What's next in tool purchases

[Tim Thiebaut]

Piercing your turnings.............hummm..........I have not even gotten proficient in the "dyeing" or "texturing" embellishments yet.......but I do have a texturing tool!

Yup thats it, thanks...I couldnt think of what that was called for anything!

[Roger Chandler]

A good steady rest. A Bealle Pen Wizard. An Angle sander like the Sioux. A Coring setup. An Ipad so you can watch vids in the shop. I could keep going....

Made my own steady rest..............don't know if I want to get into pen making. Coring setup..........now that is a biggie........I have access to plenty of wood, thankfully. Would you go McNaughton or Oneway? They are probably a bit more than my valentines day present, anyway.

[Alan Zenreich]

Also, depending on what you turn, a Beall collet chuck is a fine addition. If you do pens, a small arbor press is an upgrade from a pen press for assembly.

How about some flat sanding equipment? I don't have room for a belt thickness sander, but I did put in a 9" SandFlee with an eye towards doing some segmented wood preparation. I also use this to drive 8" Beall buffs.

And thinking of non-tool things that are nice around the shop... something to play music (I use a docked iPod), or a notebook computer (I keep a netbook in a drawer, useful to look up specs/instructions, check email, etc without leaving the shop).

Just looking around my little shop, it's amazing the amount of "stuff" I've installed/acquired. There's always room/need/lust for more <vbg>

[Roger Chandler]

Also, depending on what you turn, a Beall collet chuck is a fine addition. If you do pens, a small arbor press is an upgrade from a pen press for assembly.

How about some flat sanding equipment? I don't have room for a belt thickness sander, but I did put in a 9" SandFlee with an eye towards doing some segmented wood preparation. I also use this to drive 8" Beall buffs.

And thinking of non-tool things that are nice around the shop... something to play music (I use a docked iPod), or a notebook computer (I keep a netbook in a drawer, useful to look up specs/instructions, check email, etc without leaving the shop).

Just looking around my little shop, it's amazing the amount of "stuff" I've installed/acquired. There's always room/need/lust for more <vbg>

Alan,

I am almost embarassed.........I have a drum sander by Performax.........works great for cabinet doors, etc. I have the beall buff system, now I have thought about a collet chuck, but do not know which one is a good one to get. That might just be the ticket......

What I am trying to accomplish is having all the tools and accessories I need to do most anything wood working and turning related. I have a very well equipped shop, just a small one with not enough room for all the tools, etc and I need to build me a larger shop, and plan to do so in the future when the timing is right. If I can, I want to suppliment my income in retirement with wood working in a decade or so.

[charlie knighton]

Roger, saw you at fisherville, what about a trip to st paul, i have my reservations (no money on that), have paid for air fare, need to cough up aaw fee, that will keep your you busy

the vendor area at symposium will have stuff you have never seen also

[Roger Chandler]

Roger, saw you at fisherville, what about a trip to st paul, i have my reservations (no money on that), have paid for air fare, need to cough up aaw fee, that will keep your you busy

the vendor area at symposium will have stuff you have never seen also

You have a point there Charlie....................my wife has to go to St. Paul about once every two years for training, but I don't think she has to go at the time of the symposium. I have so many responsibilities here that I don't think I will make the AAW symposium this time.

[David E Keller]

... now I have thought about a collet chuck, but do not know which one is a good one to get. That might just be the ticket......

I think the two major players that I hear about are the Beall system and the system from PSI. If I'm not mistaken, CSUSA has gotten into the mix as well with a system similar to the PSI set up. Most of the pen turners on IAP seem to use the PSI system mainly because of the smaller cost. Extra collets can be obtained on eBay if I'm not mistaken. I don't have any of the sets yet, but a collet set is definitely on the list.

[Roger Chandler]

If it were me I'd take a course! There is always someone to learn something from so if you've got all the kit (and it sounds like you do you lucky soul! ) I would spend a day learning something new! Or maybe snap up one of the remaining couple of berths on the Norwegian cruise a gift for you both!

Thanks Richard.........some great ideas here, but cruising.............not my thing..........I would much rather go to Alaska on a moose hunt!

[David E Keller]

Roger, if you're considering Richard's suggestion to take a course, I'd check out Jim S. at Australianburls.com. He offers private courses in Chesapeake, and the details are on his website. I don't know anything about him or the course, but he's close to you. His gallery is beautiful, and there would be no shortage of gorgeous wood for turning.

[Roger Chandler]

Roger, if you're considering Richard's suggestion to take a course, I'd check out Jim S. at Australianburls.com. He offers private courses in Chesapeake, and the details are on his website. I don't know anything about him or the course, but he's close to you. His gallery is beautiful, and there would be no shortage of gorgeous wood for turning.

David,

Thanks, I'll check out his website.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I would go with a chuck Roger. You can never have to many. I have 6 chucks all with different jaws. Sure I don't use them all the time but boy are they handy when needed.

[David DeCristoforo]

Sounds to me like you got plenty of tools. Why not get some wood?

[Roger Chandler]

Sounds to me like you got plenty of tools. Why not get some wood?

Good idea David........I would like to get some burls, but don't know if they are beyond my gift budget...........I need to do some exploring of that possibility. I have a dear friend who goes out of his way to see that I have wood when I want it. [270+ acres of mostly timber...Maple,oak,cherry, hackberry, locust, and some pine, maybe a few other species as well as they become available.] He and I cut all my firewood as well.......no charge for any of it. I am blessed!

[John Keeton]

I had the collet chuck set from PSI, and the quality is good. But, for my use, I have found the the smaller jaws on my Nova chuck work better and quicker. For a collet chuck, your stock needs to be very close in diamter to the collet, and the holding power is just fair because of that. I sold my set and have not missed it. Now, for someone else, it may be just the trick.

[Doug Thompson]

Roger, you have anything you'll ever need so take some time to turn some wood. Take a class maybe in a different country or take a woodturning cruise... that would be a great gift from your wife... take her along then she can go shopping while you turn.