I’ve received an abundance of helpful info on the last few questions I’ve posted here, so here’s hoping my luck continues. 

    I’m trying to produce decorative chatter work on turnings such as toy tops, small box lids, etc. but am having very limited success. I’ve seen videos and live demos showing how it’s done using shop made cutters; that’s what I have been attempting, using blades from hacksaws and jig saws, ground to a blunt point. My method is to hold these tools in vise grips, allowing the tool tip to extend varying distances from the visegrip jaws, and touching the end grain of the workpiece. It’s almost impossible for me to get the tool to chatter;  it either cuts in a scraping action, or chatters very minimally, producing chatter marks so faint they are nearly invisible.

   I’ve tried varying the lathe speed, the presure of the tool, the cutting angle, and distance between toolrest and workpiece; still no good. I’m trying this on end grain of cherry and mahogany.  With practice and continued experimentation, I can probably figure out what I’m doing wrong, but thought I would put this out to you knowledgeable folks for some advice.  (Funny, I did a search under “chatter” only came up with people who wanted to do away with it; I want to create it.)

   Thanks,   Gary