Tangential cutting on the lathe

Looking at the FRETS.COM web site reminded me of the first time I used a tangential tool. It was 27 years ago and I was working in a shop doing mostly lathe work. I needed to cut some accurate radii in some lathe parts. Just a couple different sizes. But odd sizes and with .001" tolerance. The tool grinder was being used by a guy doing a more important job so it was not available. I turned a couple tools the right diameter out of drill rod and hardened them. Then just a few passes over the end of each tool gave me a sharp cutting edge. Unlike the FRETS site I cut the parts on the top, lowering the tool holder a little at a time until the correct diameter was reached. The foreman came in just as I was finishing, saw the tools, and asked me about them. Well, good ideas are thought of by many people so it was no surprise to me when he told me this type of cutting action was common and had been around for years, being used in screw machines for the most part. I still have the tools, made others, and have used this method several times since. The FRETS site shows a different way of cutting, being on the bottom of the part. But it is just as good and is an easy way to form accurate radii on lathe work. The pictures on the FRETS site are very good and illustrate this method well. ERS