The Best, the Worst, and still Undecided lathe tools

[William C Rogers]

In a previous thread JKJ provide a list of things he bought and uses along with what he didn't like. So I thought I would start a post on the subject.
Worst: Many years ago when I figured out how to turn the lathe on, I found out what a mess you can make. At the local Rockler store they were having a pre inventory sale of stuff they had for years and didn't sell. I bought the Pro-Vac. What this is is a vacuum gouge. You hook it up to a shop vac and it vacuums the chips as you turn. It does work, but.......
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Undecided: tagory. Again long ago I bought the Sorby Hollow Master. I have never been able to control this tool. Maybe it's me. It is close to the worst catagory. I recently bought a Hurricane roughing gouge. I'm somewhat disappointed as it doesn't seem to hold an edge.
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Best: My Thompson tools are great. Also a Crown gouge that holds an edge we.. Another tool I bought long ago is the Shopsmith pen turners set that included a gouge. Great tool. I have some other Sorby tools that perform well. I still use a few of the HF tools that I can't complain about. I also like my Robust tool rest. I have 5 different types. And finally my lathe. Not fancy, but dependable always.
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[Adam Petersen]

That vacuum gouge is just weird. Reminds me of the hair clippers on Marine bases that were attached to a vacuum. THAT was a good idea though. The Sorby Hollowmaster is tough. I made a much longer handle for mine with a side handle. That way I can tuck the handle under my armpit and grip the side handle to fight the rotational forces.

[Roger Chandler]

I wish I had a do over on that Sorby Hollowmaster......Wasted money as far as I am concerned, but at the time I was new, and did not know what I did not know! I do like very much my Monster articulated rig with laser....now that is the cat's meow!
I really appreciate my Jeff Nichol's steady rest...super well built and useful. I think mine was one of the last few he made. My Thompson tools are great, as well as a couple of Serious Toolworks gouges. My Serious Toolworks Cam-Loc handles are the absolute best, IMO.....love 'em!

My industrial rated grinder and CBN wheels.....well, can't say enough good about them! Finally, my G0766 Grizzly lathe. It has performed flawlessly, for nearly 2 years now. It has power, torque, smoothness, and is a pleasure to turn on. I could not be happier with the value, features and performance of that lathe.

[Reed Gray]

I remember seeing the vacuum gouge when it first came out and thought it made as much sense as electric ceiling heat, which actually works if you are on the floor above it. The Sorby Spindle Master tools are worthless to me. Not sure I have any others... Well, not ones I will admit to.

robo hippy

[Trevor Howard]

a pre inventory sale of stuff they had for years and didn't sell.

"Here's your sign" in my best Bill Engvall voice

[Roger Chandler]

You know Rockler's people tested this vacuum gouge thingy once they got it in...........they should be ashamed for not sending it back to the manufacturer, and allowing anyone to purchase it! Well, one would think at least! Glad I did not see that thing when I was a newbie and did not know better, cause it might have been my story!

[Brian Kent]

The Worst: $89 Ryobi Table Saw, Ryobi jig saw, Buck Bros. hand planes.
Timberwolf bandsaw blades.
No real losers on the turning side of the shop, mainly because by the time I got a lathe I was in the habit of asking questions endlessly and continually on this forum.

Undecided: ?

The best: Thompson tools, Nova chucks (only kind I have tried), Delta 46-460 once they sent me the replacement part, all of the tools bought from Grizzly, Vince's sanding tools, Beall's buffing, Lennox Diemaster 2 bandsaw blades, CBN wheels.

[Tom Brouillette]

Best - DVR upgrade for my Nova 1624, CBN wheel.

Worst - 2" roughing gouge. I ended up giving it away.

[Dane Riley]

The Hurricane gouge looks exactly like my Harbor Freight roughing gouge, (except the logo) which also does not hold an edge because it is not hardened. The smaller one does, it is ok. Only two tools of the set of six or eight were both large enough and properly hardened to be of any use.

[Ralph Lindberg]

If you haven't bought a turkey tool, you haven't bought enough tools

If you want to get an idea how well any tool will last, get a metal file and see how it skates (not cuts) on a tool down near the cutting edge.
Then see what happens up at the end of the flute (or a couple inches up the too). It should skate here also.
Then just for kicks see what happens up at the handle.

