How Many Chisels?

[adrian]

The endgrain discussion has prompted me to ask how many chisels do people own. I've got the carbatec HSS set which I found adequate for a while but then had to get a bowl gouge and a couple of small spindle gouges.

[PAH1]

Same set, although mine had a bowl gouge in it (broad flute rather than narrow) and a 6mm P&N bowl gouge (cheap at a sale). Have made a few scrapers and a dovetail scraper for the chuck recesses/tenons, but have not needed more yet. I have on my wish list a large 16mm bowl gouge at some stage.

[rsser]

I don't dare count!

There is a thread on this forum on what pple regard as the min. necessary items.

(PAH1: look at the P&N Supagouge for your 16mm job; not a bad piece of work. Better flute shape than the smaller P&N bowl gouges).

[Babytoolman]

Hi ern,
I just bought the supa gouge P&N 16mm mate can you attach a picture and show me how you have sharpened it? I would be very interested. I have sharpened it to somewhere between bowl and spindle.

Roger

[La truciolara]

The endgrain discussion has prompted me to ask how many chisels do people own. I've got the carbatec HSS set which I found adequate for a while but then had to get a bowl gouge and a couple of small spindle gouges.

Adrian
That is a very good question, but for some times now I have not performed a physical inventory
But despite of the number, you end up with using more or less your favorite tools. For most of my work I end up using 3. However, for beginers who come at la truciolara I have prepared a set of 12 which should be (at least that is what I experienced over years) sufficient for doing every thing for years.

[rsser]

Hi Roger,

Let me try words first ... quicker! If they don't make sense, I'll get out the digicam.

My bevel angle (for all the bowl gouges) is about 45 degrees. So I lay the gouge on the (adjustable) grinder platform so that the bevel is flush against the stationery wheel. Then I grind just rotating the gouge on its axis fully left and right to cover the wings of the flute.

I have in the past put it in my Sorby fingernail grind jig and ground it with the wings swept back but I found this gave too fine an edge to last long on the hardwoods I was turning.

That said, the smaller P&N gouges I have have a different flute cross-section ... more like a U than a V, with a fairly clear transition btwn the bottom and sides of the flute. I now sharpen these with a bit of a swing of the handle left and right as I'm rotating the shaft in order to blend the bottom with the sides (following Raffan's advice in his intro book).

Hope this helps. If not, will try the macro function on the digicam.

[smidsy]

I have ten chisels.
The generic carbatec set, two scrapers made from Carbatec tool steel blanks, (a 10mm round nose and a 25mm flat end with the cutting edge extending 50mm up the side) a 12mm skew and a high sided bowl gouge - both Hamlett.

The Hamlett tools are a work of art - my first use the bowl gouge was on a 300mm jarrah bowl and the shavings were coming off so clean I thought it was a strip cutting tool.
Cheers
Paul

[Don Nethercott]

I notice a lot of members talking about Hamlet tools. I have 1 Hamlet, the rest P&N (I like to support Australian). Can't see anything special about the Hamlet. Are people referring to the standard M2 Hamlet or the ASP 2060 alloy tools. Are they really worth the extra??
Don

[gatiep]

Don

Next time you go to a supplier that have Hamlet turning tools do yourself a favour and take the M2 or ASP 13 mm bowl gouge out of the plastic sleeve. Hold it in your hands like bowlturning.....then get the salesman to get your wallet from your pocket to pay for it, because you wouldn't want to put that tool down. In my opinion ( not so humble btw ) it is the nicest balanced turning tool available. I own mostly Hamlet, the tools I use daily are all Hamlet,but I havn't bought the ASP because I sharpen my tools on the grinder, once starting to blunt I give them a few strokes with the DMT diamond hone. This I repeat for 6 or 8 times before I resharpen ( note not 'regrind' the shape ) again on the wheel to put the hollow grind back. I don't turn against time so the few seconds I spend on touching up with the DMT doesn't worry me. My tools last and last. One day when one has to be replaced I'll try the ASP, but that will be a while as I do not buy tools because I want them, rather because I need them. Lots of people swear by the ASP, but I cannot confirm that from my own experience. BTW, the Hamlet bowl gouges have a super supertypeflute.......don't want to use the regd trade mark of the other make to describe the flute.......maybe an infringement. ( lol )

[adrian]

I notice a lot of members talking about Hamlet tools. I have 1 Hamlet, the rest P&N (I like to support Australian). Can't see anything special about the Hamlet. Are people referring to the standard M2 Hamlet or the ASP 2060 alloy tools. Are they really worth the extra??
Don

P&N purport to move in international circles but try to find a presence on the Web. The only site I could actually see the turning chisels was at Lee Valley in the US. I think they need to get their act together and build a site like Crown and Hamlet if they want to compete.
Living in the country, if I have to order something sight unseen, it just isn't happening.

[barnsey]

I agree P&N are hard to find too much detail about but I have found it at some stage. The first P&N 6mm gouge I bought had the internal U not concentric with the outside one so it was replaced free of charge.

I love it, can use it heavy or light and it gives a great finish - with a straight grind. Occasionally I grind the wings back a bit but generally find it does the best job straight. Also have a 12mm P&N bowl gouge and that is mean and it is also ground straight but generally only use it on softer or green timber - boy is that fun - long ribbons just streaming from it.

I bought a basic taiwanese set (h&f) with my first lathe and they do the job too but probably need to touched up on the grinder more often. I bought Hamlet scrapers, 25mm straight and the round straight sided one which I find excellent.

I've also got numerous spindle gouges of unknown heritage, skews and assorted scrapers and find I use them to do specific tasks with a quick grind.

Guess we all have different foibles depending upon circumstance

HTH

Jamie

[rsser]

Hi ern,
I just bought the supa gouge P&N 16mm mate can you attach a picture and show me how you have sharpened it? I would be very interested. I have sharpened it to somewhere between bowl and spindle.
Roger

Roger: see also

http://www.peterchild.co.uk/info1/sflute.htm

The supagouge obviously doesn't have the superflute cross section, but this piece might help you visualise grind options.

(BTW, on p. 2 there is the angled flute supertip system; Len Smith advised that he tried it and found no real advantage over other designs).

[Don Nethercott]

The Hamlet tool I have was purchased with a handle and it is the tool that I do not like the feel of. All my P&N tools I purchased without handles and made my own handles - red gum and about 50% longer that the standard Hamlet handle. For me the home made handles are balanced just as I like them.

Adrian, PN were purchased by Sutton tools in Melbourne some years ago. Try this link -
http://www.sutton.com.au/uploads/dow...%20Leaflet.pdf
for a brochure listing all P&N tools with info and picture.

P&N tools are made from M2 HSS - same as the Hamlet. I read some time ago that although made in Australia the steel is imported from Europe - Italy or similar I think.

Don

[Don Nethercott]

A bit more about P&N - the steel comes from Austria as Australia does not make the correct quality steel. Have a look at this site for some background about P&N
http://www.tymba.com/tools.htm
Don

[adrian]

The Hamlet tool I have was purchased with a handle and it is the tool that I do not like the feel of. All my P&N tools I purchased without handles and made my own handles - red gum and about 50% longer that the standard Hamlet handle. For me the home made handles are balanced just as I like them.

Adrian, PN were purchased by Sutton tools in Melbourne some years ago. Try this link -
http://www.sutton.com.au/uploads/dow...%20Leaflet.pdf
for a brochure listing all P&N tools with info and picture.

P&N tools are made from M2 HSS - same as the Hamlet. I read some time ago that although made in Australia the steel is imported from Europe - Italy or similar I think.

Don

Thanks for the info Don.