblank and shape the outside. NB. The shape illustrated (fig.3)assumes reversed holding with spigot chuck -alternatively, adovetailed recess could be cut to accommodate expanding dovetailcollets.

Fig 4. Illustrates a series of plunge cuts at various angles, with theSlicer to 'cone' the inside. Begin with a 1" deep cut. Remove theSlicer and make another cut to the side of the first cut and about 1"deeper. Continue to make side-by-side cuts to penetrate to thedesired depth.(with comfortable clearance on both sides of theSlicer!) The cone can be broken away when the root is down toabout ½" to ¾”Ø. If the grain runs parallel to the spindle, then theroot of the cone should be reduced to about ¼” to ½”Ø . Havingremoved the cone, the inside of the bowl can be turned with agouge in the conventional manner.

Utilising the coneFig 5. Remount the cone by original holding method. Reshape theoutside to accommodate reversed chucking as before (Spigot /Dovetail collets).

Fig 6. Resecure blank as Fig 4 and slice a cone from the centre asbefore. Remove the cone and shape the inside. NB. This processmay be repeating several times depending on the diameter andthickness of the original blank. WARNING – DO NOT ATTEMPT TO 'CONE' WITH THE HOOKER– THIS COULD BE DANGEROUS!

Resharpening the Slicer

The 400 grit Diamond Sharpening File RS224 provides asafe and simple method of sharpening the tungsten carbidetip. DO NOT attempt to sharpen the hollow flute! A few lightstrokes across the TOP face of the tip is sufficient to restorethe cutting edge. Dip the Diamond File in water occasionallyduring use.

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THE REVERSIBLE HOOKER RS210This tool enables internal shapes to be cut safely. Hitherto, this workwas either impossible, extremely difficult or even dangerous! Thespecial hook design, fitted with the multi - purpose HSS Cutter RS222,allows you to make both aggressive roughing cuts and also finishingcuts. Alternatively, the Swivel Tip RS211 can be used (see below). TheHooker has TWO seatings and is reversible for either inboard oroutboard work. The side handle can be assembled at a convenientposition on either side of the Hooker for right or left handed use.

IMPORTANTThe toolrest, as illustrated, should be far enough away from the workto allow only the straight portion of the shank to make contact withthe toolrest!

The Hooker in useFig 1. The majority of wastewood can be removed quickly from theoutside with the Slicer. These rings could also be turned intopicture/mirror frames as shown on page 2.Fig 2. Rough shape the outside and decide upon the method to beused to hold the bottom. The illustration assumes the use of a 2"Øspigot.Fig 3. Final shaping of the outside can be done after the work isreversed.Fig 4. Initial removal of internal waste can be done by plunge cuttingwith the Slicer or alternatively with a saw tooth machine bit held in thetailstock.

Extension Shank RS204When working very deep vessels, it may be necessary to fit theExtension Shank. This provides an extra 9½” reach. It may also benecessary, in certain situations, to fit the Side Handle to the ExtensionShank rather than to the Hooker.

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Fig 5a. Rough out the majority of the inside using the smallaggressive tip of the HSS cutter -or use the Swivel Tip.

Fig 5b. The HSS cutter may be rotated by slackening the Allen cap screw select the larger curves for finishing cuts.

Fig 6. The Sorby 977 calipers are recommended for measuringwall thickness.

Sharpening the HSS Cutter - Fig 7This is best achieved on the bench grinder. By grinding 'square across'and in line with the centre of the wheel, the hollow grinding produces acutting edge on both sides. Alternatively, a few light strokes with theDiamond File will be sufficient to restore the edge without having toremove the cutter from the Hooker.

Using the Swivel Tip RS211 – Fig 8The Swivel Tip is supplied with a semi-circular Cobalt Steel cutter andlonger No. 10 UNF Cap Screw for mounting to the Hooker. The noseform is ground to coincide in shape and size with the clamping discsand therefore allows the cutter to be set to remove a controlledthickness of shaving. The clamping discs act as a depth stop for eachpassing cut. The small radius point is best for aggressive roughing cuts.

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Dual Purpose Shank RS215

The Dual-Purpose Shank RS215 (as a scraper)The Dual Purpose Shank mounts directly into the Side Handle RS203. The nose ofthe shank is fitted with a No. 10 UNF Alien cap screw for holding the HSS CutterRS222. The 10° seating allows the shank to be held horizontally yet produces theaccepted working angle for scrapers.