The only tools I've ever tested that where hard all the way are D-Way and Thompson.
Even some of my "Sheffield" tools aren't hard all the way up to the end of the flute
My cheep chinese tools (Harbor Freight, Benjamns' Best, etc) are often not hard past a couple inches up the tool.

[John K Jordan]

I have a Tool I do not like.
I do not like it in my hand, I do not like it, Sam I Am.
Oneway Termite is its label, I won't have it on my table.
I don't like it at the lathe, I don't like it on the rest, I like it less than least, and less.
I could not make it cut the wood, it cut not well, it cut not good.
It clogged and clogged and clogged some more, I threw it on the cluttered floor.
You can have it if you dare, I do not want it, do not care.

On the other end of the spectrum, ain't nuttin' equal to a Hunter Osprey or Hercules tool. Except maybe the array of Thompson tools. And my personal favorite parting tool, an old Craftsman diamond parting tool. The Good Lord blesses - last year someone gave me a second one. Life is good.

BTW, this is the list I came up with on the fly the other day in case someone is curious and doesn't want to look for it. If I actually walk through the shop and think about it a while I might adjust it a little, but probably not much.
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Tools and things I find the most useful:
A cooperative (or tolerant) spouse.
Good books (Raffan's and Darlow's intro books are my favorites)
Big, heavy lathe.
Parting tool, roughing gouge, skew, spindle gouge, bowl gouge
Face shield
Dust mask
Sharpening system (grinder, etc)
Chuck
Good lighting
Ruler, pencils
Cheap calipers (several)
Scissors (one reserved for cuttiing sandpaper)
Jacobs drill chuck and bits
Sharpening jig
Diamond hones, flat and round
A notebook
Bandsaw
Small very thin saw
Steb drive center (1/2" for smaller work)
Steb live center
Screw chuck
Sharpies
Tool rack, tool box for small tools
Negative rake scrapers
Set of Hunter carbide tools (Small Hercules first)
Point tool
Drill press
More skews and gouges (larger/smaller + duplicates of favorites)
Beale buffing wheels
Scalpels

Things I would hate to be without in the shop:
Fire extinguisher
Heat and air in the shop (not quite a tool)
Compressed air
Assortment of hand scrapers
Anti-fatigue mat
CBN wheel
Texturing tools
Dremel
Tiny hand drills
Depth gauges
Cyclone dust collector
Camera, photo cube
Gimlets (hand twist drills)
Grex random orbital sander
Taper bits
Magnifier
Second grinder
Graph paper
Robust tool rests
Work bench
Radio/CD player
Water cooler
Chain saw (Stihl electric)
Moisture meter
Second lathe
Strong magnets
Many clamps
Cordless drill

Things which may make life a lot or a little easier, depending on the type of turning:
Pen mandrel, accessories
Coring tools
Table saw
Carving tools (hand, rotary)
Planer, drum sander
Stationary belt sander
Vacuum chuck
SCMS
Jointer
Indexing wheel
Router
Axe
Sphere jig
Air cleaner
Threading jig
Bench vise
Spindle and tailstock thread taps

Things I wasted money on:
Easywood Carbide tools
Massive scrapers
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JKJ

[Richard Casey]

Well JKJ obviously cannot turn yet if he has time to type that list. Very well put together. My worst tool was the Sorby negative rake hardwood scraper. Did not work on my timber, but thanks to you guys I reground it to a double bevel and it works like a dream.
Rgds,
Richard.

[Brian Brown]

Interesting thread. This is quite the list John made. No wonder the cars won't fit in the garage er... shop. I made some observations about some of these tools and things in my shop.

