I have recently gone pro with my turning since the housing crash has totally killed my custom stair business. My research has shown that selling utilitarian is most likely to show success. I also have a few galleries to show artistic pieces which will help to keep turning exciting. I have tons of walnut and have spent the last three weeks rough turning bowls and platters and I have barely put a dent in the walnut supply. It has become painfully clear that my HSS tools need alot of sharpening and I am considering buying some 15V or 10V gouges to save the hassle and time of constantly sharpening. They are quite expensive and I would like to hear from folks that have taken the plunge and purchased them. I sharpen on my Tormek system and I can get the HSS tools extremely sharp but they just don't stay sharp very long when roughing all day long. Are the CPM tools really worth the extra money? Do they really stay sharp 4-8 times longer? I would appreciate hearing others experiences.
Thanks in advance.