Wood Turning Tools

[colbra]

Hi everyone after some more help this time on wood turning tools as mentioned in my last thread I have purchased a lathe I now intend to buy some tools on a limited budget I was looking at Hamlet from Carba Tec did not want to get a boxed set as in some books that I have read you are better getting them individually so I thought I might buy the following

¾ Roughing Gouge
½ Spindle Gouge
¾ Skew Chisel
¾ Round Nose Scraper
¼ Parting Tool not sure whether to get 1/8

On all of the above I was going to get 10 inch handles if there is any more that you think I should need to get me going please let me know as always thanks for your help and advice
Regards Colbra :)

[gatiep]

I am a Hamlet man, but if you want to buy on a budget I suggest that you look at the Carbatec HSS set of 6 tools.You'll need a bowl gouge, added to your list and this set has all you need to start with. There is a lot of skill needed to sharpen lathe tools and I have found that almost every turner uses a slightly different angle. At about $95 for the set, they are ideal for experimenting and grinding away on the white grinding wheel. Most turners grind so much steel off the tools when the begin the sharpening road, that they soon have very short tools. A Hamlet 13 mm bowl gouge is close to the price of the whole CT set.

Good luck in your turning. By the way, find a club or some tuition to set you on the right path.....money well invested

[BigPop]

Colbra,
Bruce Bell ([email protected]) from near Toowoomba in Qld sells P & N Turning tools and you can get a 'starters set' from him for a very reasonable price. P & N are Australian made and very good tools too and not too dear. Send him an email and ask for a price catalogue - postage is not too dear and very prompt too.
You can try this link to a wesbiste but I think he has another site also Bruce Bell Woodturning (http://workworld.com.au/local/tymba/index.html) - I think there is another link somewhere on the Forums for his website too but not too sure of the actual address.

[macca2]

I agree with Joe. I started out about 2 years back and have almost destoyed the 2 gouges that come with the boxed set while learning to sharpen. I have now started putting together a set of individual tools as I require them and/or can afford them. These are both Hamlet and P&N and are not being ruined by practice sharpening.

Good luck

Macca

[Red neck]

Go with Joes advice, I bought a boxed set of Carbatec “flood damaged” Chinese chisels, six in all, at an auction for $35 some years ago. I still have them and they still get used.

As Joe and Macca said, you can hone your sharpening skills (sorry) and experiment with profiles. I have changed the profile of the Chinese scraper a couple of times to meet specific requirements. I also learned how to sharpen them without the worry of grinding away a $70+ Hamlet or Henry Taylor. I do find that with some hardwoods I need to grind the Chinese chisels more often than the Hamlet.

[Red neck]

Colbra,

Just a thought, when you buy your chisels, get them unhanded (without handles) and use your cheap chisels to turn up the handles. Carbatec sell the brass ferrules for about $2 each or you can make your own with a bit of copper water pipe. As for timber, use straight grained hardwood. I have made all mine out of recycled timber such as old lengths of floor joist. Last time I used a bit of 'spotted gum' shovel handle. Despite the outside weathered appearance it made two chisel handles and a drill bit handle!

[smidsy]

I have the $99 Carbatec chisels and I would recommend them, they're a good set for all round general use and you can add specialist chisels when you know what you want to do.
Cheers
Smidsy

[colbra]

Thank you all for your help and advice I have had a bit of luck since our last comunication my neighbour has given me some tools a 1" & 1/2" skew plus 1/2" parting tool they are Marples but I am not sure of the steel. He use to be a wood work teacher till the kids got to him so he says. I am also going to join a wood craft group anyhow here i go down the path with all you good people helping me could not be happer
regards Col :)

[Toggy]

They will most likely be carbon steel. Apparently can take a sharper edge than HSS, but dull much quicker. Heat is their big downfall. When sharpening don't let them colour (blue) at all otherwise they will lose their temper.
best of luck with the skews. Some people swear by them; I usually just swear at them. Yeah I now, operator error. Maybe I overheated & lost my temper.


Ken

[colbra]

Hi Ken
I think you might be right on the 1" skew there is a discolouration about 1 inch back from the blade prob were it got over heated in other life at the school may be one of the KIDS
Col