Confessions from a tool junky

**jefferson** · 3rd June 2009, 10:21 PM

About 7 years ago I went to the WW show in Melbourne. I spent plenty on "proper" woodworking gear, vices, dovetail jigs etc.

At the time, my son was in Year 11 doing woodwork, so I bought him a Delta midi-lathe and a set of Chinese HSS chisels.

The Delta sat there unused for quite a while. I kept woodworking, but not turning. My son by that stage had lost interest. Still has.

Later, I got a little unwell and thought I might get into turning. You know, an hour or less commitment instead of a whole week/end making a table.

I checked around with the Carbatec franchises and eventually bought a VL300 long bed. Didn't know then what a Stubby was, let alone any of the other brands. It arrived home when I was hospitalised for the first time. Apparently, it took the truckies some time to get the beast into the shed. All 400+kgs of it.

That machine sat there for two years without use. I turned it on a couple of times, had some catches, sucked in dust and said "to hell with it".

But something "turned" me around.

I moved the lathe into the warm part of the shed. Then I started buying chisels. Every time I went to Melbourne (once a month) I called in at Carbatec and bought more and more chisels. And I got onto the forum, which was a real step forward.

Then I bought a baby VL100 and became a good client for Jim Carroll.

Now, 40 chisels + tools and seven chucks later, I wonder where does it all end.

I don't have any deep hollowing tools, nor bowl savers. I have no pen mandrils etc etc.

I have some Oland tools that Ern made for me (thanks) that still don't work well for me.

Some (mostly ) say that you only need a few tools to do the job well. Thanks mate, last time you were up cost me some with three new chisels imported from the UK!

I see quite a few posts from beginners like me, asking about which lathe and which tools.... They might give me a ring before they invest $$$ like I have.

Those Chinese chisels will be down at 's place for the Sharpening Turn-on. If any new turners out there attend, they are yours. Plus some other Hamlets looking for a good home.

I think some of the wiser heads should start a list of "must haves" and "desired, but not essential.

Geez... Ern's talk of a swivel head lathe has got me thinking.....

Be kind with me.

Jeff

**Sawdust Maker** · 3rd June 2009, 10:34 PM

Wot

you're giving away chisels

and giving advice to newbees

and want to teach people how to sharpen properly

and you suggest that you only need a few chisels to turn proper

and ...

commendable effort

but didn't you know that he who dies with the most chisels, wins

**dai sensei** · 3rd June 2009, 10:42 PM

I don't think you can call yourself an addict yet

.

Wait till you buy a new tool, then arrive home to put it on the rack and find you already have one

Or walk into your favourite tool store, but cannot leave until you have bought something

Your credit card is full of tool purchases, but you cant find them in the workshop and cant find where you put them

**jefferson** · 3rd June 2009, 10:45 PM

Nick,

if I die tomorrow, I would probably win. But win what?

There are certainly a lot of chisels here.... Enough to last me a lifetime. I'm almost 50 and reckon that I can do a fair bit of grinding between now and D day and still have plenty of steel. But too many double-ups.

And I just hate wasting good steel on the grinder.

As I said, go easy. I've some personal insights for beginners that you old hands probably would have forgotten. Well, maybe.

Just how many bowl gouges does one need?

Jeff

**RETIRED** · 3rd June 2009, 10:52 PM

2 . :d

**tea lady** · 4th June 2009, 12:00 AM

Originally Posted by

2 . :d

I reckon 4. 2 middle sized and 2 big so you can have differant grinds for different depth bowls and not have to regrind the bevel all the time.

(Which means I "NEED" 3 more.

)

**thefixer** · 4th June 2009, 12:51 AM

Sheesh! 40 + chisels, wow.

I do everything I need to do from largish bowls to goblets to pens and finials with a roughing gouge, 2 bowl gouges (different grinds), a skew, a parting tool, a couple of home made oland tools, a detail gouge, a scraper and a wicked little hook tool that I made. Bugger! thats 10 already, adds up quickly when you start counting them. I made a beading tool once but never use it coz I can do the same with a skew or gouge and get a better finish. I also made a tool for doing captive rings. Never use that either now that the novelty has worn off

Can't see where I would need another 30 chisels. Would be nice to have the rack though.

Cheers
Shorty

**Skew ChiDAMN!!** · 4th June 2009, 01:38 AM

Need?

None. Bowl gouges aren't the only way to hollow... and not every-one turns bowls!

I'll go along with though, and say 2. One at 1/4" and one at 1/2"(ish) does me very nicely, thank you.

My bane is oland style tools. I've collected quite a few, but I only need *1*. Mine are all made by individuals (eg. Hughie) and not companies, so as such are more a collection of my fellow fanati^H^H^Hfriend's work, rather than "just more tools."

Well... that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

**Frank&Earnest** · 4th June 2009, 02:19 AM

None. Since I made my own carbide insert tool, I only use a "conventional" tool for parting. But I am happy to accept that a very sophisticated turner might attempt feats that require special tools. Like 's shovel.

**rsser** · 4th June 2009, 07:49 AM

A 3/8" bowl gouge would do most of what we need. For the odd big job you could borrow a mate's 1/2 or 5/8 ;-}

Other than that:

Parting tool
Roughing gouge
Spindle gouge
Skew
Round nose scraper if into boxes or maybe a square end,
and a half round scraper

And G'day Frank&Ernest. Welcome back.

**texx** · 4th June 2009, 10:04 AM

i seem to do almost everthing with one and thats my super flute ,
i use a little parting tool and 2 skew chisels a bit but the super flute is the one that gets 90% of the work done .

**artme** · 4th June 2009, 10:28 AM

Can I come and live at your place when I get back from Brasil????

**Christos** · 4th June 2009, 10:41 AM

This has turned into a very heated discussion.

More tools, More tools, I need more tools. Where are my tools.

As yet I am not into turning as the last time that I did that it was well over 23 years ago. Might be in the furture but only time will tell. I do like spending time in the shed and that gets split from other things that I do.

Yes I do other things other then wood working (I will go and wash my mouth out with soap now.)

Thank you Jeff for your shared thoughts.

**rsser** · 4th June 2009, 11:16 AM

Need and like are of course different things. There are a heap of tools I've played with just to see how they worked but now rarely touch.

A wonderful thing about amateur turning is how many ways there are of skinning a cat, without the discipline that a production turner has with time and cost.

**NeilS** · 4th June 2009, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by rsser

And G'day Frank&Ernest. Welcome back.

Ditto!

Neil

Thread: Confessions from a tool junky

Thread Tools

Search Thread

Confessions from a tool junky

Similar Threads

New Tool Gloat with Potential Tool Envy

Tool Library/Rent-A-Tool

Camphor Laurel Coffee Table Confessions

Hand Tool Preservation Society Tool Sale

death bed confessions

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions