Need a round black 1/2" disk

O

oldwolf

Joined
Dec 29, 2002
Messages
617
Client wants a round black disk inlaid. Have some black horn, but how do I cut a disk out of it without a hole in the middle? Any ideas?
I have minimal tools like lathes and such.
 
So, you don't have a lathe, or you have a small one...???

One thing you can do is super glue a piece of your horn to a piece of roundstock, then file/grind it close to your desired shape. Then, chuck the round-stock up in the drill press, fire it up, and you can file/sand it down to shape/size. Then remove it from the round stock.

It wouldn't be my first choice, but it will certainly work. I know it will. ;) :)


***edited to add- You want the round stock to have a nice and clean, square cut end, or superglue isn't going to hold onto it well enough to shape it under power.
 
How thick is your piece of black horn? If it is thick enough I suppose you could drill part of the way into it and tap it. Use a long screw with a corresponding thread with the head cut off chucked up in your drill press (or a piece of all thread). Then after sizing and finishing you can just cut off the finished end to the thickness you need. Maybe see if black paper Micarta comes in rods thick enough to cut a disc from it. Or something like a black Delrin rod, etc.....or a mild steel disc blued? Or you could affix your black horn in the vise and use a hole saw of the right diameter (either toothed bimetal or maybe the one with diamond dust for tiles and such)to cut out a round plug which you can finish from there. Let us know how you solve the problem.
 
You can use the method as described by Nick , but substitute an electric drill for the lathe . Use a vice to stabilize the drill . Same principle , just a little more difficult than the lathe method .
 
flatfoot said:
You can use the method as described by Nick , but substitute an electric drill for the lathe . Use a vice to stabilize the drill . Same principle , just a little more difficult than the lathe method .
Click to expand...

Nick didn't say to use a lathe.

"Then, chuck the round-stock up in the drill press...."

It'll work. ;)
 
"Or you could affix your black horn in the vise and use a hole saw of the right diameter (either toothed bimetal or maybe the one with diamond dust for tiles and such)to cut out a round plug which you can finish from there. Let us know how you solve the problem".

If I'm understanding you, Hole saws have a center pilot drill. Leaves a hole I don't want.
 
NickWheeler said:
So, you don't have a lathe, or you have a small one...???

One thing you can do is super glue a piece of your horn to a piece of roundstock, then file/grind it close to your desired shape. Then, chuck the round-stock up in the drill press, fire it up, and you can file/sand it down to shape/size. Then remove it from the round stock.

It wouldn't be my first choice, but it will certainly work. I know it will. ;) :)



***edited to add- You want the round stock to have a nice and clean, square cut end, or superglue isn't going to hold onto it well enough to shape it under power.
Click to expand...
Well, so far so good. I basically followed Nick's suggestion and hot glued a piece of buffalo Horn which I had roughed to shape to a piece of round wood rod. Looked for an hour for a piece of rod that would fit in my drill press and finally found an old foam paint stick which was about 1/2" in diameter. My press is set for slow/slow and didn't want to fuss with the belts, so took my air grinder and held it to the spinning horn. Not quite perfectly round, but might give it some character. Going to get inlayed into the butt of the handle, where a thong tube usually is.
Thanks guys.
 
oldwolf said:
"Or you could affix your black horn in the vise and use a hole saw of the right diameter (either toothed bimetal or maybe the one with diamond dust for tiles and such)to cut out a round plug which you can finish from there. Let us know how you solve the problem".

If I'm understanding you, Hole saws have a center pilot drill. Leaves a hole I don't want.
Click to expand...


I'm not sure. I'd have to take a look at my hole saws but I think you can run them without the pilot drill bit in the middle. Sounds like you have a solution. In the future, if you chuck the hole saw up in the drill press and clamp the horn to the work table you probably wouldn't need the pilot bit. Just go slowly until you've gotten a groove going.
 
Probably work OK if you go slow and are careful. I've seen them want to wander. Just didn't want to ruin my scales. Elk is tough to find that are big enough for full tang. Thanks.
Ken
i4Marc said:
I'm not sure. I'd have to take a look at my hole saws but I think you can run them without the pilot drill bit in the middle. Sounds like you have a solution. In the future, if you chuck the hole saw up in the drill press and clamp the horn to the work table you probably wouldn't need the pilot bit. Just go slowly until you've gotten a groove going.
Click to expand...
 
Would horn chip out on the edges if you used a router bit on it ?


I've got in mind, the horn glued onto the end of some 1/2" round rod, precision ground if you have it or need that precision.


Set that up on end so it projects above a table
I'd put the rod in a drill press vise and crank the drill press table up and down to the right height.


Use a router with one of those bearing edging bits in it to follow that round rod.

It should come out pretty close to the right size.




Assumes you have some stuff though
 
The way I do it with a holesaw is to holesaw a piece of scrap, take the pilot out of the holesaw, clamp the scrap to the material I want a disk of, then holesaw through it using the scrap as an external pilot.

I usually use MDF for the scrap because: 1/ It's usually available in my shop; 2/ it's quick to holesaw; 3/ it's thick enough to support the holesaw, even if I want the disc out of stainless steel. Basically, it just works.

Holesaws are not precision tools, so if you try this, be aware that there is some tidying up to do.

It's probably better to use a decent vice and a drill press where practicable, but this method works anywhere with a portable drill and a couple of C-clamps. It needs a hex-shank holesaw arbor. The big ones are all OK, but some of the small ones do not have the hex shank and grub-screw onto the pilot drill. Obviously these do not work without a pilot drill.
 
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Hmm. Great idea. Next time. Thanks Timgunn
timgunn1962 said:
The way I do it with a holesaw is to holesaw a piece of scrap, take the pilot out of the holesaw, clamp the scrap to the material I want a disk of, then holesaw through it using the scrap as an external pilot.

I usually use MDF for the scrap because: 1/ It's usually available in my shop; 2/ it's quick to holesaw; 3/ it's thick enough to support the holesaw, even if I want the disc out of stainless steel. Basically, it just works.

Holesaws are not precision tools, so if you try this, be aware that there is some tidying up to do.

It's probably better to use a decent vice and a drill press where practicable, but this method works anywhere with a portable drill and a couple of C-clamps. It needs a hex-shank holesaw arbor. The big ones are all OK, but some of the small ones do not have the hex shank and grub-screw onto the pilot drill. Obviously these do not work without a pilot drill.
Click to expand...
 
You guys sure like to make an easy chore hard :)

I would just dye a piece of 1/2" maple dowel black and then cut off all the disks you need. This should cost almost nothing if you have the black dye around. Leather dye would probably work, and the alcohol based wood dye works great. If you want the disk harder and shinier than the plain wood, just soak the disk with thin CA repeatedly until it will absorb no more.
 
I agree with Stacy.

But if you don't want end grain showing, buy a 1/2" plug cutter for your drill and cut a half inch dia. plug out of whatever black wood or other wood like material you have on hand. A 1/2" plug cutter runs about $6 at HomeDepot.
Jim Arbuckle
 
Jim,
I don't want wood. He wanted black horn inlayed into the elk. Thanks for the Plug cutter idea. Not familiar with it, but I'll be getting one for future projects. Thanks.
DAMNENG said:
I agree with Stacy.

But if you don't want end grain showing, buy a 1/2" plug cutter for your drill and cut a half inch dia. plug out of whatever black wood or other wood like material you have on hand. A 1/2" plug cutter runs about $6 at HomeDepot.
Jim Arbuckle
Click to expand...
 
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