Shear ScrapingScrapers are normally produced from rectangular section material and, as such, areused flat on the toolrest with the handle raised to produce the 'trailing angle' (Fig1). By mounting the cutter to a round shank, shear scraping can be achieved. Fromthe horizontal position, simply rotate the shank through approx. 45° (Fig 2) - thisproduces a slicing cut which gives a better finish and eliminates any tendency forthe scraper to dig-in! If, for any reason, the cutter should 'bite', then the roundshank will allow the tool to move SAFELY AWAY from the cut!

Use light cuts in a down-grain direction. The direction in which the scraper shouldbe moved is indicated in the two illustrations where the grain runs in oppositedirections (Figs 3&4).

The difference between cutting and scraping is that the angle between the upperface of the blade and the surface being cut is greater than 90° when cutting (Fig 5)but is less than 90° when scraping (Fig 6). Shear scraping is achieved when thecutting edge is tilted to the side (Fig 7). This causes the shaving to slide down thecutting edge rather than bounce off the blade in an upwards direction. This slicingaction leaves a much smoother surface than conventional scraping.

The Dual - Purpose Shank (as a Chatter-tool)The Allen Cap Screw must be removed and replaced in the opposite side of theshank.

NB. This serves TWO purposes:-

1) It prevents losing the Cap Screw.2) The Cap Screw engages the slot in the Chattertool Collar and provides positiveforward location for the Collar. The 10° seating on the shank is also grooved toaccept the hardened spring steel chattertool cutters.

The Chattertool in useChattertool Cutters work best on the end grain of hardwoods but can also be usedon acrylics and soft, non-ferrous metals. Set the toolrest above centre and farenough away from the workpiece (about 1½ to 2") to allow the shank to pointdownwards and provide additional clearance for the cutter to vibrate (Fig 8). Whenusing the Chattertool for the first time, select the Pointed Cutter and allow the tipto project about ¾” from the Collar. Aim to cut on centre and apply sufficientpressure to set the cutter vibrating. You can use either the point or the side of thecutter to produce varying designs. Experiment with different cutter lengths.

The following will also produce different patterns:-

1. Change rotational speed2. Cuts on, above or below centre3. Stationary or traverse cuts4. Change shape of the cutter

With the above permutations an almost endless variety of patterns can beachieved.

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Chattertool Design Variations

V GroovesUsing the cutter oncentre at several fixedpositions will give avariety of patternsdepending upon lengthof cutter and speed ofrotation.

HerringboneV cuts made side-by-side will give aherringbone effect.The finer patternscome from slowerspeeds or shorter ^cutter projections. Thecutter is used oncentre.

LatticeSide movement withthe blade turnedthrough 45° allows t tovibrate diagonally. Usewith light pressure andfast traverse to createa delicate wovenpattern.

Linear PatternsUsing the same speed andcutter length will produce afiner texture at B than at Asince the surface speed isslower. A coarser texture Ccomes from faster rotationand/or longer cutterprojection.

Spirals (Anti-clockwise)Cutter used ABOVE centre.When cutting above centre,work from left to right toprevent any possible kick-back. Use right handstraight side of cutterparallel to turned surface.

Spirals (Clockwise)Using left hand side ofcutter with cutter usedBELOW centre the spiralsrun in opposite direction tothose above.

Chatterwork is so effective and such good fun to do that you may be tempted to put it everywhere but it is best usedsparingly with plenty of smooth surrounding surface to highlight it. Before attempting to apply chatterwork to finishedprojects, practice on a scrap of end-grain hardwood. The more you do it, the better you will know how to achieve thepattern you want. when you make a pattern that you like, note the variables involved so that you can recreate onfuture projects..

Sharpening the Chattertool CuttersThe cutting edges are ground at 90°. With the handle raised(as fig 8), the burr, produced during grinding, cuts like a smallscraper. The Square, Pointed & Domed ends should present littledifficulty when regrinding. Ideally, a formed wheel should be usedwhen grinding the Hollow cutter. If this should not be available ,use a slipstone or alternatively wrap a piece of abrasive paperaround a 3/8Ø dowel and work across the nose of the cutter. 100grit aluminium oxide paper will produce a sufficient burr.

FOR SAFETY – ALWAYS WEAR EYEPROTECTION

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