Which is the first tool to buy?

[Eric Schatz]

I have turned a couple of bowls at school from one tool. It's a round carbide disk that can be turned by removing a set screw to get a fresh edge. It's the only good tool they had.

Now I'm about to buy a Harbor Freight lathe and I can only afford one tool. I was looking at the Alan Lacer tools and thought I could buy one of those monster skews. I could afford that but not another tool until maybe summer or so. I dont think a straight forward skew is a good idea. I want to turn bowls first. What tool do I need that will become part of my stable of tools later and also could get me there for a couple of months? I know I'll have to sand the crap out of everything because it won't be a finishing tool.

Budget is $100

Edit:
I have a grinder and am not afraid of sharpening these tools. I know a skew is a finicky tool and probably not a "first" kind of tool.

[Roger Chandler]

Buy a bowl gouge........and a parting tool.........you can get both for the $100 budget. Or even a starter set from Penn State industries [Benjamin's Best brand] you can get a 1/2" and 5/8" and a parting tool for under that $100 budget. You can use a faceplate for mounting the blank.

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/LX220.html

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/LX430.html

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/LX230.html

[Bob Mezzatesta]

+1 on the bowl gouge..1/2" or 5/8". Leave the skew for much later. Parting tool is also a must have. You would do well to find a Woodturning club in your area. There are experienced turners there that will help you get going in the right direction. There will be tools and machines there that will help you decide what you need. If you learn the basics early you'll have more success and fun. Be sure to learn how to work safely. A lathe and sharp tools occasionally bite back.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I have turned a couple of bowls at school from one tool. It's a round carbide disk that can be turned by removing a set screw to get a fresh edge. It's the only good tool they had.

Now I'm about to buy a Harbor Freight lathe and I can only afford one tool. I was looking at the Alan Lacer tools and thought I could buy one of those monster skews. I could afford that but not another tool until maybe summer or so. I dont think a straight forward skew is a good idea. I want to turn bowls first. What tool do I need that will become part of my stable of tools later and also could get me there for a couple of months? I know I'll have to sand the crap out of everything because it won't be a finishing tool.

Budget is $100

Edit:
I have a grinder and am not afraid of sharpening these tools. I know a skew is a finicky tool and probably not a "first" kind of tool.

Skew is not a bowl turning tool.

I think you should spend $30 or so to become a member of a woodturners club, that way you would learn how to use the proper bowl turning tools, and do it safely, there are probably turners that have some tools that they don’t use much anymore after buying high end tools that you might be able to get your hands on for a low low price, anyway that is your best way of proceeding and spending your $$ IMO

[Eric Schatz]

I don't have a club near me. I know there is one about an hour and a half away but I don't get over there very often. What would be the advantage of getting a 1/2 and a 5/8 bowl gouge? Is there a sticky for this kind of thing?

[Roger Chandler]

I don't have a club near me. I know there is one about an hour and a half away but I don't get over there very often. What would be the advantage of getting a 1/2 and a 5/8 bowl gouge? Is there a sticky for this kind of thing?

You can do most anything on the size lathe you are speaking of getting with a 1/2" bowl gouge. I mentioned the 5/8" because some turners [myself included] like to use a larger bowl gouge for roughing work.........with a 12" swing on a lathe, the 1/2" size is plenty.

The 100 budget you have will allow you to get a bowl gouge, parting tool [I recommend the 3/4" diamond parting tool I linked above] and perhaps even a spindle gouge as well..............For starting out, Benjamins Best from Penn State is a pretty good way to go, inexpensively. Sometimes they sell sets that include bowl gouge, parting tool, spindle gouge and a roughing gouge for making square spindle stock round........if you could find one of those on their website, that would still be in your budget of $100.

This set is on sale now for $89.95........six tools, including a scraper which is a great tool for smoothing and finish work........

