Cheap tools

[jay h]

Hi Team, I spent yesterday with a mate who has just purchased a used tecknatool 16/44 lathe,vicmarc chuck with xtra jawsand a few other bits and pieces, all good stuff all working well. But his tools are a problem!!! a cheap set of very lightweight chinese? HSS? junk IMO. The scraper,skew,parting tool and roughing gouge can be used with relative safety and success if you have a light touch,I wouldn't like to take big bites with the roughing gouge!
The main problem is the bowl gouges, they aren't, they are very shallow, detail gouges maybe? with quite square grinds leaving scary wings. My question is with a regrind to a fingernail profile can these gouges be safely used for bowl turning, or is my first thought (place in bag with brick and throw in river, lake, over the fence rubbish bin you get the drift) correct. My mate was pretty adamant that he would learn to use these tools. Thanks for any replies Jay

[Christos]

I think a photo would help.

My thoughts are tending to think that these are not bowl gouges if they are as shallow as you mention.

[jay h]

Hi Christos, thanks for the reply. I am not in a position to photograph the "bowl gouges" but, the I/2" gouge is much shallower than my P+N spindle gouge. They may be OK with a fingernail grind but I doubt gouges that shallow would work on the inside of a bowl. What do the experts think. Jay

[Paul39]

I am not an expert but have been making bowls for about 7 years.

Assuming there is enough meat on the tang, a shallow gouge with a mild swept back grind will work fine to hollow or do the outside.

I use them turned up on edge at right angle to the tool rest to get a slicing cut, usually for final clean up before sanding. I have several 1/2 and 5/8 inch bowl gouges for the hard work.

Your mate would be better served if he were to buy a good 1/2 inch - 12mm bowl gouge and put a mild swept back grind on it.

I would not throw out the cheap tools. Even if carbon steel they can be ground to make parting tools or tools to make recesses or spigots. No point in buying a $30 - $40 special tool when 10 minutes at the grinder will make the same thing from what you have.

I have big hands and arthritis so I make nice fat handles for my repurposed cheap tools.

A few hours of instruction will save weeks of trial and error if he is a beginner.

[hughie]

Hi Team, I spent yesterday with a mate who has just purchased a used tecknatool 16/44 lathe,vicmarc chuck with xtra jawsand a few other bits and pieces, all good stuff all working well. But his tools are a problem!!! a cheap set of very lightweight chinese? HSS? junk IMO. The scraper,skew,parting tool and roughing gouge can be used with relative safety and success if you have a light touch,I wouldn't like to take big bites with the roughing gouge!
The main problem is the bowl gouges, they aren't, they are very shallow, detail gouges maybe? with quite square grinds leaving scary wings. My question is with a regrind to a fingernail profile can these gouges be safely used for bowl turning, or is my first thought (place in bag with brick and throw in river, lake, over the fence rubbish bin you get the drift) correct. My mate was pretty adamant that he would learn to use these tools. Thanks for any replies Jay

The short answer is no, the wings will catch, outside maybe.

[Mobyturns]

The short answer is no, the wings will catch, outside maybe.

I'm with Hughie but reserve comment until I see a photo or at least a link to the website etc.

I was shown a bowl gouge manufactured from 1/2 x 1/2" or 12 mm Sq stock while in NZ last year. The turner who "owned" it actually was given a whole bunch of tools from probably a deceased estate & there were some strange beasties in there. We managed to make some useful point or Vortex tools, scrapers etc from some of them. This SQ bowl gouge with a crude milled flute could not be repurposed, at least not in my wildest imagination. Perhaps to a bead making tool with some heavy modification. Given it was most likely carbon steel it was not worth the effort & better suited to a garden dibbler imo.

[chuck1]

I would not chuck them, as said they could be repurposed, I have re-grinded skews into parting tools. And you can use them to practice grinding. Instead of wasting good quality tools. This is just my theory!

[Mobyturns]

I would not chuck them, as said they could be repurposed, I have re-grinded skews into parting tools. And you can use them to practice grinding. Instead of wasting good quality tools. This is just my theory!

Skewchigouge etc. if the flute is not to deep.

[jay h]

Thanks for the replies, lots for my mate to think about. Jay.

[dougturner]

jay h, my personal view is that the first thing your mate should think about is to locate and join his nearest woodturning group. There he will find almost all he needs in the way of information about his current tools. Oh, and make sure he takes all his tools along with him. Doug