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  1. #1
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    Default Second Hand Chisel What to look for?

    I was at the local trash & treasure market today and there was a bloke selling a bunch of turning chisels and carving chisels.

    I haven't started turning yet but I was tempted to buy some chisels. There were some Sorbys and some Record chisels the others I don't know what they were. I asked a general price on the chisels and was told around $30-35 a pop.


    So my question is what brands are the ones to keep an eye out for or avoid?

    What should I expect to pay, are some profiles more expensive than others?

    I would assume the longer the blade the better as it has more life to give.


    Anything else??





    I have a wood lathe which was given to me as it is a cheap chinese one and broken, not sure it is fixable or worth the effort. So I might hunt down another second hand one, now i have some shed space allocated to setting one up.
    …..Live a Quiet Life & Work with your Hands

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  3. #2
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    Long and strong, is a good rule of thumb.
    Sorby's are usually pretty good as are P&N, marples etc.
    To buy a new P&N with handle you don't get much change from a hundred bucks these days. So if you can find good quality chisels for around 30-$35 mark then that would be hard to beat. Less rust the better.

  4. #3
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    I have to say these were all clean and in good nick, the Records possibly never used even. I don't notice any marked P&N, but all had handles.
    …..Live a Quiet Life & Work with your Hands

  5. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by DSEL74 View Post
    I was at the local trash & treasure market today and there was a bloke selling a bunch of turning chisels and carving chisels.

    I haven't started turning yet but I was tempted to buy some chisels. There were some Sorbys and some Record chisels the others I don't know what they were. I asked a general price on the chisels and was told around $30-35 a pop.


    So my question is what brands are the ones to keep an eye out for or avoid?

    What should I expect to pay, are some profiles more expensive than others?

    I would assume the longer the blade the better as it has more life to give.


    Anything else??





    I have a wood lathe which was given to me as it is a cheap chinese one and broken, not sure it is fixable or worth the effort. So I might hunt down another second hand one, now i have some shed space allocated to setting one up.
    Do your homework - many of the tool sellers at the markets know what they are worth & so should you. We can't give generalized prices of what to expect to pay but $30 to 35 SH is way overpriced for some profiles and is near new prices. Older Record tools may be HSS more likely carbon. Record have reintroduced a range of HSS turning tools but it is most unlikely they are on the SH market. The Sorby's should be HSS but I suspect there may be some that are early ones and may only be carbon steel. I don't have enough history on these to know. Visit the websites like CWS etc and know what new prices are, how long the long steel was at new etc, before purchasing.
    Mobyturns

    In An Instant Your Life CanChange Forever

  6. #5
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    Tools without marking, brand stamps are a lucky dip. From memory Henry Taylor tools have a transfer which rubs off as does bohiler tool steel.
    The only stamped into tool I can think of is P&N. I was lucky enough to salvage 4 P&N's headed for Tip. Even offered money but they just wanted rid of the whole lot. some were old files that I chucked.
    Like Antiques you need to know what your looking at and looking for makers marks.

  7. #6
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    Is this correct- Marked just "Sorby" are carbon steel, marked "Robert Sorby" are HSS?
    …..Live a Quiet Life & Work with your Hands

  8. #7
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    Before I had a lathe, I picked up some turning tools. All were carbon steel, between 20 and 30 dollars each. I was only going to use them to see if I wanted to get into turning.
    I am still into turning and have replaced all of the carbon steel turning tools with HSS.

  9. #8
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    Older turning tools tend to be carbon steel. OK for turning pine of softer hardwoods. But I wouldn't pay more than $20 for them. Dunno how you tell by just looking. Can tell from sparks off the grinder. The rust marks are kinda differant, but if they've cleaned them up that won't help.
    anne-maria.
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    ea Lady

    (White with none)
    Follow my little workshop/gallery on facebook. things of clay and wood.

  10. #9
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    Here is a big selection of tools with US prices:

    http://www.packardwoodworks.com/Merc...ory_Code=tools

    If you can figure a ratio of US - AU pricing this should give you a comparison.

    See also:

    http://www.woodturningvideosplus.com...ing-tools.html
    So much timber, so little time.

    Paul

  11. #10
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    Hi Tea Lady, Hows the shop going? I want to stay away from Carbon Steel tools.

    Paul, Thanks for those links. I want to start out with spindle turning, maybe practise with making some chisel handles.
    …..Live a Quiet Life & Work with your Hands

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