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/LXWM1007.html

[Thom Sturgill]

Go to Doug Thompsons site and buy a 1/2" bowl gouge unhandled and turn your own handle ($60) then go to Penn state and buy a parting tool ($15) and a scraper ($20). Shipping will probably put you slightly over your $100 but you will have some good basic tools. An inside scraper can save a lot of sanding and do a lot of material removal. Check out Robo Hippy's you-tube videos.

And visit that club....

[Kyle Iwamoto]

+1 on what Thom says. A good bowl gouge is where I'd plink down my hard earned cash. And Doug is one of the best. Since you're going to HF, check their lathe tool set. With a coupon it's a good deal too. Getting the set will put you over your limit. I still use some of the tools I bought years ago.

And yes, drive and join the club.

[Dennis Collier]

I used a HF tool set for 2 years. I still have them today and still use a couple of the tools. Don't buy the cheapest set they have but the middle of the road set. With a coupon, you can get the set and still have enough left over to buy a quality bowl gouge.

[James Combs]

...
This set is on sale now for $89.95........six tools, including a scraper which is a great tool for smoothing and finish work........
http://www.pennstateind.com/store/LXWM1007.html

+1 on Roger's recommendations. The set is very similar to the BB set that I started out with and still use some of them today. They sharpen up nicely and hold an edge for a reasonable amount to work, not like the premium tools I am sure but they will definitely get you going and doing things right.

[Harry Goodwin]

I have the better set from HF and find them great for the money. Benjamin's best are also great for the money. They are heavy tols that will do you well. HG

[Paul Gilbert]

+1 on the bowl gouge, but everyone forgot about sharpening it. This can be done on a grinder free hand, but there is a very long learning curve to do this and you will use up a couple of gouges before you get it right. Far better is to invest in a Wolverine sharpening system. That set up is over your $100 budget.

[Thom Sturgill]

I have the better set from HF and find them great for the money. Benjamin's best are also great for the money. They are heavy tols that will do you well. HG

I would not rate anything from Harbor Freight as 'great' - adequate at best. Benjamin's Best tend to be a solid notch better than HF and I would rate them as 'good' while Crown, Sorby, Henry Taylor, and P&N would get a 'Better' and Doug Thompson, and Dave Schweitzer get a 'Best'. Many others I missed because I am not as familiar with them.

The companies I rated below 'Best' are either using unamed 'HSS' or M2 HSS. There is a wide variety in how well and how consistently heat treating is done. I have seen complaints on HF tools being unhardened or only having 1/2" -3/4" hardened (personal experience). Compared to having a full tool properly heat treated, that is no bargain. While others may have had no problems, I contend that HF tools are just a crap shoot.

If you look at hand saw and band saw blades you will see the coloring on the tooth area only from 'zone hardening'. On a bandsaw blade this is good as the blade needs flexibility, on a hand saw not so much as it now means that the saw can only be resharpened a few times and is why hand tool enthusiasts pay extra for old Disten saws or new saws from a few select makers.

On a turning tools zone hardening is just a rip off.

[cody michael]

I have the better harbor freigt spindle turning set, they work okay, I also have the 4 piece benjamins best bowl turning set, you should be able to get both for around 100$ and that would give you a basic set for most anything.

what harbor frieght lathe are you getting? make sure it is the cast iron bed one, the others are junk, I have the high end harbor freight lathe and it works, its low speed is quite high when doing a 12 inch bowl and it is under powered around the 9-12 inch range, for smaller then 9 inch it works great, and is a great value in my book

[Bob Mezzatesta]

I don't have a club near me. I know there is one about an hour and a half away but I don't get over there very often. What would be the advantage of getting a 1/2 and a 5/8 bowl gouge? Is there a sticky for this kind of thing?

My club is an hour and a half away too. Meetings are once a month. The drive stings a bit but I'm always glad I went. Most clubs offer training and mentoring which will save you money and time in wasted effort and tools that you don't need. Try one meeting, usually free, and see if it's worth it. It will be. Cheers.