Happy thanksgiving everyone. Black friday and cyber monday are here. Help me make my shopping list for a soon to be first time lathe owner with no turning tools or accessories other than a 20# box of sandpaper from klingspor. What are my essential needs? And what are my "might as well get one of those too" items? Calipers? Size, type? I think I'm going to go the slow speed 8 inch grinder with a wolverine and a cheaper set of tools to grind on for now. Possibly a smaller set of carbide just to be able to start turning when I get the lathe. Starting small maybe x-mas ornaments. Chucks? Grizzly, others? Think of it as a "If you knew then what you know now kind of deal" Thanks all!
Budget is often a driving factor for most people. Are you interested in getting a shopping list that fits your budget or are you looking for the best at any cost? There is a big difference. Tell us a range of what you are planning on spending.
<p> Whats the old saying? Champagne taste with a budweiser budget. Thats the category I fall into! Unfortunately I'm kind of a bargain hunter.</p> <p> You wouldnt believe how long it took me to order this lathe. look here, look there, compare, wait for a sale or try to find used.</p> <p> I had a G0766 in my cart several times on the last shipment just kept thinking there was something that might come along. I usually end up middle of the road if that makes any sense.</p> <p> I try not to buy the cheapest and look for things that will be better in their price range. (like the g0766)</p> <p> What I would like is to find out what accesories the experienced turners would buy if they had to do it all over again from the beginning.</p>
Some things that come to mind for a starter set: 1. A full set of medium quality cutting tools: roughing gouge, 2 or 3 bowl gouges, a skew, a parting tool, a couple of round nose scrapers. I bought some Hurricane tools and thought that they were better than Harbor Freight. They do the job. After you learn how to sharpen them and eventually wear them out (actually grind them away) you may want to upgrade to more expensive tools (like Thompson, D-way, Sorby, etc.). But most beginners grind off a lot of material and it is best to learn to sharpen of less expensive (but otherwise okay) tools. 2. A better tool rest. Consider the Robust comfort rest. (Drill or ream out your 25mm banjo to 1.00") 3. A four jaw chuck with a small and a large set of jaws. 4. A work light. Part 1...go to part 2
Part 2: 5. Some sort of sharpening system (low speed grinder with perhaps an 80 grit and a 180 grit wheel. Many people recommend the low-speed Rikon) 6. A diamond card file set for touching up your tools between grindings 7. A bowl gouge sharpening jig (I use the $2 Eddie Castelin home made jig but the Oneway and Wolverine are good if you don't want to make any of your tools) 8. A ruler/scale (Calipers are handy but not essential) What do the rest of you folks think for a beginner ?
hmm still not getting notified of posts. Anyway, Rikon grinder is delivered tomorrow, sister was going to get me the wolverine for xmas. Should I get the vari grind or the vari grind two? I was going to order a small set of carbides for xmas ornaments so I could make saw dust as soon as I get the lathe. Electrician was here today to look around to give me a quote on installing some outlets. 220 and 115. He was supposed to call me but didn't. Probably figures the quote will scare me at $86 an hour. (I was in wrong business) Apparently sandpaper is going to be my psychosis. Bought some more on rolls along with the #20 bargain box from klingspor. I'm going to be able to paper the walls with it. Like I read other places, I thought the lathe was going to be the big expense. If they delivered it tomorrow I still couldn't turn a piece of wood with it.
Sam, there is a good thread in the woodturning section about carbide versus regular tools. There have also been some threads on putting a burr onto a scraper to make finer shavings/cuts (something that you can't do with carbide). A beginner with a carbide tool will most likely use it in a flat/scraping fashion. While scraping will allow you to quickly turn out some items, but you'll also end up with more tear out and more sanding. You'll eventually figure out that you can get a nicer finish and do a lot less sanding once you have mastered using a skew in slicing mode and a bowl gouge in a bevel-rubbing shear slicing mode. BTW, if you are going to be buying a wolverine, they won't be of any use with carbide tools. But they work well with with a conventional bowl gouge. But perhaps you are looking ahead to using on conventional bowl gouges.
Yes, that's the plan on the grinder. I want to use the regular tools and the carbide are to get me started until I learn some more.
Good plan. Enjoy your new hobby.
I need to quit searching the archives. lol I have a thompson bowl gouge on order due to reading a post about it. Still need to fill out the arsenal with some of the regulars though.