Tools and things I find the most useful:
A cooperative (or tolerant) spouse.mes Mine is the best. She even comes out to turn sometimes. Now if I could just get her to sharpen her own tools. She feigns fear of the grinder.
Good books (Raffan's and Darlow's intro books are my favorites) Are those the antique paper things? JK
Big, heavy lathe. For Halloween, My itty, bitty, MIDI dressed up as an American Beauty.
Parting tool, roughing gouge, skew, spindle gouge, bowl gouge The parting tool is to help your wallet part with the cash when you get gouged by the others
Face shield Why do I need a face shield? I see just fine with one eye, and the eye patch attracts women.
Dust mask I thought that was the hair in my nose!
Sharpening system (grinder, etc)
Chuck Chuck is very helpful when I need somebody to help me lift the heavy stuff.
Good lighting I use the arcing coming from the outlet everything is plugged into.
Ruler, pencils Ummmm, Isn't turning supposed to be free hand?
Cheap calipers (several) Cheap, Yeah, that's me.
Scissors (one reserved for cuttiing sandpaper) My wife is a quilter. Somehow she always knows when I use her good Ginghers to cut sand paper. She must be psychic. Oh wait, it makes her psychotic. Wonder why?
Jacobs drill chuck and bits I borrowed Jacob's chuck once, and when I didn't return it to him, he twisted me like a drill bit.
Diamond hones, flat and round The only diamonds I need in the shop are the ones I use to ask forgiveness when I buy a new tool.
A notebook Why do you need sheet music in the shop?
Bandsaw Oh, the band saw the music and took it.
Small very thin saw
Steb drive center (1/2" for smaller work)
Steb live center
Screw chuck What I say when Chuck won't help
Sharpies Those tools fresh off the grinder that I drop, point down on my foot. Speaking of feet, I could never figure out why people call me "Three Toed Ted".
Tool rack, tool box for small tools I don't use a tool box, I just put my tools in a soft pile of shavings. It's free and makes a great patina in the metal.
Negative rake scrapers Enough of this negativity, Let's all stay positive.
Set of Hunter carbide tools (Small Hercules first) Is this anything like Union Carbide?
Point tool What's the point?
Drill press Media coverage of the evacuation rehearsal
More skews and gouges (larger/smaller + duplicates of favorites) Don't have room for the ones I have already.
Beale buffing wheels My finger nails are so shiny!!!
Scalpels NO, I have had enough surgeries this year!

Things I would hate to be without in the shop:
Fire extinguisher Needed when I have Mexican food for lunch.
Heat and air in the shop (not quite a tool) Ummm, Hi, I'm Brian, and I have a breathing addiction.
Compressed air What you get from eating mexican food.
Assortment of hand scrapers Most of my tools scrape my hands
Anti-fatigue mat
CBN wheel
Texturing tools Any surface my perfectly smooth bowl hits when it flys off the lathe
Dremel The little ceramic figurines woodturners collect
Tiny hand drills Why would you want to drill your hand?
Depth gauges No thanks, everybody says I'm really shallow
Cyclone dust collector Ummmm, the shop looks like a cyclone hit it.
Camera, photo cube What do you think I am, a Photographer?
Gimlets (hand twist drills) These go in the the gravy on thanksgiving
Grex random orbital sander Thats so random
Taper bits
Magnifier What I put in front of my midi lathe to make it look bigger
Second grinder I read this as second grader, and I couldn't think of any shop use for an 8 year old.
Graph paper What the wife uses to plot all the money spent on tools and wood. See diamond hone above.
Robust tool rests When an American Beauty goes on siesta
Work bench WORK?! Time in the shop is supposed to be play.
Radio/CD player Breaker Breaker.... oh wait that's CD, not CB
Water cooler Chill out man
Chain saw (Stihl electric) Quick! Call 911
Moisture meter Counts the tears when my turning explodes
Second lathe Pipe dream
Strong magnets The attraction between sharp tools and concrete floors
Many clamps Used with baling wire and bandaids to hold my equipment together
Cordless drill


JKJ

Obviously JKJ and I both had too much time on our hands today. The doc benched me for a few hours after a procedure. As a side note, those new pills he gave me don't seem to have any effect at all.

[Prashun Patel]

Love: Thompson 1/2" gouge. CBN wheel. Vince's Innerface pads for sanding. Indasa Rhynogrit sandpaper.

Hate: Cole Jaws. Actually, 'changing' jaws. I drop screws, and haven't found a quick way to switch jaws.

Hate that I don't have: multiple chucks, so I wouldn't have to change jaws. Super slow turning speed on my vs lathe.

Hate to love: Neiko 3/8" right angle drill. I hate sanding, but this unit has been a little melted cheese on my broccoli.

[Peter Blair]

John I too think the worst for me at least tool was the Termite. I did find that I could use the handle for other tools so it isn't a total loss . . .