# Home Made Easy Wood



## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

While researching better quality tools the other night, I came across Easy Wood. Watched tons of videos and was impressed. Was thinking of buying a set then read that these can never really replace traditional tools. I saw where another member or two had made thier own so I decided to give it a whirl and save my money for a better set of traditional tools.

Heres my first attempt. Its equivelent to the Easy Wood Rougher Mini. I have about $19 in this tool and that included buying one of the expensive Easy Wood inserts. Still a pretty nice savings over the $90 this tool costs to buy.










The handle is a piece of curly maple I had laying around. I didnt finish it. Its just burnished. I only have CA currently and didnt want to use that for this so it goes unfinished. I had fun turning the handle. I have only turned pens up to this point. I'll make a finishing tool as well if I like this one.

Ignore the dime, its just keeping the tool from rolling off the table.


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## jlord (Feb 1, 2010)

Nice Job! 
Love the handle. What other materials did you use in making?


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## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

Just some 3/8" solid sqaure stock, a 3/4" copper coupling and some 5 minute epoxy.


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## Big Mack (Jan 23, 2011)

I'll give you your first order,if you want.Mack


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## jdixon (Nov 21, 2007)

Keep meaning to make one of these myself. This looks like a nice one that ought to serve you well. Love the handle.

John


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

You can buy the inserts and screws from Grizzly in a pack of 10. If I remember correctly they are about $2.50 or so each. We bought a pack as a club and made 10 tools.


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

I meant to tell you they are replacement cutters for the spiral carbide planer heads. That's where you'll find them in the catalog.


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## jonjon737 (Jan 2, 2012)

Looks great, was thinking of doing the same. What a profit margin.

Did you mill a flat into the the 3/8" stock to accept the insert?


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## just4fun (Apr 6, 2007)

john lucas said:


> I meant to tell you they are replacement cutters for the spiral carbide planer heads. That's where you'll find them in the catalog.


I would say that is the tip of the week.

For round cutters I found the following... never bought from them but a round carbide cutter is about $6.25... you need to buy 5 at once but that is better than $12-$17 each. 

http://www.carbidedepot.com/wood-turning.htm


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## DST (Jan 10, 2011)

Very cool. Would like to hear more of the milling process too. I have no experience in that area but would learn to save that kind of money. Those screws are tiny . Tapping must be delicate


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

You don't have to mill a flat at all. It is nice if the cutter is lower because there is less chance of it tipping over if you cut on the edge. You can use a hacksaw and file if your good and simply cut out the rabbit and file it flat. The flat part is the hard part. What I do is file it as flat as I can get it. Then I hollow out the center using a Dremel and an abrasive wheel or cutter. It only needs to be lower by a few thousandths so it doesn't take very long. This lets the cutter sit on the outer parts and won't rock. 
I do have a mill now which is much easier and faster but of course cost a hell of a lot more than my old hacksaw and file.
Tapping takes patience. Those taps are small and if you apply too much force you can twist the tap right in half and guess what. They break at the hole so you can't get them out. Use a good lubricant and just take really small cuts with gentle pressure. Back the tap off a quarter turn after each cut to clear the chips and you should be alright. I used to do camera repair and the taps I've use are a lot smaller than these.


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## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

jdixon said:


> Keep meaning to make one of these myself. This looks like a nice one that ought to serve you well. Love the handle.
> 
> John


The handle is a stolen idea. I tried to mimic the handle design of the actual Easy Wood tools. I think I got pretty close. Might have gotten a little closer if I had taken a pic of the handle down to the lathe with me. Either way, it feels good. I think I'll like this tool.



john lucas said:


> You can buy the inserts and screws from Grizzly in a pack of 10. If I remember correctly they are about $2.50 or so each. We bought a pack as a club and made 10 tools.


Thanks. I read where most folks buy the cheaper ones. During one of the videos I heard them say that the Easy Wood inserts were a specially designed carbide for wood cutting so I went with thiers. Looking back, I guess if I buy inserts for a planer, they are also designed for wood cutting. If I like this one and decide to make more, I'll look into the cheaper ones. If I buy the cheaper ones, the total tool cost would be under $10 as long as I dont buy wood for the handle!



jonjon737 said:


> Looks great, was thinking of doing the same. What a profit margin.
> 
> Did you mill a flat into the the 3/8" stock to accept the insert?


Well, I dont know that I would use a term like "mill", lol.

There is a flat that I cut as close as possible with a angle grinder, then cleaned it up with a file. I then cleaned the file marks up with 320 grit wet dry paper wrapped around another piece of bar stock. I then marked and drilled my hole, I believe it was 3/32. Then I used a larger drill bit to make a relief for the screw and to remove some of the center material so the insert rides on the edges. Next is tapping. I have never tapped a hole so small before. I needed a 4-40 thread which happened to be the smallest tap in my set. Its a pretty delicate process. Cut a little, back it out, cut a little, back it out, you get the idea. Had to keep cleaning the debris from the tiny tap and oiling it. There was a couple times I thought the tap was going to break but I just kept taking small bites and backing it up and eventually she popped out the other side!! I also ground a few notches in the other end that would be inserted in the handle just to help the epoxy grab ahold of the bar.

For the record, if anyone tries this and screws up, its not the end of the world. I screwed up. My first attempt, I was drilling too fast and without lubrication and snapped a drill bit off in the hole. Not a big deal, just flip it over and try again. I stuck the screwed up end in the handle and no one would ever know if I hadnt of just told ya!!


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