first set of tools advice [Archive]

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rookee

9th April 2007, 06:04 AM

Hello, I bought my first lathe a while back (thanks to some forum members for the recommendations!), I got the "Jet Mini".

FINALLY, I've gotten the time and space to begin using it, and I need turning tools. I'll be using this to make small ornamental wood carvings, probably between 4-12" in height, and the occassional bowl for fun and learning.

I'd like a nice set of turning tools to start with. I guess "basics" or "standard" tools are what i'm looking for. Is there a pre packaged set of good quality tools/chisels in the $100-150 range? Is that too much/too little? I'd go up to $200 if it makes a world of difference. Thanks for any advice :D

Mobil Man

9th April 2007, 06:43 AM

You could have a dozen tools, but until you get into it, you won't know what you want. Start with a 3/4 roughing gouge, 3/8 or 1/2 fluted spindle gouge [fingernail grind], for small work maybe a 1/2 round nose scraper, 1in skew chisel. I use a 3/4 spindle gouge more than any tool. It can be used as a skew also. You're local Woodcraft Store is a very good place to start. Get some junk pine, put it between centers & practice. Especially with the skew. On the Woodcraft home page-down on the right side of the page- is "Project Videos". Check out all the turning videos, helps on the use of some tools & some you may want soon for the work you'll be doing. Remember face shield/dust mask. They are Robert Sorby videos but you don't have to have Sorby. Most W/craft stores give lessons. Just tinker & see what you like & have fun. There are a lot of videos & things on line to help. "Woodturning.com" "Woodturningonline.com" "Thewoodworkingchannel.com" a good one "Marleyturned.com". Oh- Say "HI" to the wife as you go from the shop to the videos.:U

rsser

9th April 2007, 08:08 AM

Hi Rookee and good luck with the lathe.

As you'd expect questions like yours will have been covered before so a search will throw up lots of ideas.

To add to MM's advice, joining a woodturning club will supercharge your learning curve. See also my post on podcasts.

Cliff Rogers

9th April 2007, 10:48 AM

G'day.

There are good reasons for & against a beginner's set.

It will give you something to learn on, both turning & sharpening BUT, you will find that you don't use all of them & once you get a bit further down the track, you will find that you don't use them at all any more.

The best thing to do is spend some time with an experienced turner IE: Club, lessons etc. You will soon find out what you are comfortable with & what you are interested in.

I go along with the basics that MM mentioned but I use a bowl gouge the most.

Have a look at this thread (http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=46236)& the other links in it.

Mobil Man

9th April 2007, 02:20 PM

As Cliff said, which I had thought of mentioning in my earlier post, get some cheepies to play with & as he said, learn to sharpen. You won't hurt them. Ebay has a lot of 8 piece sets for around $9.99. I've got some & find an occasional use for one of them. My brother has had a set of them I gave him a year ago and that's all he has. And he makes some BEAUTIFUL pens with them. And, if you have a belt or disc sander, you can keep a good edge on them. You can even use a hand held belt sander clamped on it's side & go for it.

manoftalent

9th April 2007, 07:23 PM

bunnies has a "basic " set of five chisels for around $40.....now I know most would say dont bother buying a set, as most you wont use appart from a select 3....but its a good way to practise with, you will get the knack and find that the quality should be upgraded .....then go to a tool supplier that deals in turning equipment etc, and buy the two or three chisels that you are finally comfortable with..only this time quality items ..as by then you would have learned how to sharpen them properly,use them properly ....and finally ......created something worth keeping:2tsup:

manoftalent

9th April 2007, 07:31 PM

Oh one more thing, as a newbie in wood turning, do yourself a favor and go and read some books at the library on turning techniques, it will give you some idea on "how" to hold the chisels safely .....attack the workpiece slowly and gently ...there is no rush in turning ....pls wear eye goggles or better yet a full face mask, keep Both hands on the chisel ( one on the handle, one holding down on top of the guide fence ) and if your not paying attention, that chisel can become a "flying" object if not held correctly ..so pls work safe ...:2tsup:

scooter

9th April 2007, 08:39 PM

I'd recommend against buying the cheapy Craftech carbon steel turning tool set that Bunnings sells.

I bought a set thinking they would do the job 'til I could afford some better ones, at least until one snapped when I was using it :( .

The gouge broke in the middle of my front hand, didn't want to look as I thought my palm would have been opened up but lucky no damage

Could have been a whole lot worse....

