Texturing.
Woodturner Tracy Owen has won many prizes with his textured bowls. The new Robert Sorby texturing tool allows every woodturner to share his secrets by giving his work that added value and individuality which these effects bring. The texturing tool enables the turner to alter the visual and tactile qualities of a work piece by creating striations, whorls, and orange peel effect and more. Let your imagination run wild. Fitted with an interchangeable cutter, the texturing tool is just as effective on soft wood as hard woods - although the results can be markedly different.

Spiralling.
Creating barley twists, spirals and flutes has always represented a problem for the woodturner. The Spiralling System not only overcomes many of these difficulties, but also allows the turners imagination to run wild as he enters a new field of decoration. Based on the same principle as the texturing tool, it is simple to use even in the hands of a novice - but still comes with instructions and ideas on its further use. The built-in rest allows the work to be approached at a variety of angles - graduations on the rest ensure repeatability. The degree of off-set determines the pitch of the spiral. Another variation is introduced with the addition of 3 different cutters which can be used for texturing. From these the turner can either produce, amongst other work, fine spirals of a delicate goblet or heavy patterns on boxes, spindles or candlesticks.

This is a novel tool which will enhance the visual and tactile qualities of even the most bland piece of wood. By rubbing the cutter across the turned project an interesting textured effect can be created. The texture pattern can altered by changing the angle of the cutter, the speed of the lathe, the position of the tool rest and the type of wood.
The range of textures can vary from an orange peel effect with the tool presented in the vertical plane to a swirl produced when the tool is less than 45 degrees. The pattern can be further enhanced by adding dyes, liming wax or even scorching. There is plenty of room for experimentation to create your own signature piece.
The texturing tool performs on both soft and hard woods although the texture pattern may be very different. It is just as effective on end- as well as bowl-grain projects.

At a later stage the Texturing Tool can be up-graded with the addition of the tool rest (360) and spiralling cutters (350) to become a spiralling tool as well.
Use a diamond sharpening file (RS224) to keep the tool in tip-top condition.
Further information on use of this and other decorative tools is available on the Decorative Tools video (VRS03A)