Cheers..................Sean

tashammer

9th April 2007, 08:43 PM

something else to keep in mind is the length of the tool handles. i like long and strong or close to it but they are very big when compared with the supplied handles. There is, however, much more control with the L&S. Maybe first job could be to make some new handles of varying lengths and find what suits you. i was given a bunch of old school desks and the legs were lovely seasoned Tas Oak and just right for handles.

joe greiner

10th April 2007, 12:31 AM

As you can see, there are two schools of thought on this. Cheap & crappy will give you experience on sharpening (and you'll do a lot of that). But you'll likely be disappointed with performance. On the other hand, a good (not necessarily much more expensive) set will last longer between sharpenings and perform better.

I went with the cheaper stuff at first, but kept in mind that performance would improve with better tools, so I didn't prematurely cure myself of the disease. By all means, find a woodturning club and get some close tutoring and advice. Flying blind is not a good way to learn this craft.

Joe

Cliff Rogers

10th April 2007, 05:22 PM

Gra

10th April 2007, 06:03 PM

These (http://vermec.tripod.com/PDFs/economychisels.pdf) look interesting, not a bad selection for a set.

Set of 6 tools.

10mm spindle gouge
13mm bowl gouge
22mm roughing gouge
18mm round nose scraper
20mm diamond parting tool
25mm oval skew.

I would change down to an 18mm Skew instead of a 25mm & I like a bigger roughing gouge, maybe a 32mm or 40mm or 44mm. (depending on brand & wall thickness)

This thread has got me thinking about what I would buy now if I suddenly lost all my turning tools & had to start again.
I'm going to start a new thread on those lines.

This is one of the sets I started with. The other was one of the $40 cheapies from "the warehouse". This set seems to be perfect to start with, they seem to be a reasonable intermediate set (Not too cheap, but not too "cheap"). What I did see, was when I did my course the other day, they were using the very same set. They seem be be everywhere for about the same price as well, I know carbatec are selling them (Thats were I got mine) I am pretty sure I have seen them at timbercon, so they should be readily available elsewhere as well I guess

As for the cheapy set, you can actually feel the tool bend when you use them:no:... not good, run away very quickly from them. (I managed to bend the bowl gouge to a 45 degree angle)

scooter

10th April 2007, 06:22 PM

Skew ChiDAMN!!

10th April 2007, 08:09 PM

I have the same cheapie HSS set, it's Ok, I would prefer a more standard shaped roughing gouge (it is a u shape, with straight sides, rather than a semicircle) and a flat (rather than oval) skew, but beggars can't be choosers for the price.

That's what makes it a roughing gouge and not just a big spindle gouge. :D

I like oval skews for some jobs, but for general use I'd have to agree that a flat would be a better choice. Preferably with a slight radius on the edge closest to the heel, but we all round that off anyway, don't we? :wink:

This thread has got me thinking about what I would buy now if I suddenly lost all my turning tools & had to start again.
I'm going to start a new thread on those lines.

I wouldn't buy a new set of anything. Instead, I'd be doing the Trading Post and rounds of garage sales looking for old CS chisels. Often unappreciated, dirt cheap and just as good as modern HSS where it counts.

Then again, I know what tools I want and have learned how to tell the difference between good and "don't even want as a gift." :wink:

scooter

10th April 2007, 08:13 PM

Skew, your post should have read
That's what makes it a lousy roughing gouge and not just a big spindle gouge. :D
:D :D

Darrell Feltmate

13th April 2007, 01:14 PM

For a beginner I would get a cheap set of high speed steel tools. Generally this will include a 3/4" roughing gouge and a couple of spindle gouges, say 3/8" and 1/2"; a 3/4" or 1" scraper; a 3/4" skew and a parting tool of some sort. There may be another small scraper included. Basically , this is a spindle turning set. For bowls I would then make a 1/4" or 3/8" Oland tool. This should do you for ages if you keep them sharp.
Do yourself a favor and make or buy a sharpening jig and use it. It will make whatever tools you get a lot friendlier and the turning experience will go from nightmare to joy. If I may blow my own horn, take a look at the sharpening section on my web site and spend a couple of bucks on the sharpening jig. There are also video clips on using it to sharpen and a few beginner projects. Have fun. http://aroundthewoods.com (http://aroundthewoods.com/)